Tunnel Park

Came here with my wife last weekend. She had found out about this place about two months ago and wanted to take me here 😊 I'm glad she did because this is a really cool park! The tunnel taking you to the beach is cool, and its very well maintained, there's not sand everywhere like we were expecting. There's also a beautiful overlook with benches and picnic tables with a little pollination garden. And lastly, they have an awesome playground! This is why I love Holland, this is just one of the many amazing places here!

This place felt like the best kept secret of Holland! We went to a few places with beach access, but this one was hands down, the best. A lot less crowded. Just bring your blankets, your water bottle, and your chairs so you can enjoy the water and the sun. Restrooms have a soda machine if you want something sweet. There’s also a play area for the kids near the parking lot. You do pay for parking and you can do this with your phone, so make sure it’s charged up before you go. There are two entrances to the beach. Straight in, and a set up stairs you can climb up, then climb down to the beach. There are 68 total steps, so try that if you are adventurous ◡̈ Otherwise, do the tunnel. When it opens up to the sun and water, it’s breathtaking.

Gives you a wholesome experience of Lake Michigan from the top. Very clean beach however walking down the sand dunes up to the beach is very challenging and so is getting back . You can see the red lighthouse very clearly. The beach is less crowded & the sunset is breathtaking.

Cutest park with great beach access! Going through the tunnel feels a little bit like entering a beach in Italy. Parking lot is gravel but has lots of spots and offers a short walk to the tunnel. Public restrooms are present. Pay station is located by the bathrooms. Has a nice grassy area to picnic as well if you don’t want to go to the beach. there is also a great lookout after up quite a few stairs that overlooks lake michigan. Beautiful park!!

This is an amazing park with fantastic lake Michigan views, if you are physically fit, you can do the sand dune as well. There is an 8$ parking fee and it is a county park and Michigan recreation vehicle passport doesn't work here.

A great beach access park to Lake Michigan. Free admission during the winter, and requires either a day pass or annual pass from Memorial Day to Labor Day weekends from the Ottawa County Parks Department (you Michigan State Parks Recreation Pass does not cover you here).

Fun playground, small sand dune to climb to a beautiful large overlook with stairs down to the beach. Also a tunnel through the dune from the park area to the beach. Separate kiosks to pay for a daily pass. Apparently, the Michigan annual recreational park sticker on my license plate doesn't apply here at this county/township park.

Beautiful beach! Really want to visit at sunset to see the sun shine through the tunnel. Very clean beach. Nice bathrooms. Also has shower and foot wash. There are small dunes to go down and up, so if you struggle with climbing, it might not be for you. Dunes are not large, but none the less you still have to climb to get back up.

Such a nice beach on Lake Michigan! We even witnessed a wedding proposal while we were here.

Looking for a great place. A family grilling and chilling close to the water side. Pick here. There's even barbecues at the top of this big old stairway that you can take your food up to and have a great view. Definitely a worthy Beach.

The park was really cool. We started out on the playground side and the kids had a ton of fun climbing everything and playing with the sand. We went up the tall boardwalk (I ran up the dune) and absorbed the view from the top. A few of us went down to the water, but the walk back up can be a bit tiring. After that, we walked over to the tunnel and took photos. The kids played a bit on the beach, which was calm. This side is much easier to access the beach, but there's no sense of earning your fun vs. doing so on the other side. The bathrooms were clean and the area outside was good for filling water bottles, washing your feet/clothes off, and sitting.

Beautiful scenery, family friendly and peaceful. Have to pay a fee if you don't have a county park pass in the park itself that is.

Although I agree that you can come here and bring your kids to enjoy the games or bring food and use the grills here, coming to the beach it's certainly not attractive. There is basically no space between the lake and the steep dune. You can certainly set your self up in between but then people need to climb or walk in the water to go around you. We ended up sitting down on top of the dune while feeling the strong breeze, which for this weekend was kind of cool. Nice to visit once or grill food with no plans to get into the water with small kids. Bring your own food as they don't have a concession stand.

This park area has beautiful views of the lake, along with picnic benches and a park for children. Take a hike up the stairs to catch the views of the lake, or go through the tunnel and walk along the lower level of the shore. We took our pups here and they had a great time, bring a light jacket on days that are windy. Best, Charlie

Beautiful beach area but they have a stupid rule that dogs are not allowed in the summer. If they are going to allow dogs 9 months out of the year they should allow them the whole year it makes no sense!

