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Ludington is a gorgeous beachside town on Michigan’s west coast. While a day trip to Ludington is perfect if you don’t live far from it, I highly recommend an overnight stay or two. There are many great things to explore here! I say that with confidence as Ludington is a town I frequented with friends growing up so it’s fun returning to see familiar favorites (hello House of Flavors), and new things!
One kinda weird tip I discovered this time – carry cash, especially if you plan on shopping downtown. A few of the stores, like Gordy’s Skate Co offer discounts if you pay with cash.
Also, this day trip is perfect for any season. However, if you’re looking for a great day trip in Ludington during winter, I highly recommend this gorgeous hike!
~ History of Ludington ~
Father Jacques Marquette, a Jesuit missionary and explorer in the Great Lakes region arrived in the area in the mid 1600s with a mission to learn more about the native settlers. Then, in 1675, he died and was buried here. Later, his body was unearthed and reburied in Sault Ste Marie.
Later on, in 1847, Burr Caswell settled here with a small community. At this time, Ludington was known as Pere Marquette Village. By the late 1800’s, the region had a reputation as a lumbering town. In fact, Ludington is named after one of the prominent lumber barons in the area – James Ludington.
Ludington also was known as a major shipping port in western Michigan. This started in the late 1890s when ferries started transporting railroad cars across Lake Michigan to Wisconsin. The legacy of these ferries remains today as the passenger ferry, the SS. Badger continues transporting people and their cars across Lake Michigan to Manitowoc, Wisconsin in summer.
~ Day Trip to Ludington Map ~
~ Day Trip to Ludington Summary ~
When: Weekend in Spring
Why: I always wanted to visit Big Sable Point Lighthouse! And, the month of May was my target to go see it.
Time Traveled (one way): 1.5 hours from Grand Rapids, 4 hours from Detroit, 2-2.5 hours from Kalamazoo, 2.5 hours from Lansing, 2 hours from Traverse City
Time Spent at Destination: 6-7 hours
Budget: $ – food, gas, souvenirs, Michigan State Park pass (if you don’t already have one)
What We Did During the Day Trip to Ludington
We started out exploring the sights on my list south of Ludington. These sights included the Father Marquette Memorial Cross, Buttersville Park, and Peter Pan Land.
By the time we finished those sights, it was lunch. So we headed to downtown Ludington and grabbed lunch at Jamesport Brewing. Then, we headed to Waterfront Park to allow our son to play on the little kids playground. We also walked around checking out some of the Mason County Sculpture Trail works of art located there. Next we popped into a few stores in downtown Ludington.
Our final stop was to Ludington State Park to hike the trail to Big Sable Point Lighthouse.
Other Things to Explore in Ludington
- White Pine Village
- Port of Ludington Maritime Museum
- Suttons Landing
- Summit Park
- Kibby Creek Park
- Ludington Breakwater Lighthouse
- SS Badger
- Amber Elk Ranch
- Waterfowl Observation Tower
- Day Trip to Manistee!!
Places to Stay
As I planned out my family’s plans, we originally decided to stay overnight. There is a lot to do in Ludington, one could easily spend 3-4 days here and not be bored. Plus, Pentwater and Manistee are two other beach towns only 20-30 minutes away. But unfortunately, this May’s been cold so we decided to shelve that plan.
If you’re looking to stay overnight in Ludington, we were in-between staying at the Ludington Pier House , Cartier Mansion Bed And Breakfast and Holiday Inn Express.
The Ludington Pier House isn’t fancy, but it is conveniently located within a block of Lake Michigan and doesn’t cost a lot.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, we considered the Cartier Mansion Bed And Breakfast. While this B&B is a pricier, it’s close to downtown Ludington. The rooms and exterior of the Mansion are also beautiful! So if a great ambiance plus central location are what you’re looking for, the Cartier Mansion has it.
Finally, we considered the Holiday Inn Express. It is centrally located off the highway. And from here, it’s easy to get to the attractions south of Pere Marquette Lake like White Pine Village, Buttersville Park, and the Father Marquette Memorial Cross.
~ Day Trip to Ludington Details ~
Father Marquette Memorial Cross
If you’re a Michigander, you’ve probably heard of Father Jacques Marquette. There’s a wonderful city and county named after him in Michigan as well as many parks, an island, and a forest (to name a few).
But just in case you need a refresher or aren’t from Michigan, Father Marquette was a French Jesuit missionary and explorer of Michigan and the Great Lakes region in the mid 1600s. On May 18, 1675, Father Marquette was sailing back to Northern Michigan when he stopped around modern day Ludington when he came down with dysentery. Shortly after making it to shore, he passed away.
Where he passed is marked by a large boulder, erected in 1921. There is also a large memorial cross to remember him by too. The cross memorial is reachable by stairs.
If you’d like to visit, there is a small pullover lane on Lakeshore Drive to quickly stop and admire the spot. Otherwise there are some larger spots behind it where boats launch. It was empty when we visited in May, however in the summer the lot may be busier.
Buttersville Park
Stop two was brief as the winds were pounding us here! We paused at Buttersville Park, just south of the Memorial Cross. This dog friendly park has parking and access to Lake Michigan. It is also connected to the nearby campground of the same name. I assume this park doesn’t get busy in the summer given it’s away from most of Ludington’s attractions and well known beaches.
Peter Pan Land
Our next stop was to Peter Pan Land, a random sight I stumbled upon on Google maps when researching unique and interesting sights in Ludington. There isn’t a lot of information on Peter Pan Land, other than it is a spot frequented by local high school and college students to hang out.
