
ORV on the Silver Lake Sand Dunes
Dune Rides in your ATV or ORV are popular at Silver Lake Sand Dunes in Michigan, but many rules and regulations apply.
West Michigan Guides Photo
All terrain vehicles (ATVs) and off road vehicles (ORVs) are very popular activities with people of all ages, providing hours of entertainment. Michigan has a public ORV trail system for four different riding opportunities- motorcycles, ATVs, ORVs, and scramble areas. Throughout the state, you can ride on a route system that covers 3,200 miles, with over three-quarters on state forests. Most of these trails are lightly groomed, meaning that you may find obstacles such as stumps, loose surface, or rocks that could pose a danger.
In Mason County, permits can be obtained for ORVs in the townships of Sherman, Sheridan, Grant, Freesoil, Logan, Eden, Riverton, Victory, and Custer. Hamlin Township does not require an ORV permit, but you should be aware of the Hamlin Township ORV ordinance. In these townships, as well as Lake County, you can ride on the far right portion of the road that is maintained, but not on US or Michigan roads, such as US-10, M-116 and M-37. The majority of trails are found in Lake County throughout the Manistee National Forest. In the northern sections, most routes are between M-37 and North Kings Highway. In the southern part, they are between M-37 and South Kings Highway. These routes make it easy for neighbors to travel through the woods to visit one another–or for hunters to get to their camp.
47 miles in southern Lake County from M-37 to the West, 16th street to the South, and past 8 mile road to the North. This is for ORVs of all sizes.
46 miles in roughly the same location as the Little Manistee Route.
41 miles just North of Wolf Lake, which heads West and up to the northern section of Lake County.
In southern Lake County just East of South Kings Highway.
25 miles in northeastern Lake County.
23 miles in northern Lake County east of M-37.

Dune Rides in your ATV or ORV are popular at Silver Lake Sand Dunes in Michigan, but many rules and regulations apply.

Get some fresh air and exercise during those cold winter months when you hit the Pentwater Pathway for cross country skiing and snowshoeing.

The spring/fall runs of steelhead and salmon, the resident brown trout and “brookies” make the PM River extremely popular for fishing.

Standing tall and proud along the shores of Lake Michigan, Point Betsie marks the southern entrance to the Manitou Passage.

Take a tour on the Historic S.S. City of Milwaukee car ferry and the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Acacia docked in Manistee, Michigan.

The Silver Lake State Park is 3,000 acres and is situated between Silver Lake and Lake Michigan, offering boating, fishing, swimming, & ORV.

Visit the Old Mission Peninsula, situated between the west arm and east arm of Grand Traverse Bay.

Manistee National Forest together with the Huron National Forest occupies almost a million acres of land in Michigan’s lower peninsula.

Beautiful color emerges come Fall. Take it all in with an afternoon drive, or stroll, through the many forests of West Michigan.