For those looking for a short but fairly intense hike with a great view, Rosy Mound Natural Area is it! Located off Lakeshore Drive in Grand Haven, Rosy Mound is open year-round.

With a 0.7 mile hike to Lake Michigan from the parking lot, Rosy Mound features a well-maintained trail with crushed pebbles, 1000+ feet of stairs up and down the dunes, and a dune boardwalk trail. A great hike for families (unless your toddler or younger child wants OUT of the backpack...those steps can take a fair amount of time). Pack a picnic lunch and some bathing suits. You will be treated to a beach with minimal other visitors in the summer, and hardly any in the off-season. This is also a great trail and loop system for a trail run; those steps will have your legs burning! Dogs are not allowed.

Rosy Mound Natural Area, 13925 Lakeshore Drive, Grand Haven, MI, 49417, 616-738-4810

http://www.miottawa.org/ParksVI/Parks/rosymound.htm