Take a fall color stroll in this thriving 80-acre forest

LUDINGTON, MI – This thriving 80-acre forest is a great place for an easy fall color stroll.

Michigan's color show is in full swing. That means it's time to get moving on leaf peeping plans.

Ludington's Cartier Park has an easy-to-get-to mature forest with a paved loop pathway and other amenities, all within the city limits. It's near the city's Lake Michigan beach , downtown shopping and restaurants , and historic bed and breakfasts .

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Getting there

Cartier Park is at 1254 N. Lakeshore Drive in Ludington. There are three access points to the pathway.

One is at the corner of Bryant Road and North Rath Avenue. This trailhead begins on a spur that extends out from the main loop. It has parking, informational signage, a bicycle work stand, dog waste bags, trash cans, and access to the park's 3.5-mile mountain biking trail known as The Dragon.

Another trailhead is at the north end of Rath (past the first trailhead) where there's a larger parking area and access to other amenities, including portable toilets, fishing piers on Lincoln Lake, a gazebo with picnic tables, a dog park, access to The Dragon, dog waste bags, trash cans and informational signage.

The third access point is from the Cartier Park Campground, which is just west of the pathway. Find more information on the campground below.

Cartier Park Pathway

Starting from the second access point, which is the main parking area with access to several other amenities, the pathway loop is one mile through the mature, 80-acre forest.

Those who begin at the first trailhead area will have a roundtrip of about 1.6 miles.

The entire pathway is paved with asphalt. It winds through through the forest and has gentle slopes - no big hills.

Benches and dog waste dispensers are dispersed throughout the pathway, along with interpretive signage about the forest. There are also three large artwork displays to check out along the way.

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Keep an eye out for small dragon figurines hidden in the trees along the pathway.

The forest ranges from a variety deciduous trees - currently showing off their fall shades of yellow, orange and red - wetland areas and conifers, including hemlock.

Cartier Park & Campground

Cartier Park & Campground is owned and managed by the city of Ludington.

The campground includes nearly 200 campsites ranging from rustic to full hook up, each with a fire pit and picnic table. Guests have access to modern restrooms with showers, plus an onsite playground. Rates range from $30 to $40 per night depending on the site classification and time of year.

Cartier Park Pathway is open for walking, jogging, biking and rollerblading. The Dragon mountain biking trail weaves around and over the pathway.

The park is also home to Central Bark Park, the city's dog park. It includes small- and large-dog enclosures. Portable toilets are available near the dog park.

For fishing on Lincoln Lake, there's a small boat and two fishing piers.

Other amenities at the park include a gazebo, picnic tables, interpretive signage, benches and artwork.

Find more photos of the pathway below.