Ludington Fall Bucket List

Are you ready to experience Ludington in the fall? It is an amazing time of year in the area and we are here to help with your plans with our Ludington Fall Kickin' MI Bucket List. Paddling, lighthouses, biking, fall colors and more! Let's Go!

• Go for a Paddle

First up on the list is to go for a paddle. There are so many places in the Ludington area where you can make this happen. For this paddle, we were on the north end of Hamlin Lake. The fall colors were looking amazing as we explored an area we had never been. There are great paddling opportunities at Ludington State Park, the Pere Marquette River, Lincoln Lake, Lake Michigan and more! A few tips for picking the right place are to pay attention to the weather and wind direction to make for the most enjoyable fall paddle you can have.

• Hike (or walk) the Fall Colors

There are so many great trails to make this happen so this is all about choosing what type of setting you want. We took a trail with views overlooking Hamlin Lake. There are many trails at Ludington State Park, including the Lost Lake Trail and Island Trail, the Skyline Trail and more! Cartier Park and School Forest Trails are other great options. 

• Find the Perfect Leaf

When we are out exploring amongst the fall colors, we always have fun seeing who can find the best leaf. This can be fun no matter what you are doing in Ludington. It might be right downtown!

• Go for a Bike Ride

We actually rode our bikes a few times during our fall visit. We started off by riding the mountain bike trails at Cartier Park. This is a fun mountain bike trail that has very little elevation change and fun sections. There are also a few spots to jump off the mountain bike trail and onto the paved trail. This entire area has great tree coverage so it looks great during the fall! We also decided to ride our bikes out to Big Sable Point Lighthouse. We have biked a lot of different areas in Ludington including downtown and around Sterns beach.

• Spirit of Ludington Selfie

At Waterfront Park there is a sculpture park. While the nine sculptures are all great in their own ways, we feel that the Spirit of Ludington sculpture is a great one to capture what Ludington is all about and was the first sculpture in the park.

• Fall Color Drive

We grabbed a coffee and took a drive inland around Mason County. As you may know, the leaves change quicker further inland so this drive led to some of the best fall colors in the area. 

• Spot a Deer

We feel like we always see deer when we are in Ludington and we got lucky this time and actually spotted a buck! Bonus points!

• Walk the Break Wall

Walking out to the Ludington Breakwater Lighthouse is on the list but only when the conditions are nice and calm. There is a bonus for all lighthouse fans when visiting Ludington because you get two great lighthouse experiences close by each other. 

• Try Something New

We made this part of our downtown experience and tried a flight of beer at Ludington bay Brewing with beers we had never had before. This is a fun one to do when thinking of places to go eat or grab a drink.

• Play Disc Golf

We are just getting into playing more disc golf and have learned that Ludington has many options and actually hosts events throughout the year. One course, Goliath, is one of the largest disc golf courses in the world. We decided to play the areas newest course, Tinderbox, which just opened in 2021. 

• Hike the Skyline Trail

This trail in particular is on the fall bucket list based on the views that it offers at Ludington State Park. There are a few ways to get to it including a parking area right before the main entrance to the park. We enjoy the scenic route of crossing over the dam and up the Skyline Trail. 

• Photograph Big Sable Point Lighthouse

Big Sable Point Lighthouse is one of our favorite lighthouses ever and one that we have visited the most. A unique part about visiting this lighthouse is that you have to take the 1.8 mile journey to get out to it by walking or biking. That is one part about what makes this lighthouse extra special. Everything around it makes for amazing photo opportunities and depending on the time that you are there you can also go to the top of the lighthouse for amazing views out in Lake Michigan and the dunes surrounding it. There are endless angles and ways to take in the views of this lighthouse. Have fun!

 

Now it is time for you to go out and accomplish this list and also make it your own! Some of these places offer opportunities to accomplish multiple things on the list! Check out our full video from our Fall Kickin' MI Bucket from Ludington below and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel for more in the future!