West Beach

Of course, you can swim at West Beach if you feel like it, but there are also three interconnected trails to hike; that's what we did. The first loop is the Dune Succession Trail, also called Diana's Dare, after a woman who left the big city and lived off the land here for years. It goes from the parking lot, up a couple of forested dunes to the beach, and then back to the parking lot. Oh, and a good portion of it is boardwalk with stairs. We went counter-clockwise, and so did most everyone else.

 

After returning to the parking lot, we walked through the picnic area to the Long Lake Trail (technically Loop 3). This was just over 1 1/2 miles following dune ridges with the occasional view of the lake, and a fun sand dune to clamber down at the end (going clockwise).

Lastly, we hiked the actual West Beach Trail, also known as Loop 2. This cuts through a pretty meadow, goes along a section of Long Lake, and passes the stairs of the dune trail back to the parking lot. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed our hike.