Mount Pisgah Ottawa County

December 17 2012
Mount Pisgah is an Ottawa County park in Park Township, Holland, Michigan. This is very near the Holland State Park.  Here is a link for more information.
http://www.miottawa.org/Parks/beach.htm#pisgah

This is a busy place in the summer but on a cold December day it wasn't crowded.  We parked at Black Lake Boardwalk East, here you will find picnic tables, kayak access to Lake Macatawa, and fishing docks, this is also part of Historic Ottawa Beach Parks, as is Mt. Pisgah. 

You have a short walk back along Ottawa Beach Road to a gazebo with informational signs about Mt. Pisgah which is large sand dune.

From the top of Mount Pisgah on a cold, gray day in December looking at Lake Michigan.

It is 239 steps to the highest landing, with many landings and benches along the way up. It was worth the climb. After we got our fill of the view, we followed a level boardwalk that curved around behind the big dune. This boardwalk was built on the very steep backside of the dune.

This is looking east over Lake Macatawa.

 The boardwalk soon ends but a dirt trail leads you on. There are map signs along the way.  I was surprised that these trails were here.  I thought we would hoof it up the stairs and back down, so this was a pleasant surprise.

 In this shot you can barely see the boardwalk way up on the backside of Mount Pisgah.

After touring the Mt. Pisgah area we headed back to the car.  We went west towards the Holland State Park but first came to Black Lake Boardwalk West.  We found wildflowers blooming, and it was only 33 degrees!  Blooming were Evening Primrose, Hoary Alyssum, Queen Anne's Lace, Spotted Knapweed, a yellow mustard, and Bouncing Bet!     (Plants amaze me!)

After this adventure we went north and decided to stop in at Riley Trails, another Ottawa County park.  But there was work being done here, tree harvesting. 

So not much to say about Riley Trails, most of the trails were closed.  We took a short walk and moved on. 

By visiting Mount Pisgah, my sister Marie and I met a sort of milestone.  We have been to all of the Ottawa County Parks and Open Space Lands listed on their brochure, except for Ripps Bayou and Kuits Bayou which you can only reach by boat.  So that is 36 of the listed parks and places, some of these we have visited multiple times and covered extensively!  More on this next time.