Frequently asked questions
Q: How far away is the beach?
A: As the crow flies, 700 feet. From our front door, you can see the lake shimmering through the trees.
Q: What kind of beach access do you have?
We have 885 feet of deeded private beach that is shared by nine houses--a separate association from the Castle Park Assn. called the South Dune Corp. None of the SDC member houses are built on the bluff, so our beach has a “wild” quality that is unusual along Lake Michigan. You will often have it entirely to yourself, especially during the week or in the off-season. (The SDC manages the beach and the road, and charges a nominal amount of dues annually to take care of the minor maintenance involved.)
The width of the beach, from the end of the dune grass to the water's edge, can vary dramatically from year to year depending on the water level in Lake Michigan. Sometimes it's 20 or 30 feet, sometimes ten or less. In 2020, the lake levels were at record highs. As a result, we had limited usable beach between the water and the foredune when the water was calm. The state of the beach for 2021 is still in flux, though as of March, early-season guests reported relative ease in getting down to the water and a usable amount of beach once there.
The quickest way to the beach is about a five-minute walk from the house (substantially less for children and dogs), down a woodland path at the end of our driveway (pictured at the top of this page) and then a short but rather steep run down a dune. It sometimes involves climbing over a log or two at the edge of the bluff. This bluff is a lovely place to watch the sunset. We share this path with our neighbor.
The alternative is about ten-minute walk from the house. It involves walking down our road to an emergency access road, and then over a low dune. (This route is pictured in the “Castle Park” section of the site, labeled “kinder, gentler path.”) This is the favored route for returning to the house among people who went down the first way but don’t feel like making the climb back. You can also drive down the emergency road. It has a locked gate across the entrance, but SDC members have keys, and you can bypass the gate if you have a golf cart. This road is the usual path to the beach for the rest of the SDC member houses. Members and guests of the Castle Park Assn. are also allowed to use it as a courtesy, though most do not.
NOTE FOR DOG OWNERS: Most of the time there is no one on our beach, particularly during the week and in the off season. However, since it's the only usable beach in the community right now, it is seeing more use than usual, and the SDC is requiring dogs to be leashed. If you want to let your dog off the leash to retrieve balls and sticks from the lake, or other activities of that nature, please go south to beyond the "Private Beach" sign that's a little bit south of where our steep-dune path comes down. This should be far enough that you will be able to see other dogs coming and put your dog's leash on before they meet.
The main Castle Park beach, at the south end of the south tennis courts in the Castle Park Assn. common area, is normally available for your use as well, though recently it has been devoured by the high water. In summer 2019 the association launched an elaborate engineering project to preserve the dune, and also hopes that it will cause some sand to accumulate, though at this writing there is none. If there is ever a beach there again, it will be about a 15-20 minute walk from the house or a 3-4 minute drive. You can’t park right at the steps; the nearest parking is at the Barnswallow, just north of the tennis courts.
Q: Can you see and hear the lake from the house?
A: The lake is visible from the second-floor window seat and the outdoor balcony, though the view fluctuates depending on how recently we have trimmed the trees. The lake can be heard from the house anytime there is a significant breeze, though depending on the direction of the wind and the time of year, the lake sound is sometimes obscured by the rustling of the wind in the trees (which is a lovely sound in itself). The overall ambience of the house is woodsy, with the lake as a background rather than a principal player. SDC owners have the right to trim trees as needed in the SDC common areas to preserve or create a lake view. We have not availed ourselves of this option because we are devoted birdwatchers and prefer being surrounded by the trees that attract them, but an excellent lake view can be created with strategic trimming.
Q: How far is the house from Holland and Saugatuck?
A: About a 15 to 20 minute drive from either, depending on where you are going.
Q: Is the house air-conditioned?
A: Yes, though AC is rarely needed because the house is also well-supplied with windows and doors that can be opened to catch a cross-breeze, and it has ceiling fans in all the bedrooms and the living room. Also, we have found over the years that our hill is usually five to ten degrees cooler than Holland in the summer.
Q: Do you have an outdoor fireplace? Can we have a fire on the beach?
