Saugatuck Dunes State Park is a public park covering 1,000 acres (400 ha) located along the shore of Lake Michigan, between the towns 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, built in 1928, is a building within the state park that is being restored. The mansion was sold to the St. Augustine Seminary in 1949, where Pope Leo XIV was educated. It was used as housing for young students at the seminary. Later, the mansion housed cloistered nuns. In the 1970s, the building was bought by the state of Michigan and used as a state police station. Nearby buildings were used as a prison. The state completed buying the site for use as a state park in 1978.

Activities and amenities

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