Magoon Creek Natural Area
The Magoon Creek Natural Area is a large park that offers loads of outdoor activities—its crown jewel being a nearly half-mile-of Lake Michigan beachfront. The hiking trails offer about a mile-and-a-half loop through coastal dunes and woods, leading you to the beach and back again. The Magoon Creek runs through the park, slowly flowing into Lake Michigan.
The beach is a popular place to find rockhounds searching for stones, and although we did not find anything too noteworthy, we did enjoy our time searching. Folks are reported to have found Petoskey stones here, and I believe it, given its location. Most of the rocks were within the water's wake on our visit, and we did not have our water shoes or boots, so we would dodge the waves and grab what we could, given the cool autumnal temperature.
While hiking through the park, we found a few old foundations just off the trail that were interesting to inspect, which we believe are for an old house. The park was developed in the early 1980s via the Natural Resources Trust Fund, so one would imagine the buildings were torn down sometime before. While hiking on the trails, there are White Oak, Eastern Hemlock, Red Oak, Sugar Maple, Paper Birch, Norway Spruce, Black Oak, Black Willow, White Ash, White Pine, and Scots Pine trees easily visible and sometimes marked.
The park also has picnic areas and a pavilion, making it a nice stop to enjoy the splendor of Lake Michigan. Looking north allows you a view of the Manistee pierheads and lighthouses—while looking south is a sprawling beach and dune view as far as the eye can see. Whether you fancy a hike, picnic, or hounding the beach for Petoskey stones, Magoon Creek Natural Area is a quiet spot that you will be happy you stopped to enjoy.