A: We don't have an outdoor fireplace and do not recommend acquiring one because the woods around the house are highly flammable. Laketown Township has strict rules about outdoor fires of all kinds, instituted in 2008 after several homes were lost to an out-of-control beach fire abandoned by a complete idiot on a very windy night. High lake levels are making beach fires impractical or impossible just now, but in general, it is possible to have a beach fire if it's in a screened container (with a bottom, not just a fire ring), and if you call the fire marshal for permission on the day of the fire. Appropriate containers are for sale at Graafschap Hardware, near 146th Ave. and Graafschap Rd., a few miles from Castle Park, and permission is generally granted if it's not windy. For more information on the fire regs (and on Castle Park in general) visit the Castle Park website.
Q: What's the deal with the Castle Park Association?
A: Phoenix in the Dunes is part of the Castle Park Association and also the South Dune Corp. (See above in the discussion about the beach.) They are separate organizations with separate boards, bylaws, and dues. The CPA is a social club rather than a homeowners' association. It is responsible for the common areas, the amenities (such as the pool, libraries, beach, tennis courts, playground, ball diamond, horseshoe pit, Amphitheatre, and of course the Castle itself) and social activities such as Saturday night dances, Thursday bingo, and Play Class. The association employs two managers full-time with landscape helpers as needed, and a social director, a tennis pro, a Play Class director, and a lifeguard staff in the summer. It is not responsible for maintaining any aspect of any of the member homes or properties and in fact is not allowed to offer any services in that regard. Its role in the use of member properties is purely advisory (for example, in the matter of design of new buildings, or policies on rentals). It can and does enforce rules and regulations for the use of the common areas and facilities; these are reasonable and developed to maintain a pleasant atmosphere for everyone. Purchasers of our property will pay a one-time fee of $8,000 to buy into the CPA (which is used to enhance the capital fund and keep special assessments rare and reasonable), and annual dues that fluctuate some but lately have been in the mid-$3,000s annually. New members are sponsored by two existing members; if our buyers don't already have friends in the association, we can arrange sponsorship. There are usually two membership meetings per year; one information meeting Memorial Day weekend and the annual meeting in the second week of August. (The SDC usually tries to hold its annual meeting, a much more casual affair, right before the CPA annual meeting.) The board structure includes numerous committees. It is easy to get as involved in the CPA as you want to, and joining a committee is an excellent way to get to know people.
A: As the crow flies, 700 feet. From our front door, you can see the lake shimmering through the trees.
Q: What kind of beach access do you have?
We have 885 feet of deeded private beach that is shared by nine houses--a separate association from the Castle Park Assn. called the South Dune Corp. None of the SDC member houses are built on the bluff, so our beach has a “wild” quality that is unusual along Lake Michigan. You will often have it entirely to yourself, especially during the week or in the off-season. (The SDC manages the beach and the road, and charges a nominal amount of dues annually to take care of the minor maintenance involved.)
The width of the beach, from the end of the dune grass to the water's edge, can vary dramatically from year to year depending on the water level in Lake Michigan. Sometimes it's 20 or 30 feet, sometimes ten or less. In 2020, the lake levels were at record highs. As a result, we had limited usable beach between the water and the foredune when the water was calm. The state of the beach for 2021 is still in flux, though as of March, early-season guests reported relative ease in getting down to the water and a usable amount of beach once there.
The quickest way to the beach is about a five-minute walk from the house (substantially less for children and dogs), down a woodland path at the end of our driveway (pictured at the top of this page) and then a short but rather steep run down a dune. It sometimes involves climbing over a log or two at the edge of the bluff. This bluff is a lovely place to watch the sunset. We share this path with our neighbor.
The alternative is about ten-minute walk from the house. It involves walking down our road to an emergency access road, and then over a low dune. (This route is pictured in the “Castle Park” section of the site, labeled “kinder, gentler path.”) This is the favored route for returning to the house among people who went down the first way but don’t feel like making the climb back. You can also drive down the emergency road. It has a locked gate across the entrance, but SDC members have keys, and you can bypass the gate if you have a golf cart. This road is the usual path to the beach for the rest of the SDC member houses. Members and guests of the Castle Park Assn. are also allowed to use it as a courtesy, though most do not.
NOTE FOR DOG OWNERS: Most of the time there is no one on our beach, particularly during the week and in the off season. However, since it's the only usable beach in the community right now, it is seeing more use than usual, and the SDC is requiring dogs to be leashed. If you want to let your dog off the leash to retrieve balls and sticks from the lake, or other activities of that nature, please go south to beyond the "Private Beach" sign that's a little bit south of where our steep-dune path comes down. This should be far enough that you will be able to see other dogs coming and put your dog's leash on before they meet.
