All along the west coast of Lower Michigan, from its southern shores to its windy northern points, a vast tract of sandy beaches and dunes has created a landscape like no other—austere, often otherworldly, always beautiful. Swimmers, sun worshipers, and kite fliers use much of it to good advantage, crowding the state parks along Lake Michigan in the summertime, and pricey homes stand like sentinels along many miles of wooded dune tops.

But there are also places where you can go and find plenty of peace and quiet. Grand Mere State Park by Stevensville, Michigan, is such a place. Go there and you can find enough people to keep you from feeling totally isolated, but also enough space to find all the solitude you could hope for if you want it. Located off of I-94, eight miles south of Benton Harbor at exit 22, the 985-acre park includes a lovely little picnic area and playground situated on the southern side of North Lake. Farther south, a half-mile-long nature trail winds through the woods along South Lake toward a long stretch of open sand dunes and, ultimately, to the beach.