Stearns+Park+Beach+Ludington,+MI


 * ||< media type="googlemap" key="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Stearns+Park,+Ludington,+MI&aq=0&oq=stearns+park+luding&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=35.547176,78.486328&t=h&ie=UTF8&hq=Stearns+Park,+Ludington,+MI&ll=43.959124,-86.459683&spn=0.016064,0.032015&output=embed" width="425" height="350"file://localhost/Users/akowatch/Desktop/Screen%20Shot%202012-05-07%20at%209.31.20%20PM.png ||< Franklin Elementary School Student 2nd Graders in Ludington, MI ||<  ||<   ||
 * <  ||< [[image:Stearns_Park1.jpg]] ||<   ||<   ||
 * < What beach are you studying? ||< Stearns Park Beach ||<  ||<   ||
 * < Nearest port city ||< Ludington, MI ||<  ||<   ||
 * < Body of Water ||< Lake Michigan ||<  ||<   ||
 * < Type of Water ||< Fresh Water ||<  ||<   ||
 * < Number of months people enjoy the beach ||< People can enjoy our beach year round but it is most heavily used for 3-5 months out of the year. ||<  ||<   ||
 * < Busiest Months ||< June, July, and August are by far the busiest. Many people also take advantage of the warmer spring weather in May and the warmer fall weather in September. ||< [[image:North_Lighthouse.jpg]] ||<  ||
 * < Description ||< Our beach has more sand than anything else. It is light tan and very clean. Our sand feels hot on summer days but it is always smooth and soft and is great for making sandcastles. At our beach we have tall beach grass, a white and black lighthouse and pier, a playground, skatepark, and a picnic park too. We also have a mini-golf, shuffleboard, volleyball nets, and concession stands. ||<  ||<   ||
 * < Typical Visitors ||< Our beach is visited by most of our Ludington locals as well as people from all over the world. Stearns Park is a popular tourist destination. ||<  ||<   ||
 * < Activities Enjoyed at the Beach ||< People can do lots of water sports such as boating, sailing, swimming, boogie boarding, water skiing, tubing, paddle boarding, jet skiing, and much more. On land at our beach people play catch, volleyball, basketball during our Gus Macker Tournaments, shuffleboard, skating, and frisbee. Our beach is always busy with people playing sports both on and off land. ||<  ||<   ||
 * Fish caught at and around your beach || Off the shore sport fisherman catch lake trout. A popular place to fish on our beach is on the break wall where they catch perch, steel head, and salmon. We have many boaters that also fish on Lake Michigan. Ludington is known for having many charter boats as well. The charter captains are usually after salmon. ||  ||   ||
 * Shark Worries? || We don't worry about sharks at Stearns Park because they can't survive in our fresh water. ||  ||   ||
 * Other Dangers and Warnings || On land, our beach is a very safe place. There isn't much that can harm you other than getting a bad sunburn. In the water however, it can be a very dangerous place if you are not careful. We have an awesome lighthouse and break wall at our beach. Sometimes when the weather is very windy, the water creates a rip tide near the break wall. We have special rules that help keep people safe. We used to have lifeguards but now we have beach patrols that are on the beach an no one is allowed to swim if the water is too dangerous. People are also banned from the lighthouse break wall if the waves are too big. We even have life rings and emergency phones that call 911. ||  ||   ||
 * Local Environment around the Beach || Our beach is just past our downtown area. There are no houses or buildings (other than the concession stands) on the same side of the street as the beach but there are lots of houses across the street. We have a huge picnic area on one side and the beach on the other. ||  ||   ||
 * Land Wildlife || There is not a lot of land wildlife at our beach. It is not surrounded by woods so there are not a lot of critters. ||  ||   ||
 * Birds || The most common bird at our beach is the seagull. They are everywhere! The seagulls are always trying to find some lunch. We also see sand pipers on occasion in the dune grass. ||  ||   ||
 * Shells or Aquatic Wildlife || We do not typically have any shells on our beach but you can always find a piece of smooth drift wood if you look around. ||  ||   ||
 * Pollution and Sollutions || Our town is very lucky because we have city workers that help keep our beach clean. We have lots of trash cans that remind people to throw away their garbage. We also have some rules on our beach about what people are allowed to bring with them. For example, no one is allowed to bring any glass containers because if they broke, someone could get hurt. Our water is always clean and clear. ||  ||   ||
 * < What Else? ||< Stearns Park is a great beach that sees thousands of visitors every year. It is known for having an incredible sunset and very clean and clear waters. Our beach is the starting and finishing point for our annual Lakestride Marathon and is also the home for our Gus Macker Basketball Tournament. Ludington Gus Macker is one of the largest Mackers around due to its' beautiful location. During our Fourth of July celebration, Stearns Park is packed with visitors and locals as they watch the fireworks light up the sky at night. Our beach is definitely well used and well loved all summer long! ||<  ||<   ||