Saugatuck, Michigan
Everything worth doing is within twenty minutes.
This is the guide we send every guest three days before they arrive, minus the door code. It is opinionated on purpose.
2 hr 30 min
from Chicago
45 min
from Grand Rapids
3 hr
from Detroit
4 hr
from Indianapolis
01
Beaches
Your own beach is at the bottom of the stairs, but these are worth the drive.
- Oval Beach
- 8 min — consistently ranked among the best in the Midwest. Go after 5pm for parking.
- Saugatuck Dunes State Park
- 12 min — 2.5 miles of undeveloped shoreline, reachable only on foot.
- Douglas Beach
- 10 min — smaller, calmer, easier with little kids.
- Laketown Beach
- 15 min — a long stair down and almost always empty.
02
Eating & drinking
Book ahead from late June through Labor Day — the good tables go a week out.
- Grow
- Douglas · seasonal tasting menu, the best meal in the county. Reserve early.
- Everyday People Café
- Douglas · the reliable dinner. Ask for the porch.
- Borrowed Time
- Saugatuck · natural wine and small plates on the water.
- Crane’s Pie Pantry
- Fennville, 15 min · orchard, cider, and pie worth the detour.
- Respite Coffee
- Saugatuck · where to go at 7am before anyone else is awake.
03
Wineries & orchards
The Lake Michigan Shore appellation starts about twenty minutes south.
- Fenn Valley Vineyards
- 15 min — the closest, and the tasting room has a proper view.
- Virtue Cider
- 35 min — farmhouse cider, geese, and a good place to spend an afternoon.
- Modales Wines
- 20 min — the ambitious one. Riesling and cab franc.
- Crane Orchards
- 15 min — U-pick apples and peaches, August through October.
04
On the water
Two tandem kayaks live in the garage and come with the house.
- Kalamazoo River paddle
- Put in at Douglas and drift back with the current — about two hours.
- Star of Saugatuck
- Paddlewheel boat to the channel mouth. Corny and genuinely lovely.
- Retro Boat Rentals
- Half-day pontoon on the river, no licence needed.
- Saugatuck Chain Ferry
- Hand-cranked since 1838. Cross the river, climb Mount Baldhead.
05
Walks & bike rides
Four bikes and helmets are in the garage.
- Mount Baldhead stairs
- 302 steps, best view of the harbour, 10 min away.
- Blue Star Trail
- Paved path that runs from Douglas toward South Haven.
- Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area
- Dune, marsh, and beach loop. Go at dawn for the birds.
- Ox-Bow campus walk
- Art school lagoon and studios. Open to visitors most afternoons.
06
Rainy days
It happens. The house is set up for it, but so is town.
- Saugatuck Center for the Arts
- Gallery, films, and summer theatre.
- Button Gallery & the Water Street shops
- An hour of browsing that does not feel like a chore.
- Coppercraft Distillery
- 25 min in Holland — tasting room and a decent lunch.
- The house game room
- Pool table, shuffleboard, and a puzzle drawer that has ruined marriages.
When to come
There is no bad season, only different ones.
People assume this is a July house. Our own favourite month is September, and February is a genuine secret.
Summer
June – early September
Warmest water of the year, 9pm sunsets, and town at full tilt. Book six to nine months out for July and August.
Autumn
September – October
Our favourite. Water still swimmable into late September, orchards and cider houses open, and the beach to yourself.
Winter
November – March
Ice shelves on the shoreline, snow on the dune grass, hot tub steaming. Lowest rates of the year and a real fireplace.
Spring
April – May
Quiet, green, and cheap. Good for a work-from-the-lake week before the season starts.