Rosy Mound Natural Area

Rosy Mound Natural Area is a scenic park just south of Grand Haven, Michigan. Within the park, visitors can hike the 2-mile trail system through a dune forest into a picturesque parabolic sand dune and along the Lake Michigan Shoreline. The park is open year round and requires a day use fee from Memorial Day through Labor Day. During the summer, the park is a popular spot for swimming and a hangout for boaters. There is no lifeguard on duty. Outside of high summer, the park becomes quiet and peaceful. 

The parking lot has a toilet facility with running water, which is open during the summer months.  From the parking lot, the trail undulates through a forest that is protected from the high winds and sand by the sand dunes formed long ago. The trail includes a boardwalk with well-maintained stairs. There are numerous benches for those needing a rest from the 1,000 feet of elevation gain and decent. At the western edge of the forest hikers will get their first glimpse of Lake Michigan.  Traveling down the 94 steps to the wash area, the parabolic dune comes into view as does the grasslands protected by the foredunes. From the bottom of the stairs there are three access points to the beach and a side trail to gain a better perspective of the surrounding dunes. While the trail is short and well covered by trees from the heat, the numerous steps make it challenging.

Hikers can expect to see many species of birds, insects, small mammals, and plant varieties. Dogs are not allowed in this fragile ecosystem.