The Silver Lake sand dunes

On the Lake Michigan shore in Golden Township sits one of the strangest and most fun stretches of Michigan: nearly two thousand acres of open, wind-sculpted sand dunes, with the big lake on one side and the warm, calm waters of Silver Lake on the other. It’s the heart of Silver Lake State Park, and it holds a distinction found nowhere else on this side of the country.

This is the only place east of the Mississippi River where you’re allowed to drive your own vehicle out onto the dunes. A 450-acre stretch is set aside as an off-road “scramble” area, and on a summer day you’ll see Jeeps, dune buggies, and ATVs climbing and sliding over the sand, an orange safety flag whipping behind each one. You can bring your own rig with the right permits or rent one from an outfitter in town. If you’d rather leave the driving to someone else, Mac Wood’s Dune Rides has been carrying visitors over these hills in open-air buggies since 1930, with a guide spinning stories along the way.

There’s more here than engines. The park has miles of Lake Michigan beach, a big campground, and quiet pedestrian dunes for those who’d rather hike. At the south end stands Little Sable Point Lighthouse, a slender brick tower built in 1874 that still shows its original glass lens. Climb to the top and the whole sweep of dunes and shoreline opens up below you. You can find permit rules, hours, and lighthouse tour times through the Michigan DNR at michigan.gov/silverlake.