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Saugatuck Dune Rides Inc
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
10 reviews for Saugatuck Dune Rides Inc
10 reviews in English
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Review from Molly K.
Royal Oak, MI
9/24/2011
Woooo! What fun! The boyfriend and I had our sights set on the dune ride on a dreary, rainy day. Fortunately by early afternoon the rain had mostly stopped, so we ventured down to Saugatuck Dune Rides. Nobody else was ready to brave the weather, so we ended up getting a private dune buggy ride. It was a blast! Our guide, Ian, said that this was one of the few places left in the U.S. that offers dune rides, so this is definitely a must-see if you are in the Saugatuck area.
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Review from Joseph S.
Cypress, CA
8/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
So what do you do when you are hangin with your Mother and Father on va-cay while in Michigan.....and your spouse/GF isn't with you and it is day time (so drinking is probably not the best idea)? The answer....The Saugatuck Dune Rides - That's what!
Seriously - my Mother mentioned this and I was like...um...sure...not thinking too much about it. So we go...relatively early - 10ish on a Sunday (which is 7am LA time) - which is kind of weird because with that I am thinking half my day is gone and it still feels like 7am.
~$55 later (thanks Dad for paying for the 3 of us!) now I feel like an unemployed dead-beat of a son - even though I am well-employed and have the cash - but Mom insists - so whatever - :) I go with it! (Yesss!)
Anyhow good thing we are early because we only had to wait for 1 "dune-buggy" turn (~10min).
The "buggy" pulls up - and the thing is AWESOME looking - picture a late 70's or early 80's Ford Bronco chop-top (the original Bronco's - not the Bronco II) or a Chevy Blazer chop-top (again the original big boy not the little one) in a blue color - with huge a$$ tires, padded seats (with 2 extra rows), and oh-$hit bars in front of you.
The next thing I see is steam/smoke coming from under the hood and then a light flourescent green liquid spill out from under the hood (thinking to myself...flashback from college when my 1987 Pontiac Grand Am's heater core blew and it smelled like anti-freeze (note to kids/dogs - don't drink that stuff...it could kill ya). Then I hear out of the corner of my ear " aw-right folks - load 'em up" and I say to my Mom - uhhh..there is fluid coming out from that truck...and now she is beginning to worry. (nothing new there). I go up to the guy and am like "uhh...sir the truck is leaking...he says really? Then bends over to look and says....hmm..you're right - don't worry about it." I am thinking to myself so a truck can run a bit w/o the stuff but not long...and it isn't my truck so why not - could be a great adventure and I hop aboard. Mom is by now visibly worried.
For those safety-folks - you'll be happy to know they have seatbelts - 1 for each ROW..yep row (5 rows of ~4 peeps). So you and your 3 closest friends share a giant lap-belt.
After buckled up - the driver goes through his safety 'schpeal' and says alright folks hold on and off we go! We darted up and down, left and right, up sandy hills, through forest trails, and across fields! All-the-while what felt like we were going a minimum of 40mph and at times probably hit 60-65mph. The truck's engine/exhaust was roaring the entire time - especially through the sand banks as the driver gunned it on the exit!
After about 10 min of this - we stop to take pictures atop the sand dune with 360 degree views of L. Michigan to the W, and the terrain to the N, S, & E. About 10 min later - we load back up and go through another 10-15 min of crazy driving again until we return to the loading blocks.
At the blocks - now the crowds were getting restless - true they have 3-4 trucks running in 10-15 min increments but by the time we finished up (~11ish) - the place was packed and peeps were waiting almost an hour! Good thing we got there early!
Have to give props to Mom - this was a great excursion. We all agreed that we would do it again!
BTW - I believe that fluid leak was planned to scare the crap out of people...and heh - it worked! -
Review from Annette J.
Dearborn Heights, MI
7/26/2011
A roller coaster and history lesson all rolled into one!
