Located south of Sleeping Bear Dunes on the M-22 scenic highway, in the C.S. Mott Nature Preserve, is Arcadia Dunes. There was no fee to park or hike here. There are more than 15 miles of hiking trails.
We hiked from the Baldy Trailhead, which has a universally accessible trail to an overlook for Lake Michigan. From the overlook, you can also hike to Baldy sand dune with its own scenic views.
I recommend photographing the Baldy map or planning out your route; the trails are often just marked with numbers and weave in and out of each other.
Hiking in Arcadia Dunes
Baldy Trailhead
The half-mile Overlook Trail starts at the trailhead and winds through the forest via gravel, dirt, boardwalks, and switchbacks. From the trailhead take marker 1 to marker 8 to marker 7.
The forest floor is covered in wildflowers like black-eyes Susan, chicory, and purple bergamot. Several benches dot the trail for visitors to rest upon.
The jewel of the trail is the overlook platform. This platform is wide enough to accommodate dozens of people and offers several benches for visitors to spend time taking it all in.
Gorgeous views of Lake Michigan are available at every angle! The water blurred from teal to a deep sapphire blue.
Baldy Sand Dune
Old Baldy is a sand dune 365 feet above the lake. This dune like Sleeping Bear Dunes is a perched dune or cliff-top dune. High waves erode bluffs, blowing sand off the bluff and onto the flat land above – thus the dunes are “perched” on the bluff.
From the overlook, go left at the fork, marker 7 toward marker 6. Here the trail is very narrow, a single dirt track. There were even more wildflowers here including black-eyed Susans and daisies.
At the next intersection, turn left toward marker 5. You will arrive at a tall set of steps climbing a slope. At the top of the stairs, many visitors leave their shoes as the rest of the trail is in deep sand. We chose to keep ours on and it was quite the slog! They ended up weighing twice as much after they were filled with sand.
Follow the wire and wooden post fencing farther up the slope around the bend. The path was lined with bladder champion blooms and dark berries. This will bring you to the dune and the lake’s edge.
From the dune, Michigan Lake appears more like an ocean. It even has waves! The color blends were just as fabulous from here.
This path to the overlook and then to the dunes as I described above is around 1.3 miles one-way.
Return Hike
From the dune, the shortest path back to the trailhead is marker 5 to marker 4 to marker 2. The trail closest to the parking lot is framed by wild berries and sumac.
This is a fantastic hike for travelers looking to enjoy dunes and views of Lake Michigan. You can avoid the crowds typically found just north at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
I was on these hikes! The air was clear with doable temperatures that made it so wonderful! A great day trip!
Steph, I don’t know how I missed this one. I have been to sites at Lake Michigan and somehow missed this one. Thank you for the apt descriptions. I will see this the next time.