Saugatuck Dunes State Park is a public park covering 1,000 acres (400 ha). It is located along the shore of Lake Michigan, between the cities of Saugatuck and Holland in Allegan County, Michigan.

History

The site was once part of the estate of Dorr E. Felt, the inventor of the comptometer. The Felt Mansion, his summer home built in 1928, is a part of the state park that is being restored. In 1949, the mansion was sold to the St. Augustine Seminary, where Pope Leo XIV was educated, and used to house young students. Later, the mansion was used to house cloistered nuns. In the 1970s, the building was bought by the state of Michigan and used as a state police post, with nearby buildings serving as a prison. The state finished buying the site in 1978 to make it part of the state park.

Activities and amenities

The state park, which is not fully developed, has 14 miles (23 km) of hiking trails. It includes sand dunes that are 200 feet (61 m) tall and covered with trees and grass. The park also has 2.5 miles (4.0 km) of beachfront, which is located two-thirds of a mile from the picnic parking area.