Day 3 - The Lake Shore
Directions from Grand Rapids to
Grand Haven State Park
Head west on Pearl St. NW toward
Front Ave. NW.
Merge onto US-131 N toward Cadillac.
Merge onto I-96 W via exit number
89 toward Alpine Ave/Newago/Muskegon.
Take the M-104 exit on the left
toward Spring Lake/Grand Haven
Stay straight to go onto
Cleveland St.
Cleveland St. becomes E Savidge
St./ MI-104.
Merge onto US-31 S toward
Grand Haven
Turn right onto Jackson Ave.
Jackson Ave. becomes N Harbor
Dr.
Estimated travel time - 45 minutes
Directions from Grand
Haven State Park to P.J. Hoffmaster State Park
Head Northeast on S Harbor Dr.
toward Emmet St.
S Harbor Dr. becomes Jackson
Ave.
Turn Left onto N Beacon Blvd/US-31
N and continue to follow US-31 N.
Take the Pontaluna Rd exit
toward Fruitport.
Turn left onto E Pontaluna
Rd.
Estimated travel time - 15 minutes
Directions from P.J.
Hoffmaster State Park to Silver Lake State Park
Head east on W Pontaluna Rd toward
Tournament Circle.
Merge onto US-31 N via the
ramp- on the left.
Take the Shelby Rd exit toward
Shelby.
Turn Left onto W Shelby Rd.
Turn right onto Scenic Dr/16th
Ave./ CR-B15. Continue to follow Scenic Dr/ CR-B15.
Turn left onto Scenic Dr/18th
Ave/CR-B15.
Estimated travel time - 1 hour
Schedule of Events
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8:00 a.m.
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Breakfast on your own prior to
8:00.
Meet at the van with luggage
to depart for Grand Haven.
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9:45 a.m.
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Arrive at Grand
Haven State Park. (State Park Fees for 2003 are $4.00 daily per
vehicle or $20 seasonal.) Grand Haven is located along the
shore of Lake Michigan and is also the place where the Grand River empties
into Lake Michigan. While at the beach we will dig one pit
(3 feet deep, 3 feet wide) near the shore and another farther back.
These pits will allow us to see a cross section of the layers of sand which
will help us to understand the recent history of this beach. Michigan
beaches are not disturbed by tides so it should be interesting to see how
the two cross sections differ. These cross sections will help us
see how times of turbulent wind and waves result in deposition that is
different from times of little or no disturbances.
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11:45 a.m.
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Leave Grand
Haven State Park and head toward P.J. Hoffmaster
State Park. Stop for lunch en route.
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1:00 p.m.
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Arrive at Hoffmaster
State Park. (The same State Park fees apply, but your day
pass from Grand Haven is good all day long at any state park.) Here
we will explore the differences between beach, foredune and backdune.
Special emphasis should be placed on plants and animals observed in each
section of the dune. We will also stop at the E. Genevieve Gillette
Sand Dune Visitor Center. At the visitor center we will watch a slide
show which depicts dune ecology along the Great Lakes. The exhibit
hall uses dioramas to explain the dune environment from a single grain
of sand up to the climax forest. Many hiking trails are available
but the Dune Climb Stairway and the path to Lake Michigan should definitely
be seen.
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3:30 p.m.
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Leave Hoffmaster
State Park and head to Silver Lake State Park.
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4:30 p.m.
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Arrive at Silver
Lake State Park. (We sure are getting the most out of that $4
day pass.) The experience here will be quite different from that
of Hoffmaster. Dune buggies, dirt bikes, monster trucks, and ORVs
are everywhere including the Silver Lake State Park.
The atmosphere is that of a resort town. Observations should be made
in regard to how dune traffic and use impacts dune ecology. Where
did all of this sand come from and where is it going? We will enter
the dunes from the State Park. It is a bit strenuous climbing in
the sand so people with heart problems or back or knee pain should be very
careful. Once on the dunes we will wander and explore but it's a
good idea to stay within sight of each other so as not to get lost.
This place is big and there is nothing but sand as far as you can see.
Think about measures that have been taken to protect and preserve the dunes.
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6:30 p.m.
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Check into hotel.
(Silver Lake has ample lodging whether it be a hotel or rental property.)
Dinner as a group or on your own.
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8:00 p.m.
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Free time to relax or play.
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Why visit Grand
Haven, Hoffmaster, and Silver Lake State Parks?
The three parks are all beautiful
and have very unique things to see. A trip to Michigan would not
be complete without a visit to Lake
Michigan and its gorgeous sand dunes. We reach the mouth of the
Grand River in Grand Haven, get a
first hand look at dune ecology at Hoffmaster, and experience
the human/tourism factor at Silver
Lake.
