Ludington Park

The Ludington Park Bandshell, where summertime City Band concerts are held Wednesdays at 7:30 pm and Jazz Band concerts are held Sundays at 7:30 pm.

The U.P. has two spectacular city parks: Presque Isle in Marquette and Ludington Park in Escanaba. Both are large, full of delightful paths, and adjoin one of the Great Lakes. Ludington Park has a mile of Lake Michigan shoreline and 120 acres with five miles of paved pathways that connect every attraction, fantastic for those using rollerblades, baby strollers, bikes and wheelchairs. One path begins where the downtown commercial district ends and leads to the park's south end, where there are a classic band shell, a large fantasy-castle playground, a gazebo, pavilion, and lighted tennis courts. Other paths lead to a yacht harbor, historic lighthouse, history museum, picnic spots, and even an island with a 3,500-foot swimming beach. Fishing is legendarily good along the park's long shoreline especially because of the walleye, but perch, salmon, and trout are also caught.

Teens like to meet and fish off the bridge to the sandy swimming beach at Ludington Park. The marina is in the background. A paved bike path leads to and through the mile-long park, attracting joggers, bikes, and walkers.

This remarkable park goes back to 1892, when Escanaba voters passed a bond to acquire and develop choice lakefront land. The shoreline south of Ludington Avenue never had the industrial development of the north shore because the bay here was too shallow for ships to dock. As the decades passed, the city made steady improvements. The island and the yacht harbor were WPA projects from the 1930s. Sand was imported to build up Sand Point three blocks beyond the 1867 lighthouse.

The rambling, castle-like play structure at Ludington Park is alive with activity on summer evenings — enough to warrant an ice cream and root beer stand.

From mid-June through August band concerts are held in the classic band shell on Wednesday evenings from 7:30 to about 9:30. Most picnic areas are in the park's south side, overlooking Green Bay and accessed by Lakeshore Drive. Another paved walkway runs through the center of the park and over the bridge to Arnson Island. On the island are a boat launch and a 3,500' sandy swimming beach that's hard to beat. It has a bathhouse and small playground. There's a good view across to the Stonington Peninsula.

Beyond the swimming beach, the paved path extends to a protected natural area at the island's north tip. (The island creates a protected harbor for the marina on the opposite shore.) Shore fishing is allowed at all points in the park, including the municipal dock and in the natural area. Dozens and dozens of ice shanties are offshore from the park in winter.


Patient history-minded visitors can read interesting, well-written historical panels deployed near the park's downtown (north) end, in a garden across from the intersection of Lakeshore with Ludington. These panels go into considerable detail about key aspects of local history. Not far away are the Sand Point Lighthouse and the Delta County Historical Museum.

The park extends south along the lake from the foot of Ludington Ave. downtown all the way to the foot of 7th Ave. (906) 786-4141. Open dawn to dusk, ‘til 10 p.m. in summer. Free. Handicap accessible.
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