Grand Mere State Park is a public recreation and nature preservation area in the southwestern part of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

near Stevensville. The state park is located adjacent to Interstate 94. Protected from Lake Michigan by the dunes to the west, the park has many natural features not found throughout the rest of the state. In 1968 it was designated a

National Natural Landmark The National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only national natural areas program that identifies and recognizes the best ...

Geography

The park is mostly wooded and has three geologically ancient inland lakes, left behind as the glaciers receded during the last

ice age An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages and gre ...

. At one time there were five such lakes, but two of the lakes have disappeared as a result of

aquatic succession In geology, aquatic succession is the process in which a glacial lake dries up. Over the lifespan of a glacier it dissolves into a body of water. Aquatic succession is the continuing step of that solid water-turned-lake melting into the ground and ...

, and the remaining three can be seen to be slowly disappearing today. The dunes protecting the park also create a relatively cool environment that supports plants not normally seen in southern Michigan, some of which are classified as rare, threatened or endangered.

Activities and amenities

The park offers swimming, hiking, picnicking, boat launch, and cross-country skiing. The park has almost two miles of sandy beach, which can be reached only on foot by climbing over steep sand dunes. There are many trails for hiking and cross-country skiing, but most are neither posted nor maintained. (Biking on the trails is prohibited.) The trail conditions vary from loose sand to hard packed dirt. There are many hills including a large sand dune that was once used for off-road vehicles. Access to the dune by large, four-wheeled vehicles has been blocked with guard rails.

References

External links

Grand Mere State Park
Michigan Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Grand Mere State Park Map
Michigan Department of Natural Resources {{authority control State parks of Michigan Protected areas of Berrien County, Michigan Beaches of Michigan Landforms of Berrien County, Michigan National Natural Landmarks in Michigan Protected areas established in 1973 1973 establishments in Michigan IUCN Category III