Ludington State Park to Rebuild Iconic Skyline Trail

You can thank your Friends. One of Ludington State Park’s most beloved and scenic features – the Skyline Trail – will receive a $3.5 million facelift thanks in part to Friends of Ludington State Park.

The reconstruction project is scheduled to get underway this fall and is expected to be completed by next year, possibly as early as late summer. The Friends of Ludington State Park has pledged to raise 10 percent of the total cost, up to a maximum of $350,000, with the Michigan DNR using dedicated capital outlay funds to cover the remaining $3.15 million.

“This is the most ambitious project in our 33-year history,” said Patrick O’Hare, president of the friends group.

The half-mile Skyline Trail is often compared to the iconic Dune Climb in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. For many young hikers, both are their first stiff climb to the nearly endless views of dunes enjoyed at the top.

“The Skyline Trail’s staircases offer both a physical climb and a moment of awe, one step at a time,” said O’Hare. This project is about more than rebuilding a trail – it’s about preserving a shared history and creating new memories for years to come.”

When combined with a segment of the Sable River Trail, the Skyline becomes the heart of a 1-mile loop, a series of staircases and boardwalks that wind along a forested ridge. Once the stairs are conquered, the trail is easy, as young hikers – and old – pause often to take in sweeping views of Lake Michigan and, on clear days, even a glimpse of the distant dunes at Silver Lake State Park.

For more information or to make a donation to the Skyline Trail project, visit the Friends of Ludington State Park website.