Such a neat park!! As others have said, PARK ACROSS THE STREET! It's not really worth paying for, especially when they have free overflow parking literally directly across the street from the park. Gorgeous lookout area and view from the top if you climb up the sand dune (or take the stairs like I did). If you go this route, there is a tall set of stairs on the other side to go down to get to the beach. There's another way to reach the beach- by going under the tunnel. We missed it at first, but it's to the right of the park, near the restrooms. No stairs there! We walked down the beach a ways to get away from the large crowds that gather at the main beach entrance. It wasn't too busy when we first got there but it was packed mid-afternoon. We went on a Sunday during peek season though. Just beware not to go too far down the beach- you may reach the end of the technical park territory which is marked by a small sign up off the sandy area. Beyond is private beach access for the homes along the water. We didn't noticed this and ended up setting up just past this sign (as several other people had) and eventually a park ranger came and asked us to move. Luckily, we were close to the line and just moved to the other side of it so it wasn't a big deal. Water stays relatively shallow out quiet a ways. Roughly up to mid-stomach/chest. Water is so clear! It amazes me how much the lake looks and acts like the ocean. Beautiful park!

When I moved to Michigan, a little over 4 years ago, my first glimpse of majestic Lake Michigan was as I crested the stairs at Tunnel Park in Holland. I have been coming back here a few times a year because this is truly a great park with a lot to offer. I love the picnic areas off the parking lot. They have a HUGE and modern kids play area. Big fields for frisbee, soccer or whatever else you fancy and a dune you can roll down( beat that Grand Haven !! Just joking ) the beach is very clean and well maintained with a great view up and down the coastline. The trudge up the stairs or through the sand to the tunnel can be tough for the elderly but what doesn't kill you often makes you stronger!! I love the State parks but Tunnel park has a specialness for me.

The view is expansive and beautiful! Water is very blue as far as the eye can see! $8 parking for non-residents is very reasonable to maintain the park, including the nice changing rooms provided and foot sprayers to remove sand. We did not enter through the tunnel, as there wasn't very clear signage to the tunnel. We climbed the stairs, the first entrance we saw, and did enjoy the view from the top! The beach wasn't very wide in terms of shoreline to the base of the dunes, but of course plenty of shoreline to share with other sunbathers! We enjoyed much of our day there! As an aside-- not very good phone signal on the beach!

We parked the car and took the tunnel to the top of the dune. There's also a set of stairs on the other side of the park. Nice beach area and beautiful sunset views. Gets a bit crowded near sunset.

Things I like about Tunnel Park include the nice boardwalk and interpretative display at the top of the dune, and, obviously, the tunnel through it! Things I don't like about the park include the current state of the beach, with higher water levels, erosion, and resulting angled narrow strip of beach that is not really all that comfortable when crowded. Once umbrellas are set up and towels laid out, it's really hard to walk behind them (too steep) or in front of them (bumping into people having fun in the waves). Under my sunscreen, the angle was so steep, I felt like I had to dig in my heels not to slide away. Great place when there are no crowds, but in crowds, not as fun as it used to be.

I had the pleasure of spending 15 minutes in 38 degree weather at Tunnel Park in December. It was a great 15...maybe actually closer to 10 minutes. On the way to a business meeting, my host asked me if I wanted to see Lake Michigan - sounded good, I was down. So, into the parking lot we rolled, out of the car, through the tunnel and viola - Lake Michigan! What a beautiful spot. Clean sand, an expansive view of the lake and what appeared to be adequate facilities for a visit during warmer months. Oh...and the tunnel is quite photogenic too! 4 stars...probably closer to 5.

