This fall, horseback riders can enjoy the unparalleled experience of riding along the Lake Michigan shoreline at Silver Lake State Park, one of Michigan's most unique and popular destinations, in Oceana County. 

With ORV season ending in Silver Lake’s ORV Area at the end of October, the DNR offers a tranquil escape for horseback riders to explore the sandy shoreline on their trusty steeds with the towering dunes as their backdrop. A staging area is available at the start of the equestrian route for unloading and preparing horses for the ride. Riders are responsible for cleaning up after their horses in the staging area. 

Equestrians can ride a predetermined route along Lake Michigan during the shoreline horseback riding season Nov. 1-30. The registration fee is $10 per horse per day, and 125 slots are available each day. Registration opens 8 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 1. 

“The shoreline riding horseback season is one of the ways the DNR has expanded off-season outdoor recreation at Silver Lake,” said Jody Johnston, Silver Lake State Park manager. “We also offer a fat-tire biking season Dec. 15 to March 15 each year.” 

The park is home to 450 acres of motorized dune riding. Each summer, thousands of motorcycles, quads, four-wheelers and other ORVs descend on these sugar-sand dunes, the only sand dune riding opportunity east of the Mississippi River. 

 For links to both shoreline horseback riding and fat-tire biking seasons, including a registration link (horseback riding only), rules, maps, tips and other information, visit Michigan.gov/SilverLake. 

Questions? Contact Jody Johnston at 231-721-5858. 

End the summer boating season in safe style by wearing your life jacket! It might just earn youth boaters McDonald's vouchers for ice cream and apple slices.

Since Memorial Day, conservation officers having been passing out coupons for a free McDonald’s ice-cream cone or apple slice package (valid at participating McDonald’s locations) to youth boaters seen properly wearing a life jacket. The Labor Day weekend is the last opportunity to receive a coupon. 

“Partnering with McDonald’s on this boating safety campaign is a fun way to remind parents to encourage their children to wear life jackets,” said the DNR's Lt. Tom Wanless. “It’s easy to get distracted on the water, and making sure your child wears a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket is one of the easiest safety precautions you can take.”  

In 2023, drowning was the reported cause of death in 75% of boating-related fatalities, and 87% of those who drowned were not wearing life jackets. 

But boating safety is about more than wearing a life jacket. Always check your boat before going out on the water, leave a float plan with someone staying on shore, boat sober and only ride with an operator who has an approved boater safety certificate. 

Learn more about boating safety or locate a boater safety education course near you at Michigan.gov/Boating. 

Questions? Email Katie Gervasi at GervasiK@Michigan.gov.

Have you noticed any raptors in your neighborhood walking, squawking and flapping their wings awkwardly? Well, there are good reasons for some of this seemingly silly behavior!

In late summer, Michigan’s raptors have successfully reared their young and juveniles that hatched earlier this summer are becoming independent of their parents. This is a big adjustment period for these large birds. 

Much like awkward teens, young raptors are still figuring out what their bodies are capable of, learning how to pounce on prey on the ground or in mid-air and how to use their talons.  

For birders, it can be confusing to identify juvenile hawks, especially since their behavior can be atypical and quite silly! 

At this time of year, it is not unusual to encounter a young raptor perched on the ground, a fence post, tree or rooftop for extended periods of time while it figures out how to rely on its own hunting instincts rather than its parents. As these birds hone their skills, you may see them clumsily crash land or miss a perch they appeared to aim for.  

In one instance, a MI Birds team member spotted a young hawk practicing its hunting skills by ungracefully attacking the head of a neighbor’s squirrel statue. The hawk looked around wildly over its shoulder for onlookers, before realizing the statue was neither alive nor edible.  

Eventually, their instincts will sharpen along with their talons and these awkward juveniles will flourish as the agile hunters they are meant to be. Just in time, as September marks the peak of raptor migration across the state.  

If a juvenile hawk has taken residence in your backyard, rest assured that its odd behavior is normal and it will depart for its wintering grounds in the coming weeks.  

Read the full story on the Audubon Great Lakes blog to learn how to identify the most common bird species you are likely to encounter. 

Interested in learning more about Michigan’s birds? Visit MI Birds, an outreach and engagement program presented by Audubon Great Lakes and the DNR, on the MI Birds page or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X.

As summer winds down and the weather turns cooler, many Michiganders are gearing up to enjoy a final camping getaway at one of Michigan’s 103 state parks. The DNR offers free programs at over two dozen of those parks through the explorer guide program, with topics ranging from fishing to bird identification and even astronomy. Just in time for the first signs of fall foliage, several parks will host tree-themed events – a perfect way to spend part of your summer adventure.  

Starting at 10 a.m. Aug. 28-29, visitors at Interlochen State Park can learn about trees and even take home a free tree sapling, courtesy of Archangel Ancient Tree Archive, a Copemish-based nonprofit dedicated to propagating old-growth trees. Fall is one of the best times to plant a tree, and the 187-acre park is situated near two lakes and offers on-site boat rentals, giving guests the perfect opportunity to squeeze in one last boating or fishing trip this summer.  

Hoeft State Park, in the northern Lower Peninsula near Rogers City, will celebrate the 91st anniversary of the Civilian Conservation Corps, Sept. 1 at 3 p.m. The CCC planted thousands of trees in Michigan during the Great Depression and contributed to the development of state parks. After enjoying the event, visitors can explore a historic stone and log pavilion and enjoy a mile of sandy beach along the coast of Lake Huron.  

Whether you hope for a view of the summer’s greenery or to catch the first signs of fall, Michigan state parks also offer thousands of miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding and guided learning. 

“Guided hikes are such a simple but powerful way to connect with our guests and nature,” Tawas Point State Park explorer guide Nicole Eklund said. “I love how every hike is different depending on what we encounter or the questions people ask.”  

For more information and weekly schedules for the 25 explorer guide parks, visit Michigan.gov/NaturePrograms.

Questions about the DNR’s explorer guide program? Contact Shaun McKeon at 989-370-0789.