A view of the Grand River from downtown Grand Haven.
Grand Haven
State Park consists of 48 acres along the shore of Lake Michigan and is
home to
vast white sand beaches. The
Grand River empties into Lake Michigan at the north end of the park.
The
Grand Haven lighthouse is located
south of the mouth of the Grand River. Beaches are dynamic
areas of erosion and deposition.
Wave action at the shore brings sediment to the beach while wind
carries that sediment elsewhere.
The Great Lakes are not strongly effected by tidal systems so the water
level in these areas do not change
drastically on a day to day basis. The wind is the major
cause of waves on the Great Lakes.
During times of more turbulent weather conditions, winds
increase and waves are stronger.
This makes the amount of deposition at the shore less since the water
is moving too much and sediments cannot
settle out. Our pit digging on the beach should allow us
to see periods of more and less disruption
by observing the thickness of layers as well as the size of
sediments within the layers.
Fine sediments will only settle out during very calm periods.
We should also be able to see differences
between the layers of the pit close to the shore vs. the pit
farther back on the beach. Pits
must be filled in when our exercise is complete.
The Grand Haven lighthouse
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The beach at Grand Haven State Park
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Overcast skies over Lake Michigan
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Beach volleyball
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Hoffmaster
State Park is the point on the Lake Michigan shore where the dunes begin.
The most
dominant feature of the park is the
2.5 mile (1,130 acre) border of sand dunes along Lake Michigan's shore.
The sand dunes that we will be focusing
on throughout the next few days as we travel north
represent the world's largest number
of sand dunes bordering a body of fresh water. Each
dune area that we visit is different,
but the amount of sand is amazing at each locale. When
the glaciers retreated from the area
now known as Michigan, they left a sandy coast on
the leeward side of Lake Michigan.
The prevailing westerlies that blow across the lake
were responsible for piling up the
sand on the dunes we see today. Parabolic dunes can be seen
at Hoffmaster. Parabolic dunes
are crescent shaped dunes which have points facing into the wind, or
toward Lake Michigan in this case.
Dune ecology is the focus at Hoffmaster.
The visitor center offers displays and slide shows
on the topic of dune ecology and the
theme is evident throughout the park. Signs
like the one in the photo below are
posted to keep hikers and campers out of restricted areas.
Dunes are fragile and staying out
of these areas help protect them. Another thing that helps
to protect the dunes is the vegetation
growing on them. Hoffmaster is a great place to see
this vegetation at work. Plant
succession principles were developed in this area during the 1800s
and it is easy to see why. At
Lake Michigan the beach is a flat expanse of beautiful white sand.
As you travel away from the shore,
even if only a few hundred feet, vegetation starts to appear.
Beach grasses are the first plants
that you'll notice. They start out sparse but quickly become
more dense. Keep heading away
from the beach and you'll notice small shrubs such as juniper and
sand cherry. Look into the distance
and you'll notice the large, full grown beech/maple
forest growing on a large sand dune.
The root systems of these plants help to anchor
the sand thus keeping the dunes from
being destroyed.
Signs posted in restricted areas
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Vegetation on the dunes at Hoffmaster.
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Lake Michigan
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Plant succession seen facing away from Lake Michigan.
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Silver Lake
State Park is defined by the Silver Lake Sand Dunes. These dunes
are
1.5 miles wide and 3 miles long, which
means about 1,875 acres of sand. Nestled within the
dunes are isolated wetland areas.
Fox, deer, and great blue herons are just a few of the
animals that make their homes here.
Compared to Hoffmaster, vegetation seems to be missing
on the Silver Lake Dunes, but it is
there. You will find dune grass as well as jack pine, white pine,
and poplar trees. Some trees
appear to be small bushes because they have
been buried by shifting sand.
The Silver Lake Sand Dunes are also
a dynamic area. These beach or coastal dunes, dunes shift a few
inches to the east every year and
will eventually fill in Silver Lake. A number of cottages have been
overtaken by the shifting sand throughout
the years. When the sand shifts in just the right way, you can
sometimes see old roof tops or chimneys
peeking out of the dune. Due to the fragility of dunes, these are
separated into three sections.
The northern end of the dunes is used by off road vehicles. People
come from all around to take their
jeep or dune buggy onto the dunes. The middle part of the dunes
is used for walking and hiking and
playing in the sand. The southern end of the dunes is leased by a
commercial business, Mac Wood's Dune
Rides. Visitors can get a guided tour of the dunes on one of
Mac Wood's dune scooters.
This dune is filling in a dead end street and threatening
to take over nearby cottages.
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Sand, sand, and more sand. Yes, those 3 specks
in the center are people.
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Vegetation is minimal
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Overlooking Silver Lake
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