The main Castle Park beach, at the south end of the south tennis courts in the Castle Park Assn. common area, is normally available for your use as well, though recently it has been devoured by the high water. In summer 2019 the association launched an elaborate engineering project to preserve the dune, and also hopes that it will cause some sand to accumulate, though at this writing there is none. If there is ever a beach there again, it will be about a 15-20 minute walk from the house or a 3-4 minute drive. You can’t park right at the steps; the nearest parking is at the Barnswallow, just north of the tennis courts.
Q: Can you see and hear the lake from the house?
A: The lake is visible from the second-floor window seat and the outdoor balcony, though the view fluctuates depending on how recently we have trimmed the trees. The lake can be heard from the house anytime there is a significant breeze, though depending on the direction of the wind and the time of year, the lake sound is sometimes obscured by the rustling of the wind in the trees (which is a lovely sound in itself). The overall ambience of the house is woodsy, with the lake as a background rather than a principal player. SDC owners have the right to trim trees as needed in the SDC common areas to preserve or create a lake view. We have not availed ourselves of this option because we are devoted birdwatchers and prefer being surrounded by the trees that attract them, but an excellent lake view can be created with strategic trimming.
Q: How far is the house from Holland and Saugatuck?
A: About a 15 to 20 minute drive from either, depending on where you are going.
Q: Is the house air-conditioned?
A: Yes, though AC is rarely needed because the house is also well-supplied with windows and doors that can be opened to catch a cross-breeze, and it has ceiling fans in all the bedrooms and the living room. Also, we have found over the years that our hill is usually five to ten degrees cooler than Holland in the summer.
Q: Do you have an outdoor fireplace? Can we have a fire on the beach?
A: We don't have an outdoor fireplace and do not recommend acquiring one because the woods around the house are highly flammable. Laketown Township has strict rules about outdoor fires of all kinds, instituted in 2008 after several homes were lost to an out-of-control beach fire abandoned by a complete idiot on a very windy night. High lake levels are making beach fires impractical or impossible just now, but in general, it is possible to have a beach fire if it's in a screened container (with a bottom, not just a fire ring), and if you call the fire marshal for permission on the day of the fire. Appropriate containers are for sale at Graafschap Hardware, near 146th Ave. and Graafschap Rd., a few miles from Castle Park, and permission is generally granted if it's not windy. For more information on the fire regs (and on Castle Park in general) visit the Castle Park website.
Q: What's the deal with the Castle Park Association?
A: Phoenix in the Dunes is part of the Castle Park Association and also the South Dune Corp. (See above in the discussion about the beach.) They are separate organizations with separate boards, bylaws, and dues. The CPA is a social club rather than a homeowners' association. It is responsible for the common areas, the amenities (such as the pool, libraries, beach, tennis courts, playground, ball diamond, horseshoe pit, Amphitheatre, and of course the Castle itself) and social activities such as Saturday night dances, Thursday bingo, and Play Class. The association employs two managers full-time with landscape helpers as needed, and a social director, a tennis pro, a Play Class director, and a lifeguard staff in the summer. It is not responsible for maintaining any aspect of any of the member homes or properties and in fact is not allowed to offer any services in that regard. Its role in the use of member properties is purely advisory (for example, in the matter of design of new buildings, or policies on rentals). It can and does enforce rules and regulations for the use of the common areas and facilities; these are reasonable and developed to maintain a pleasant atmosphere for everyone. Purchasers of our property will pay a one-time fee of $8,000 to buy into the CPA (which is used to enhance the capital fund and keep special assessments rare and reasonable), and annual dues that fluctuate some but lately have been in the mid-$3,000s annually. New members are sponsored by two existing members; if our buyers don't already have friends in the association, we can arrange sponsorship. There are usually two membership meetings per year; one information meeting Memorial Day weekend and the annual meeting in the second week of August. (The SDC usually tries to hold its annual meeting, a much more casual affair, right before the CPA annual meeting.) The board structure includes numerous committees. It is easy to get as involved in the CPA as you want to, and joining a committee is an excellent way to get to know people.