A long, long time ago, there were English Hunter/Jumper horses shows at the fairground, and I and my other friends at a stable in Galesburg would participate. Because teenagers need distraction our parents would take us, after the show was over for the day, to a now long gone miniature golf course up the road on Lakeshore Drive and then over to Tunnel Park for a picnic. (Otherwise, all the parents knew that we would pile into whomever had a car and a license and try to find a bar that would serve us. And because the drinking age was 18 then, there were such bars to be found.) It was at that park that I had my wind knocked out of me for the first time. You know how things are either glorious or disappointing or absolutely dreadful the first time. This - finding I couldn't breathe at all - was absolutely frightening. I must have missed class the day the teacher talked about it. We were on the swings, and we were playing the game where you swing as high as you can, and at the apex launch or fling yourself out of your swing onto the sand yards and yards away. The person who can land farthest from the swings wins. When it was my turn my arms did not clear the chains, and I flew into the air off balance, landing hard on my back on the sand. I thought I was going to die. I remember some of the girls I rode with tried to be reassuring that the pain would pass while others laughed in derision. Good times. The park seems now, decades later, remarkably unchanged. It has been updated and modernized here and there, but it's essentially the same park. The tunnel is not the easiest feature to locate but it's there like it was there when I was a teen. The steps far to the left of the tunnel that go up and over the dunes are knee breakers. Find the tunnel. The actual beach area is pretty small. Ignore the mean stares of the neighbors who think the park is a monstrosity in an otherwise peaceful beach housing development. Grand Haven and South Haven have much nicer beaches, but no one has a better tunnel.

Our go-to beach in Holland. It can get busy for sure, but it's worth it. Park across the street where it's free. The kids will love the playground. And there are plenty of picnic tables and grills if you've brought food. A huge dune prevents you from walking straight onto the beach. But there are two ways through here. By the playground you can climb the dune or take a set of stairs. Or I've by the restrooms, you can simply walk through the tunnel. We like to switch off because both options are all part of the experience. Once you're done with the beach, there are water fountains by the restrooms so you can rinse off the sand.

It's been close to 20 years since I was last year. As an adult it seems much smaller then it did ad a child. It is still a beautiful place though. Great view and a great beach. Just a great place to rest and relax and see Lake Michigan. Overall I'd give it 4 stars. No real faults just doesn't feel 5 star worthy. Would I return? Yes I would.

This spot is a great spot to relax! Super busy the first weekend in June, but the beach is nice to walk on and get some fresh air. Would be great to come near the end of summer, less kids and nicer water temps. Plus side too, tons of parking - reasonable prices - and an actual bathroom, no portapotties

While it was less crowded than Holland beach and the lady at the pay kiosk was very friendly, the beach was extremely steep and very narrow. The water was too shallow for swimming and ice cold in July and the waves made it hard to enjoy even the shallows. Once you are on the beach, it is extremely hard to walk up hill back to the tunnel, especially with all of the people. There was a chipped place in the walkway where I fell and hurt my knee and back. All in all, a dangerous, hard to use park.

I'm being generous and giving this 3/5 stars, I want to give it a 2 compared to Grand Haven's beach though. We got here late in the afternoon, around 6:30pm. It's $7 to get in for the day if you are parking there. The bugs were fierce and to get out of the park, you have to slog UPHILL through the sand, then go up some stairs, then you can choose to run down more sand (if you're a kid, most likely) or take MORE stairs down. I just wasn't that impressed with it. Beach is smaller but nice, but it was the bugs that were offputting.

That the beach here is lovely is undeniable. It is gorgeous. The problem is the beach goers. I've never seen so many smokers at a supposedly family friendly beach. And smokers walking hand in hand with small children. It was pretty noxious. Also, beach goers were feeding the seagulls, who were brazenly walking up to people sprawled out on their beach towels. Pretty gross. It's a shame, because this place LOOKS idyllic. It just reeked of smoke, and was overrun with domesticated birds.

Had so much fun for my family picnic at Tunnel Park in Holland Mi. Park was nice clean parking wasn't bad 5$ for parking but they do have free parking across the street. But the lot if you wanna bring barbecue grill and stuff so you don't have to carry it. Nice beach nice views very friendly. I will be back on personal visit with my wife and son. I'm from Detroit in the city so this was a nice getaway. Drive wasn't bad either but a long one lol so be ready for that!! But well worth it!! Don't forget to fill that tank up "hit"

What a great spot! Very busy on the day we went, but good people watching! We did not notice any women smoking cigarettes and holding hands with noxious children. Also, we stayed within the confines of the park and off the private property on either side, so we had no negative encounter with any legitimate property owners. Oh, pro-tip. If you don't want to take a bunch of stairs, on the right-hand side of the park (north end) there is a TUNNEL. It takes you right out to the beach and you can skip the stairs. Not sure if this is why they call the place Tunnel Park or if that's just a coincidence. Perfect fresh water swim day! You won't be sorry. And pay the $7. Don't be cheapskates. It's a county park with limited funding. Can't imagine someone having a bad experience here unless they have bad experiences everywhere they go.

