'Tis The Season:
Skiing on the Lakeshore
Allegan County, Berrien County, Kent County, Muskegon County, Ottawa County, Van Buren County
ALLEGAN COUNTY SKIING
Allegan State Game Area
Travel north on M-89, turn west at Monroe Road (118th Avenue), drive 7 miles to game area headquarters.
269-673-2430
Type: cross-country. Terrain: Easy to moderate trails, 50,000 acres of forests, open fields, oak-pine savannas.
Bittersweet Ski Resort
600 River Road
Otsego, MI 49078
616-694-2820
Type: downhill. Snowboarding. Terrain: Kalamazoo River Valley; day and night skiing. Groomed snow. Ski school, ski club. Ski shop, chair lift.
Saugatuck Dunes-Beach Trail of Allegan County
6602 138th Avenue
Holland, MI 49423
616-335-3050
Type: cross-country. Terrain: Not groomed, varying difficulty.
Saugatuck Dunes State Park
Access park from 64th Street, turn onto 138th Avenue and follow park signs.
Saugatuck, MI 49453
269-637-2788.
Type: cross-country. Terrain: 13 miles of groomed trails over steep slopes and rolling hills. 300 acre nature area, 2.5 miles of shoreline, 1000 acres of parkland.
Shore Acres Township Park
6602 138th Avenue
Saugatuck, MI
616-393-WILD
Type: cross-country. Terrain: 2 miles of trails.
BERRIEN COUNTY SKIING
Love Creek County Park
9228 Huckleberry Road
Berrien Center, MI 49102
269-471-2617
Type: cross-country. Terrain: forested slopes, 5 miles of open ski trails, winding turns. Groomed and lighted trails.
Madeline Bertrand County Park
3038 Adams Road
Niles, MI 49120
269-683-8280
Type: cross-county. Terrain: 3 miles of gently rolling forested groomed trails, trail overlooking St. Joseph River. Lighted night skiing available on Fridays and Saturdays.
Warren Dunes State Park
12032 Red Arrow Highway
Sawyer, MI 49125
269-426-4013
Type: cross-country. Terrain: 6 miles of winding trails.
KENT COUNTY SKIING
Cannonsburg Ski Area
6800 Cannonsburg Road
Belmont, MI 49317
616-874-6711
Type: downhill. Snowboarding, tubing. Terrain: 18 runs, groomed trails; separate Terrain Parks for kiddies and older children. Rentals, child care, ski school, racing program.
Pando Winter Sports Park
8076 Belding Road
Rockford, MI 49341
616-874-8343
Type: cross-country, downhill. Tubing, snowboarding. Terrain: groomed trails; Lodge Grill on site. Park is 15 miles outside Grand Rapids.
MUSKEGON COUNTY SKIING
P.J. Hoffmaster State Park
6585 Lake Harbor Road
Muskegon, MI 49441
231-798-3711
Type: cross-country. Terrain: 10 miles of ungroomed trails through forest-covered dunes.
Muskegon State Park
3560 Memorial Drive
North Muskegon, MI 49445
231-744-3480
Type: cross-country skiing. Luge runs, snowshoeing trails. Terrain: 12 miles of marked hiking trails; 5 miles lighted for cross-country. Trails vary from shoreline, flatland, bog, elevated dunes.
Owasippe Scout Reservation of Muskegon County
9900 Russell Road
Twin Lake, MI 49457
231-894-4061
Type: cross-country. Terrain: 25 miles of ungroomed trails. Closed in summer to the public when it is the resident camp of the Chicago Boy Scouts.
OTTAWA COUNTY SKIING
Albert C. Keppel Forest Preserve
Lakewood Blvd./168th
Holland, MI 49424
616-399-4520
Type: cross-country.
Aman Park
Lake Michigan Drive, six miles west of Grand Rapids
(From I-196 – drive west on M-45 for six miles)
616-456-3696
Type: cross-country. Terrain: 6 trails, 331 acres
Hemlock Crossing
8115 West Olive Rd.
West Olive, MI 49460
616-738-4000
Type: cross-country. Terrain: 6 miles of ungroomed trails, bottomland, upland forest.
Kirk Park
9791 N. Lakeshore Dr., 2 miles south of M-45
West Olive, MI 49460
616-738-4810
Type: cross-country. Terrain: ungroomed trails, 68 acres, wooded dunes.
Mulligan’s Hollow Ski Bowl
1 Y Drive
PO Box 969
Grand Haven, MI 49417
616-842-0634
Type: downhill, cross-country. Snowboarding. Terrain: 6 ski trails, night skiing, 8 snowboarding trails. Designed for children with beginning to intermediate skiing skills.
Pigeon Creek Park
Stanton Road between 128th & 120th Avenues
West Olive, MI 49460
616-738-9531
Type: cross country. Sledding hill, snowshoeing. Terrain: 10 miles of groomed trails through woods and around creek, 3 miles of lighted cross country night trails. 282 acres. Cross-country ski clinics.
Riley Park
Riley between 160th & 168th Avenues
Holland, MI 49424
616-399-4520
Type: cross-country. Terrain: Very gentle, mostly flat, wooded area.
VanRaalte Farm Park
1076 E. 16th Street
Holland, MI 49423
616-355-1057
Type: cross-country. Sledding hill. Terrain: groomed trails, 160 acres.
VAN BUREN COUNTY SKIING
Kal-Haven Trail
33.5 mile trail
Starts on North Bailey Avenue in South Haven and ends on 10th Street in Kalamazoo
Type: cross-country. Snowmobiling.
Timber Ridge Ski Area
07500 23 ½ Street
Gobles, MI 49055-9251
800-253-2928
Type: downhill, snowboarding, tubing. Terrain: 15 miles of groomed trails through wooded hills. Chair lift, rope lift, ski shop, ski patrol, ski and snowboarding schools, night skiing.
Van Buren State Park
23960 Ruggles Road
South Haven, MI 49090
269-637-2788
Type: cross-country. Terrain: 400 acres along Lake Michigan shoreline.
Unless otherwise indicated, all Lake Effect Living photographs are the work and property of Sharon Pisacreta.