Port Crescent State Park Day Use Area
Discover Nature’s Canvas: Where Adventure Meets Serenity
Port Crescent State Park boasts three miles of sandy shoreline beaches on Lake Huron's Saginaw Bay, over 2-miles of nature trails, and a night sky that will take your breath away.
Popular activities at the Day Use Park include fishing, canoeing, hiking, cross-country skiing, birding, and swimming. Enjoy catching some rays, swimming in the pristine water, a family picnic in the renovated pavilion, and more at one of the best beaches in the Thumb of Michigan! Recreation Passports are required for entry.
The 2.3-mile Day-Use Trail takes visitors through wooded areas of pine, oak, and rolling sand dunes. When the sun goes down, visit the Dark Sky Preserve. We’ve included more information about the nature trails, birdwatching, and Dark Sky Preserve below.
You can also access the beach via the Steel Bridge Trailhead next to Dark Sky Lodge & Tavern, and via the Campground.
The beach at the day-use area is dog-friendly.
Features
Beach Access
Birdwatching & Wildlife Viewing
Cross-Country Skiing Trails
Dark Sky Preserve
Fishing Areas
Hiking Trails
Picnic Areas
Sandy Beach
Scenic Overlooks
Amenities
Birds of Prey Observation Deck
Boardwalk
Canoe/Kayak Launch
Charcoal Grills
Parking
Picnic Tables
Renovated Pavilion
Restrooms and Rustic Toilets
Small-Craft Shore Access
Location
2616 Port Austin Rd.
989-738-8663
Nature Trail
The Dunes Nature Trail is a 3/4 mile learning trail where visitors can learn about sand dune ecology, wildlife, plants, and dune forests. You can encounter all kinds of wildlife such as deer, foxes, turtles, and geese among others on the trails or around the park.
The trails offer occasional hills and several connecting trails for a shorter journey. Note there is potential for water to cover the trail depending on the amount of rainfall in a given season. Parking for the trailhead is located at Parking Lot C in the summer and near the contact station in the park’s day-use area in the winter.
Birdwatching
Birdwatching is a must on the trail! Bald Eagles, hawks, songbirds, seagulls, and many other bird species frequent the area. There is also a birds of prey observation deck and a small-craft shore access to the Pinnebog River inside the park.
Snowy Egrets, Prairie Warblers, Henslow's Sparrows, and Red Crossbills have been detected. More regular species of interest include Forster's Terns, Great Black-Backed Gulls (which may be seen year-round), and Glaucous Gulls (often lingering into late April and early May).