Average beach on Lake Michigan. Not worth the price of entry, but I'm assuming it's better than holland state park. Very small beach area. Neighbors of the park are rude. On a busy day we missed the sign of property end because it was behind a crowd. An woman called tunnel park from the beach to complain instead of just letting us know. We would have gladly moved to tunnel park property, and we eventually did once informed. Property signs need to be better placed or more visible on busy days. Left a sour taste in my mouth. I wouldn't recommend going here. There's a park, but surely you can find a better place to go. The tunnel is cool but not $7 cool.

This is my favorite spot when visit Michigan. The park is clean. There is shade for you if you visit during day time in summer. I visited after 7pm and it wasn't too hot. They even put tick warning sign if you toward the tunnel. Originally I planned to visit Sleeping Bear Dune but couldn't so I guess this Tunnel park would do. I would go here again.

Cute little gem of a beach just around the corner from Holland State Beach Park. This beach, however, is free and a bit smaller as far as beach area. You can walk up a dune or underneath, through the tunnel. This beach is usually less crowded, as it's not the "main beach", making it perfect for a low-key visit. Tip: I didn't really know this at first, but you can stroll the beach past the private access areas, you just aren't supposed to linger/sprawl out all your stuff.

After going to the state beach, I think this is a great find. There are bathrooms, a place to rinse sand off, a play ground and a bike rack. There is a tunnel to go under the dune, about twenty feet from the bathhouse. It's a lovely beach. Oh, and it's totally bike-friendly, as it is surrounded in paved bike paths :)

It's a great family park, beach-wise and the playground on the other side of the dunes. The valley beach helps keep the wind at bay!

A wonderful little gem on Lake Michigan. The tunnel isn't readily seen from the parking lot, but is located beyond the bathrooms, to the right of the parking lot. You can do that, climb a small dune, or climb stairs. Either way, its a small amount of effort to reach the beach. There's a small playground, volley ball nets and your general park atmosphere. We visited late August. There were some people enjoying the lake but not too many. Definitely love this spot and will visit again.

Went here on Fathers Day weekend and had a great time! In the park area there are loads of picnic tables, space for outdoor games, grills for cookin', very nice playground, decent restrooms right next to the picnic areas. There are 2 ways to get to the beach that I saw: there's a dune climb from the park area, which has stairs going down to the beach on the other side, or there is a paved path that takes you in the tunnel that goes under a large dune leading out to a lookout where you can view the beach. (Would be handicapped accessible up to the beach lookout area.) Beach was great. Clean and not overcrowded at all. Great beach & picnic spot. We'll be back!

This is a beautiful park and beach. The beach is small and slopes down to the water. The water was clean and clear. The restrooms were ample and clean. They have sprinklers to wash off the sand and dressing rooms. They have a nice lookout area above the dune with picnic tables and benches along the boardwalk. There are steps up the dune or you can trudge your way up the sand if you prefer. There was a frozen yogurt truck there, but we didn't try it. They had charcoal grills available in the park as well. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit. There is a fee to park but because we were early on the beach, we were not charged.

$8 for nothing. We went on a Thursday, first time we go there, the beach was very small and busy, there was no place to stay, we decided to stay in one of the dunes and two of the guys who work to keep the park clean or whatever said we are not supposed to stay there at the dunes because all the sand goes down to the water?!?!? I don't get it.

We went to this small beach after we saw that Holland State Park's parking lot was full. This was a small, quiet beach, that didn't have many people out considering how nice the weather was. You can find free parking across the street from the entrance. You can take the tunnel to the beach- but beware you have to go down (and then up) a sizeable dune if you take that route. If you are bringing umbrellas, coolers, etc. be prepared to possibly make a few trips up and down the hill.

Stumbled upon this secret little gem on vacation. After spending an afternoon at the state park in GH, we caught a quiet spectacular sunset. It was great to get away from the crowds and hustle and bustle. We even came back the next day for the beach. Park across the street (perry) for free parking and only a 100 yard walk. Get there early (10 or 11 am) and you'll get a free parking spot AND get to pick your spot on the beach! Around 1 or 2, it gets packed with little rug rats running around. This is a great beach for good swimming, clear water, nice sand, nice facilities and long walks on the beach.

Pretty beach on Lake Michigan! Very clean! We enjoyed walking through the tunnel to get to the beach.