Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness
Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness is a 3,271-acre wilderness area in Mason County, Michigan. It rises from about 576 to 742 ft. The nearest town is Ludington, 8.6 miles away in a straight line.
Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness map
Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness boundary from USGS PAD-US or the managing agency, simplified for display. Not for navigation or legal boundaries.
Fire restrictions
Agency fire restriction orders for this unit are not tracked here yet. Restrictions change with the season, so check the current orders before any campfire, stove or target shooting.
County and local burn bans may also apply on private, state, or county land nearby. On federal land, follow the land manager's order; off it, follow the strictest county or local rule that applies. When both touch your trip, obey both.
Common questions
- Ludington, MI is the nearest town, 8.6 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance).
- The highest ground in Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness is about 742 ft, and its lowest about 576 ft (USGS 3DEP elevation model).
Who manages Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness
| Agency | Acres | Permit | Group size | Stay limit | Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Service | 3,271 | Not on record | Not on record | Not on record | Manistee Ranger District, 231-848-7090 |
Getting to Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness
- Ludington, MI is the nearest town, 8.6 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance). (US Census places, accessed 2026-09-30)
Trailheads at Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness
- Nordhouse Dunes Nurnberg Trailhead (inside the boundary, 626 ft), at 44.0869, -86.4397
- Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area Trailhead (inside the boundary, 615 ft), at 44.0875, -86.4448 (mapped on OpenStreetMap)
- Lake Michigan Recreation Area Wilderness (0.54 mi outside the boundary, 623 ft), at 44.1180, -86.4230
Trailhead locations: Forest Service recreation sites layer , accessed 2026-09-30. Elevations from USGS 3DEP.
Trailheads mapped on OpenStreetMap: © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License , accessed 2026-09-30. The extract used here, with distances from the boundary: osm-trailheads-mi.json. Where an agency layer lists the same trailhead, the agency's point is shown instead.
Named summits, canyons, and springs in Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness
- Nordhouse Lake lake
Features whose official location is inside the boundary, from the USGS Geographic Names Information System, accessed 2026-09-30.
Campgrounds in and around Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness
- Lake Michigan at Manistee camping (0.5 miles outside the boundary): its sites, fees, and reservations on campgroundsdb.com.
- Lake Michigan Recreation Area camping (0.5 miles outside the boundary): its sites, fees, and reservations on campgroundsdb.com.
Public lands next to Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness
- National forestNordhouse Dunes Wilderness lies inside Huron-Manistee National Forest.
- State parkNordhouse Dunes Wilderness borders Ludington State Park.
Measured between the units' boundaries as mapped in USGS PAD-US. Distances are straight line, not driving.
Other wilderness areas in Michigan
- wilderness.net (accessed 2026-09-30)
- prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com (accessed 2026-09-30)
- prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com (accessed 2026-09-30)
- www2.census.gov (accessed 2026-09-30)
- apps.fs.usda.gov (accessed 2026-09-30)
- openstreetmap.org (accessed 2026-09-30)
The sentences on this page are generated by software from the sourced records above, not written by hand. How this content is made.