Tunnel Park beach

Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer in West Michigan and this year the weather has been truly hot. (I remember ice crystals mixed with rain on this date several years ago.) The summer temperatures and the holiday made Tunnel Park beach, just north of Holland, Michigan, very popular Saturday.

From the park's entrance, Lake Michigan is hidden by a high dune, so from the parking lot you see a good-sized picnic area, a playground, and a bathhouse, but no water. There are two options for reaching the beach, the namesake tunnel (shown above) or a steep climb to the top of the dune, where there's a smaller picnic area with great views, followed by another long staircase down the dune.

Lake Michigan, while beautiful, is still really cold.



$6 parking fee. Annual passes available. Discounts for Ottawa County residents.