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Best Family Activities in and around Holland Michigan!

So many beaches! Who needs the ocean when Lake Michigan provides so many beach destinations on the western side of the state of Michigan? We visited in July and there were plenty of activities both on and off the beach in Holland Michigan. Here is what we found to do!

Riley Beach

This tiny little public beach was just across the road from the house we rented through Airbnb. Though there was plenty of free parking here, I would not make this a destination. The benefit of Holland’s location along Lake Michigan means there are a lot of little spots like this. Find the one nearest you and enjoy a swim or catch a sunset!

Riley Trails

Another great spot along Riley Street is Riley Trails found here. You wouldn’t know from the photos but this area surrounds a closed and capped landfill! The county has turned an eyesore into a public asset. It was a beautiful place for a morning walk.

A map of the various hiking and biking trails can be found here. This area is primarily used for hiking, mountain biking, and cross-country skiing in the winter. There is no fee and plenty of parking and the trails are open from dawn to dusk.

Trail surfaces vary from packed dirt to crushed stone.

Holland State Park Beach

This beach has ample parking, restrooms, concessions, and the best views of Big Red. All this convenience brings crowds but it was still a great spot for a picnic, a swim, and some games in the sand. More information can be found here.

Tunnel Park

Named for the concrete tunnel through the dune, Tunnel Park is a great beach for younger children for many reasons. First and foremost is the cool concrete tunnel through the dune. Not only will kids enjoy the echos, it also removes the need to drag beach supplies up and over the dune.

For those without small children or anyone desiring more of a workout, there is also a stairway over the dune that leads to a beautiful elevated view of Lake Michigan and then continues to the beach below.

The view from the top of the boardwalk at Tunnel Park.

Besides the beach, Tunnel Park is also great for kids because of the large grassy area with a playground, picnic tables, shady trees, and restrooms. There is a parking fee here in the summer but it is well worth it for a day spent at this park. All this can be found here.

Mt Pisgah

Mount Pisgah was a fun, adults-only early morning walk, not because it wouldn’t be great for kids too, but because sometimes it’s just nice to enjoy a bit of quiet before starting the day. There was ample parking just past the trailhead here.

We arrived by 7:30am and saw only a few other visitors who were using the boardwalk for exercise. The 200+ steps take visitors up 157 feet to sweeping views of Lake Macatawa, Lake Michigan, and the Big Red Lighthouse.

Holland State Park Beach and Big Red in the distance.

The distance to the overlook is only .4 miles. From this point though, one can continue on and make a lollipop loop through the wooded dune for a round trip of just under 2 miles. Alltrails ranks this hike as easy.

Fresh donuts from the Ottawa Beach General Store

After working up an appetite the Ottawa Beach General Store had fresh donuts and coffee. This is also a great spot to bring kids for ice cream later in the day!

Ludington State Park

A walk up the beach at Ludington Beach State Park

This was one of the most beautiful parks I have ever visited. We spent a whole day here and I hope to return someday to explore even more. You can read more about our day at Ludington Beach State Park here.

Dutch Village

This cute little park exceeded our expectations. To be honest, we were not sure what to expect. We were drawn to the Hollandness of this attraction and the reduced admission price. We figured it would be worth it just to walk around and it definitely was.

There was definitely a kitschy feel to the place. But that was part of the charm! We tried on wooden shoes, learned Dutch dances, tasted cheeses, and raced in tandem skis with wooden shoes attached to them!

We made the assumption that our kids were too old for kiddie rides but I guess you never really outgrow a carousel or ferris wheel.

There was also a nice petting area with goats, sheep, chickens, pigs, rabbits, and a llama! The kids hung with the kids! We sampled fudge and listened to the large 1800’s street organ. You can visit their website here to plan your own Dutch Village adventure!

Saugatuck Dunes State Park

The walk to this secluded beach from the parking and picnic area is nearly a mile but once you are there you will be treated to two and a half miles of beautiful Lake Michigan shoreline. This scenic area can be found 10 miles south of Holland. Turn onto 138th Street and follow it to State Park Drive.

