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. None of them 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 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 are at record highs. As a result, we have limited usable beach between the water and the foredune when the water is calm.
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.
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 we have a key, and you can bypass the gate if you have a golf cart. In times of high water you may still need to make the walk south that we describe above, depending on how hard others have worked to smooth the way down to the water's edge.
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 South Dune association 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 Association common area, 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.
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 in 2020 are making beach fires impractical or impossible, 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.
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. None of them 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 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 are at record highs. As a result, we have limited usable beach between the water and the foredune when the water is calm.
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.
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 we have a key, and you can bypass the gate if you have a golf cart. In times of high water you may still need to make the walk south that we describe above, depending on how hard others have worked to smooth the way down to the water's edge.
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 South Dune association 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 Association common area, 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.
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 in 2020 are making beach fires impractical or impossible, 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.