That's what I just described Saugatuck Dune Rides when giving some recs for stuff to do in the Tuck. And I mean it. Such a neat excursion on a sunny afternoon!
The well trained driver/tour guide will load you and your party into one of their trucks and take you for twists and turns all up and down the dunes. Some of the drops are tall and steep, and you'll go real fast! But it's not terribly intense so it's pretty kid friendly. They'll also give you details about the dunes, interesting factoids about the land, and a history lesson about Singapore--the logging town buried under the dunes. DUN DUN DUNNNNNNN!
The views are beautiful and the tour will stop at the top of the tallest dune so you can get some photo ops in so bring your camera. Also bring your sunglasses an sun screen because you're not really covered (and on a windy day the sand can get all up in your eyes).
Also, be sure to visit the shop inside-- if you're a history or nature buff they have some neat artifacts from Singapore as well as sand glass and other fun bits and bobs to look at.
I do this ride about once or twice a summer and every time it's just as fun as the first time. More than worth the time and the money! -
Review from Allison G.
Chicago, IL
7/20/2011
Fun and beautiful!
Our friends recommended the dunes ride. You buy your tickets in a very old-school, un-airconditioned waiting room with lots of kitch decor. Then, you get in the dune buggy. It goes fast.
The scenery is great. You stop at the top of a dune to take pictures of the lake and dunes. Then, you go through the woods.
Our guide actually recommended a great dinner place.
This is your Saugatuck-adrenaline activity. -
Review from Phil C.
Homewood, IL
4/28/2011
A great time! We've gone for years to the Mac Woods ride up by Hart, and we enjoyed this one more. Faster, more of a thrill ride, while still offering some interesting local info and natural history. They also sell you tickets for a specific time, so you can go eat, shop, whatever if there's a wait. The view from 'up top,' of Mt. Baldhead and Lake Michigan, is truly spectacular. We had a flat tire up there, and they had a rescue vehicle up there in ten minutes with power tools to get us going; what could have been a drag was actually a fun extra adventure. The guy who fixed our tire was just as cool as our guide; these folks like each other and their work, and they know how to share the fun. Highly recommended!
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Review from Maria S.
Naperville, IL
6/17/2008 1 photo
I didn't know what to expect... I was kind of thinking this would be a serene ride through the picturesque dunes along Lake Michigan.
This is more like a roller coaster ride. Like nothing we've ever done before. You take a zooming ride up and down the dunes. The kids love, love, LOVED it! Worth every penny!! -
Review from Lisa B.
Ann Arbor, MI
6/8/2011
This was fun and educational! The views are fantastic, the ride was fast and our driver/guide was knowledgeable about the local area and the history of the dunes. Highly recommend!
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Review from Brandon B.
Chicago, IL
9/21/2008
A classic apparently since the year my dad was born, you can't really go wrong with the dune buggy ride. High speed trip through the unstable sandy paths, with cheesy comments and quirky traffic signs posted along the way. At the top of the second highest dune in MI you get out and run up and down the sandy hill, with a potential 100's of miles view on a good day. Stiff price (16/adult) but a must-do in the area.
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Review from Nina B.
San Francisco, CA
8/30/2009
I second Maria S and Cori C in saying that the ride though the dunes was like a roller coaster: fast, a little scary, but loads of fun! Our driver was equipped with lots of corny jokes and gave us some insight into the history of how the dunes developed and evolved over time. It felt so exciting and carefree to zip through sand dunes at high speeds on an open-air jeep-type vehicle. It was definitely worth the $17.00 per person fee. It also offered a few great pictures-taking opportunities when we stopped near the top of the dunes. It also felt good to support a business which has apparently been family-owned since the mid-1950s. This is an experience unique to Saugatuck, so don't miss it if you visit the area!
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Review from Mike D.
Chicago, IL
7/16/2009
Good times! A fast ride up and down the dunes, corny jokes and great views. What more could you ask for? Our 2 year old had a blast. Watch out for the tree snakes!
