Tunnel Park
Holland, MI
Tunnel Park, an Ottawa County park north of Holland, gets its name from the short concrete tunnel that runs straight through a dune from the parking lot to the beach. Kids sprint through it. Right beside the tunnel is an open dune slope that's a local tradition for climbing and rolling back down.
The tunnel and dune make it a family favorite, the downside is a full lot by late morning in July.
How we score beachesLet the kids burn off energy on the dune climb before you set up on the sand. They'll sit still a lot longer afterward.
Ottawa County collects a daily vehicle fee from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day; the annual county pass covers it.
The tunnel is a flat, paved walk from the lot straight out to the beach, easier than most dune beaches on this shore.
Summer weekends are packed with families by 11. Come after 4 and you'll catch the evening crowd heading home.
More Great Lakes beaches

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Freshwater Lake Michigan surf below towering sand dunes, some over 400 feet tall, with water clear enough to rival a coastline and a hike back up the dune to burn it off.
New Buffalo City Beach
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Warren Dunes State Park
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Warren Dunes State Park in Sawyer has roughly three miles of Lake Michigan shoreline and some of the tallest dunes in southwest Michigan. Tower Hill rises about 260 feet above the lake, and climbing it and running back down is a rite of passage. On a hot July Saturday the beach feels like a small city.
