Cave Point County Park

1962

January 26, 2016

My road trip this morning would lead me to Cave Point County Park, but if you’ve read many of my blogs you know I like to make the most of every trip, so there were a couple stops before and even more after that. The dilapidated homestead above and the beautiful red-roofed barn below are just a few of the things that make my little car automatically pull over for a closer look and a photo or two. I guess that’s one of the things some people like about this blog – you never know what you’re gonna get. I hope you think that’s a good thing!

Cave Point is on the eastern side of the peninsula, fairly far south toward Sturgeon Bay. Since it’s only a county park you may have missed it on previous visits, but it’s definitely worth the drive to check it out. Signs warn that children should not be left unsupervised – so watch your step. There are no fences to keep the careless among us from falling into Lake Michigan. On days when the lake is particularly violent, even more care should be taken as some of the lake water ends up ashore, making the rock walkway quite slippery. Today the lake was fairly calm, so no violent splashing, but just the right amount of action to remind you that the lake should not be taken lightly. As I was checking out the view from one area, I heard a booming sound which startled me at first until I figured out what was happening. The water was crashing into the indents in the rock, giving off a thunderous roar. I can image that sound on a more turbulent day! It was pretty cool – once I knew what was going on. The pictures below on the left show the area with the loudest volume.

With the higher level of the lake, there was a layer of rock just below the surface of the water that was so pretty with the contrast of the beautiful blue of the lake.

A little farther down was a beach filled with smooth and flat rocks that are great for rock-stacking. I don’t usually do the stacking, since there are plenty from previous visitors.

“Cave point is known for its underwater caves and wave-worn limestone cliffs by fisherman, scuba divers, photographers and nature observers. It has picnic tables, cooking grills, fire rings…

It is especially picturesque when the winds and seas are from the East. The winds blow the waves into the work away areas under the cliffs. When the waves break from this direction the resulting splash of water is beautiful to watch. During the Winter time, for the brave-hearted, you can see the winds, waves and freezing weather have coated the rocks and trees with a glistening coat of brilliant sparkling ice.” – READ MORE

Just south of Cave Point is Whitefish Dunes State Park, a day-use park which preserves the most substantial sand dunes on the western shore of Lake Michigan.

There’s a lot to do at the Dunes include hiking, fishing, canoeing, boating and swimming. Or bring a blanket and a picnic basket for a nice relaxing day at the beach.

The Nature Center offers programs for children and adults to learn about the park’s natural and cultural history. It is open year-round, with naturalists available to answer questions and give tours.

Last stop today is at La Salle County Park just south of Whitefish Dunes in the Town of Clay Banks. The pictures below were taken at Lower La Salle County Park, which turned out to be a great stop, complete with a park bench where I could sit and ponder all of life’s questions. There is something about sitting on a park bench and hearing the water below that is so relaxing…