Pack a backpack with your favorite beach gear and spend the day swimming and building sandcastles. If walking in nature is more your style, this park has over 1000 acres including coastal dunes over 200 feet high, and covered with a mix of trees and grass. Like other Michigan State Parks, a $12 annual recreation passport is required for Michigan residents. Out of state visitors can pay a $9 single-day fee.

The park contains over 14 miles of hiking trails.

Sone of the dunes in Saugatuck State Park are 200 feet high.

Windmill Gardens

Another essential stop for embracing Holland’s Dutch roots and history is Windmill Gardens. This beautiful park bordering downtown Holand is a great place to relax or pick up some Holland, MI souvenirs.

The main attraction of the Gardens is the Windmill itself. Named DeZwann or The Swan, this 250-year-old working windmill arrived in Holland Michigan from the Netherlands in 1964. It is both the last windmill to leave the Netherlands and the only working Dutch windmill in the United States.

What I thought was especially powerful about this windmill was that an original blade was laying beside it, riddled with bullet holes from when it served as a lookout tower during World War II.

Before leaving, we wandered through the shops and picked out our own little pair of wooden shoes which they engraved for us.

Laketown Beach

An elaborate walkway over the dunes, at times covered in sand, takes you to a quiet beach nestled amid private property. Parking along a dead-end road can be found here. Though the steep climb and number of stairs might make this a poor choice for a full day at the beach with all the required gear, the views from the top make this a great spot for photos or quiet contemplation.

There are 350 stairs going up and over the fragile dunes. The stairs not only make the trek easier, they protect the dunes.

There are no restroom facilities at this location but the limited parking is free. What I liked best about this out of the way park was the peace and solitude.

Westward Journey 1

A photographic journey of a family road trip to Glacier and Yellowstone National parks and back again.

Day 1

Day 2

Maggie Daley Park, Cloud Gate (The Bean) in Millennium Park

Day 3

Day 4

The Mississippi River at Great River Bluffs State Park, Minnesota

Sioux Falls Riverwalk, Sioux Falls South Dakota

Day 5

Walk of Presidents, Rapid City South Dakota

Day 6

Day 7

Checking out Rising Sun Motor Inn area, Glacier National Park

Day 8

Exploring the Many Glacier area of Glacier National Park

Day 9

Day 10

Gallatin, Jefferson, and Madison rivers becoming the Missouri River

Terrace Spring, our first thermal feature

Quick hike to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, right behind our cabin.

Day 11

Day 12

Day 13

Chartered fishing trip on Yellowstone Lake

Watching Old Faithful erupt for a second time.

Day 14

Leaving Yellowstone and passing over the Bighorn Mountains.

Day 15

Day 16

Day 17

Back in Wisconsin Dells for another Theme Park

Last night…..and some of the characters we picked up along the way.

Yosemite National Park

I have been to half of the national parks in the United States. From that list, I think Yosemite is my favorite, though that changes depending on what I am currently reflecting on! For 6 days and 5 nights in July of 2019, my family and I explored as much of this park as we could. Today I will share my favorite experiences from that trip with you, I hope that you have the chance to see it yourself someday and form your own impressions and memories.

Tioga Pass-Day 1

Yosemite National Park was the final destination on a longer trip through Northern California. We drove through the Sierra Nevadas once in order to make a stop at Lake Tahoe so to cross back over the mountains and arrive in Yosemite Valley, we entered the park for the first time at its eastern most entrance.

Our first introduction to Yosemite was the Tioga Pass and Tuolumne Meadows. One of my favorite memories is our first stop at Lembert dome. The area was nearly deserted, this was a pleasant surprise. I knew there would be crowds in the valley, I wasn’t sure what to expect in other areas of the park. On every national park trip I have taken, I have found a place all to myself to quietly enjoy. Lembert Dome did not disappoint. The kids stretched their legs, after being cooped up during the drive, by running up and down the dome. I sat and enjoyed the view.

View of Lembert Dome from the trail through Tuolumne Meadows.

The next stop along Tioga Road was Tenaya Lake. I would have loved to hike the 2.5 mile trail around the lake but we were racing the sun and wanted to save some daylight for our arrival in the valley.

We stopped one final time at Olmsted Point, named after the famous landscape architect. This was a low effort vista with incredible views of Half Dome’s northern side in front of us and Tenaya Lake behind us.

Our first glimpse of Half Dome from Olmsted Point.

