The fall is the best time to go up north, as proven by my trip to Petoskey State Park

The view of Little Traverse Bay from atop Old Baldy in Petoskey State Park. 

Much is made across Michigan of heading "Up North" every summer (where "Up North is, well, that's something every media outlet in Detroit tries to figure out every summer). But once summer's over, the people who live up north breathe a sigh of relief, thinking all those downstate tourists are gone and won't be back for nine months.

My recent weekend up at Petoskey State Park has confirmed my longtime suspicion that the fall truly is my favorite time to pack up the car and head to the woods.

My wife and I headed to the area for a wedding in nearby Charlevoix this past weekend and found ourselves with some time in the morning before the festivities began that afternoon. Our hotel was just miles away from the state park, and we decided to enjoy the natural beauty to start our day.

Little Traverse Bay.

Upon arriving at the beach, I noticed how quiet it was that morning. The first day of fall and there were less than 10 people enjoying the water, walking along the shoreline and watching the waves crash on the sandy beach. While it certainly wasn't great for swimming with it being the first day of fall, the water was a wonderful site to see without all the interruptions. I can just imagine what the beach would typically look like in the summer, and I much preferred the fall.

The shoreline was lined with smooth, flat rocks, perfect for skipping in the choppy waters of Little Traverse Bay of Lake Michigan. It was a wonderful place to start a morning.

After getting a close-up look of the lake, we headed into the woods and decided a short hike was a good use of our time. It was well worth the short drive and walk up the hill to capture an awe-inspiring view.

We headed to the Old Baldy trail, a short (less than 0.5 miles) hike up Old Baldy, which had some stairs constructed for the truly steep parts. The top of the trail was well worth the climb, as the view of Little Traverse Bay framed by the tree branches was an incredible payoff.

The end of the trail up Old Baldy.

A little further down the trail is a picnic area atop the bluff, which is great for admiring the trees and water surrounding the area. A quick walk down the hill made it for a great trip that took less than an hour but provided some amazing views of nature.

It wasn't a long visit to the state park but well worth a morning visit. I was surprised to see such few people enjoying the water on the first day of fall, but I'm sure that beach gets more than its fair share of usage in the summer months. But for me, I'll take a day on the beach with a fleece sweater any day over a swimsuit and towel.

There are plenty of dunes to be found in southwest Michigan, like at Warren Dunes State Park

The view after climbing to the top of a dune on a trail at Warren Dunes State Park.

Sand dunes are typically associated with the northwest Lower Peninsula of Michigan. Most notably is Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, which is a wonderful stretch of beach.

Signs mark part of the six miles of trail at
Warren Dunes State Park.

But the southwest portion of the state has its share of sandy beach. One such location is Warren Dunes State Park, located near Sawyer in Berrien County, about 15 miles north of the Michigan/Indiana border.

It's a park that doesn't get the attention it frankly deserves. We spent the weekend before Memorial Day camping in both the modern campground and the group sites. We decided to take this trip as one with backpacking incorporated into it, though after walking the trails and figuring out the group sites, I found backpacking in a little redundant, since there was a parking lot just 100 yards from the group sites.

After battling plenty of rain in the afternoon, it was time to head to the water. The group site is about a mile from the water, and takes a short hike through the woods and up. After climbing up the dunes, a truly spectacular sight was our reward: sloping sand dunes covered in vegetation led to the crystal shores of Lake Michigan.

Flowers on the dunes.

I remember going to the dunes more than 15 years ago with the Boy Scouts. I don't remember much about that trip, but I was reminded of one aspect of that trip: the massive, steep dune off of the lake. We happened to see several people trying to climb it, though I imagine it took quite some time to make it up.

After passing the dune and some flowers sprouting along the trail, we reached the beach. A fairly narrow beach, it stretched for several miles. Sloping sand dunes approach the water, making for the perfect place to perch while watching the waves crash along the sand.