From the turnoff, brightly painted large rocks line the way to the trails and Lake Michigan overlook. Not deep into the trail, you’ll start to notice painted trees, some with directions to other attractions within Peter Pan Land written on them. One of the other attractions is a “shoe tree,” which I image in a tree with shoes draped over it, but we didn’t reach that far. While we also didn’t check out all the trails to uncover how many miles there are, we did admire two different gorgeous views of Lake Michigan at a couple different overlook spots.
Jamesport Brewing
For lunch we stopped at Jamesport Brewing near downtown Ludington. The brewery is nautical themed, which makes sense given the town’s historic ties to the shipping industry and now, leisure boating. There are a few different “rooms” you can be seated at, and thankfully they seated us at a great table tucked into its own nook. This was perfect to allow my toddler to wiggle around our table but not take off disturbing the whole brewery.
At most breweries, I love trying out flights of beer if available. Luckily Jamesport did not disappoint! And all four of the beers in my flight were amazing. I tried out the Mango IPA, blueberry wheat, Hefeweizen, and nitro stout. My favorite was a toss up between the hefeweizen which is served with a slice of orange and the blueberry wheat. Both were so refreshing, it was almost dangerous.
For food, I ordered their special they offered on that day – a beef tenderloin wrap with feta, cherry bourbon BBQ, and asparagus. Yum! I also appreciated that they offer a great variety of kids meals – chicken tenders, mac and cheese, grilled cheese, corn dogs, grilled chicken, quesadilla, burgers, and spaghetti and meatballs – I’ve yet to see that many options for kids at a brewery!
Waterfront Park
Calling all park lovers! Ludington’s Waterfront Park needs to be added to your park bucketlist. This park is a crowd pleaser and offers a lot to do. For kids, there are two separate playgrounds – one for ‘big’ kids and another for smaller kids. With several benches and swings, you are spoiled for choice when deciding where to watch boats coming in and out of the two marina’s that surround the park. Or you may catch a glimpse of the SS Badger as the large passenger ferry dock is close by.
If you’re interested in public art, there are nine sculptures within the park that are part of the Mason County Sculpture trail. And during non-COVID times, public concerts are held at the park’s amphitheater.
There are about 48 parking spots available at the park. However the park is a couple blocks from downtown so if it is full, its easy to combine exploring downtown with playing in the park.
Downtown Ludington
Downtown Ludington straddles Ludington Avenue and wraps around going a few blocks down James Street. There are lots of unique small shops. Some, such as Gordy’s Skate Co and The Evergreen I remember visiting back in high school. It’s wonderful seeing these stores still around! If you decide to shop, make sure to carry cash! I noticed stores, such as Gordy’s are running a promo this summer (2021) for 20% off if you pay with cash.
In downtown Ludington you can also find a variety of restaurants, bars, coffee shops, bakery’s and more. If you can’t find parking in the street, there is a sizable public lot North of Ludington Ave behind all the stores. This lot is also the home of the Ludington Farmers Market, which runs on Fridays from 3pm-7pm from the end of May through the end of September.
Trail to Big Sable Point Lighthouse
Our final stop during our day trip was a hike to see Big Sable Point Lighthouse. As I mentioned in my previous day trip to Ludington post, hiking out to see this lighthouse has always been on my bucketlist. Finally, I did it!
I didn’t know this before I went, but Big Sable Point Lighthouse is one of the tallest lighthouses in Michigan – standing at 112 feet tall. And boy, when we reached, I noticed it! Another awesome fact about this lighthouse is that it was the last lighthouse in the Great Lakes region to be electrified.
Getting There & Hours
To get to the lighthouse, park at the lot at the entrance to the State Park. During the summer, the spots may fill up fast, but when we left in the mid afternoon, there were plenty open. The hike is 4 miles round trip from the lot. Thankfully for us, the trail was flat and not difficult so it wasn’t bad completing while wearing a toddler. Though it is a flat trail, you do pass through a few different dune ecosystems which you may read about on the various plaques posted along the way. About halfway through, there is a sign indicating a shipwreck is visible. However you must climb a dune to get there… uh… raincheck for me!
From May 10 through October 24, 2021, the lighthouse museum and tower are open to tour Tuesday-Sunday from 10am-5pm. It’s $8 for adults and $5 for children to visit the top of the lighthouse. If you’d like to get to the lighthouse but don’t want to walk or bike, call the park at (231) 845-7417 to find out when the buses run. It costs $5 for adults and $2 for children round trip.
Tip for Visiting Big Sable Point
Tip!! After we completed the hike, we made a mental note to carry bikes the next time. With a flat and easy trail, we saw several families fly by on bikes. Traveling to the lighthouse by bike also makes it easier to want to spend more time there and have the energy to climb the dune to see the shipwreck!
Recommended Items to Carry on Your Day Trip to Ludington
I’ve recently teamed up with a great company out of Minnesota called Cabin Guy. Cabin Guy is an outdoor lifestyle brand with a story I love. Founded by a small group of friends in Minnesota, when they were younger, ever summer they’d rent a cabin “Up North” together. As the years went by and one-by-one they got married and started families, they continued this tradition as a larger group. Then one day they decided to start their own company called Cabin Guy with branded apparel for women, men and kids, blankets, stickers, candles and more! During this day trip to Ludington, I wore a Michigan long sleeve shirt they created. It’s comfortable and was perfect for our active and adventurous day!
While this group is based out of Minnesota, I believe their story resonates with many Michiganders as well. Every summer, so many Michiganders hitch up their campers or clean out their own cabins “Up North” to make memories with family and friends. Ludington is one place I frequently camped at with friends every summer growing up. So it’s amazing to find a brand I align so well with.
I encourage you to check out their products at their site here! If you do see something you like, use the code MICHIGAN20 at checkout. This discount code gives you 20% off your first order.
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Is a trip to Ludington in your plans this summer?
from Michigan with Love,
Jackie