As we turned from Tioga Road to Big Oak Flat and descended into the valley, we got our first view of the Merced River and Yosemite Valley. We checked off first sightings of Bridalveil Falls and El Capitan too before checking into our room at the Yosemite Valley Lodge as the sun set.

The Merced River with Bridalveil Falls in the background.

Yosemite Falls and drive to Glacier Point-Day 2

On our first full day, I was up early to walk to Yosemite Falls. At less than half a mile from the room where we stayed, I made this my daily routine. I loved getting there first thing in the morning when I had the falls all to myself!

The approach to Yosemite Falls, first thing in the morning.

After a day in the valley, we drove up to Glacier Point. A must see stop on the way is Tunnel View. The view of Bridalveil falls, Half Dome, and El Capitan forms the iconic image of Yosemite. Once above the valley at Glacier Point, the views of the valley below were amazing! The hike back down along the 4-mile trail is one of my favorite hikes of all time. You can read about that hike in another blog post here.

Close up of Vernal and Nevada Falls from Glacier Point

Biking in the Valley-Day 3

Traffic in the valley can become uncomfortably crowded in the summer. It is no fun to waste beautiful summer days in a car or bus. The valley is huge and even though we did walk from the lodge to Curry Village once, we found that the best way to explore the valley was by bicycle! Daily rentals are available at Yosemite Valley Bike Rental.

We get ready to head out on the bike trail right behind our building at Yosemite Valley Lodge.

After exploring the area around the lodge by bike, we picked up picnic supplies for a ride up to Mirror Lake. Our route was just under 4 miles to the lake. There is a point where bikes can be parked and the last leg uphill to Mirror Lake is walked. We ate our lunch, enjoyed the beautiful scenery, and then explored the lake.

Splashing in the glittery golden Mirror Lake.

The bike rental was for the whole day. It was a great way to maximize our time in the valley and avoid the crowds.

Floating down the Merced River-Day 4

This was the kids’ favorite activity from the trip! We met for a safety talk at Curry Village Raft Rentals, grabbed our rafts, and off we went! This is not a guided tour. You put in your raft of 2 or 3 people and float at your own pace, as fast or as slow as you like. You can stop at a sand bar along the Merced River and swim or relax in your raft and watch the scenery.

At the end of the trip, the raft company is there to help haul your raft out of the water and offer you a ride back to the starting point if you need it. This was a very relaxing adventure.

Exploring Wawona-Day 5

Wawona is the gateway to some of the biggest trees in Yosemite! Driving to this end of the park brings you to the Mariposa Grove Depot where a short bus ride takes you to well-maintained trails through one of Yosemite’s groves of Giant Sequoias.

Some of these trees, like the Grizzly Giant above right, are estimated to be over 3000 years old. They bear the scars of this age well. Fire is necessary for these trees to reproduce. The heat opens their seed cones and releases the seeds. While the flames clear the earth for the seeds to germinate, the Giant Sequoias themselves withstand the flames. Signs of past fires are on most of the trees. I like the metaphor. I try to think of these trees when facing my own trials, that it is difficult but necessary to grow.

The trees weren’t the only things of beauty in Mariposa Grove, the Lupine were in bloom.

After our hike we stopped at The Big Trees Lodge, formerly the Wawona Hotel, and now once again the Wawona Hotel, for a wonderful dinner before driving back down into the valley as the sun set on another perfect day.

Hiking the Mist trail to Vernal Falls-Day 6

Our final activity of the trip involved a hike to see a couple of the parks famous waterfalls. We took the valley shuttle bus to the Happy Isles Bridge stop. From there, you can hike the John Muir trail to the Mist trail up to the top of Vernal Falls. Even pretty early in the morning, this trail was crowded, but it was worth it. The wildlife didn’t seem to mind all the people.

A bear crosses in front of us on the trail.

Some sections of trail were pretty steep.

We hiked to the top of Vernal Falls and found a quiet spot to eat our packed lunch. After, we wandered up the trail a bit farther, until we could spot Nevada Falls as well. Then we retraced our steps back down. An alternative route that combines the Mist Trail with another leg of the John Muir trail would make a nice loop, but some family members were tired and ready to head back to the lodge and its swimming pool.