It can be a bit tough of a hike, especially coming back uphill in the sand, but the view and the water is well worth it. We saw very few other people at this park that weekend, just some bird watchers and Boy Scouts. It was a little surprising, though I suspect the rain had scared them off from earlier in the day.

Warren Dunes State Park is well worth the visit, even if just for a stop on the way through town. With it being right off Interstate 94, it makes for a great pop-in in an afternoon. Just climbing to the top of the hill to overlook Lake Michigan is all one needs to feel at peace.

A broken sign approaching the lakeshore.

Nothing wrong with hitting the Holland State Park beach in March

The lighthouse on the shores of Lake Michigan near Lake Macatawa at Holland State Park.

The last time I was at Holland State Park, the beach was full, the water was full and the sky was lit up with patriotic fireworks.

It was a far cry from that Saturday afternoon. While visiting my wife on the west side of Michigan for the weekend (she's there for two weeks on work), we decided to head to Holland for the afternoon. After stopping by the Holland Museum downtown, we made the drive to Holland State Park, where we were met with a vastly different scene this time around.

Ice covers rocks on the jetty.

There were plenty of people coming to check out the sun as it glowed in the horizon, more than I expected. It goes to show the Great Lakes can draw people pretty much anytime of year, not just during the warm summer months and on Independence Day, which is the last time I paid a visit to this park back in 2010 while working in Grand Rapids.

While the nearby lighthouse was not covered in ice as I had hoped to see, there were still plenty of signs of winter: several rocks along the jetty were covered in white ice, with icicles dangling off of some of them. It wasn't what I was hoping for, but it was a sight I hadn't seen.

The wind whipping off of Lake Michigan proved to be the winner, as we didn't stay long on the waterfront. But just making the short drive to the beach on an early March afternoon can be invigorating.

Flashback Friday: Backpacking Nordhouse Dunes on Lake Michigan

The sunset over Nordhouse Dunes last May.

A map found on trail.

The weather is (supposedly) warming up in Michigan, though I swear it's snowed more so far in April than it did in January here in my Oakland County home.

But warmer temps are coming, and that means it's time to start thinking about warm-weather trips. While any of these trips can be done most of the year, it can be slightly more enjoyable when the sun agrees with you.

That's why I've recently reminisced about one most recent trip, a May 2015 backpacking excursion to Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area, part of the Huron-Manistee National Forest. This property encompasses more than 3,400 acres of forest, abutting the Lake Michigan coastline north of Ludington.

It's a spot I've backpacked several times, first as a teenager, again in college and most recently in May. It's a reoccurring trip for the group I work with at my church because it's such a unique place with great views of Lake Michigan from many campsites. It's a lengthy drive to the starting point from the state highways, further preparing you for being more alone than usual.

It's a sandy trail to begin with, with thick forest scattered throughout. To get to any views of Lake

Hiking along the sandy dunes.

Michigan from where we started, we had a few miles hike through the woods. Bushwhacking through the underbrush was a challenge, trying to head toward the lake to find our campsite. To access Lake Michigan, hiking over a large hill was all but necessary. Steep with little to hold onto at certain parts, I've always remember the ascent to the top was a challenging one with a pack.

But it's worth it for the view, looking down at the dunes with grasses and other vegetation. And it's uplifting to see the waters of Lake Michigan in the distance.

Hiking in the woods near Nordhouse Dunes. Just like most
trails in western Michigan.

A popular place to camp is along the water, but inland enough where you can set up a tent with the shield of a dune protecting you from the wind. Head up and other the dune, and the water is right there within a few hundred feet.

May is a great time to head to this park. It's typically very quiet with few other people around, though this past trip saw many more crowds along the lakeshore, possibly because of an article written about Nordhouse Dunes in an online article on Backpacker.com. The trees are green, the water is still cold (though many of the youngsters we took on this trip braved the water) and the sights aren't dotted with other humans.

It's a place I'd recommend highly. Just not the weekend's I'm there. I prefer my national forests quiet.