Muskegon, MI Summary

Muskegon (population 42,000) is the largest city on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan and a major port on the southwestern coast of the Lower Peninsula. It extends about 5 miles from the banks of the Muskegon River along the southern shore of Muskegon Lake and out to Lake Michigan and the Muskegon Channel. The name comes from the Ottawa people’s “Muskego” or “river with marshes.” French fur traders attracted by the easy access to the interior established a trading post here in 1810.

European settlement dates from the 1830s, and from 1850 to 1890 this was a booming mill town with workers from Norway, Sweden, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, and Canada. During this time the city earned the nicknames “Lumber Queen” and “Red Light Queen” in reference to the numerous saloons, dance halls, and gambling halls.

The pinelands were soon depleted, and by 1910 the last of the city’s 47 mills had closed. Today, paper and metal products contribute to Muskegon’s economy.

With 3,000 acres of parks, around 80 miles of waterfront, and year-round fishing for coho and chinook salmon, lake trout, perch, and walleye, tourism is on the rise. Muskegon State Park covers 1,357 acres of swimming, fishing, and hiking areas. In winter, the park’s Muskegon Winter Sports Complex offers one of only two luge runs in the nation. Muskegon is also the location of the state’s largest water park, the Adventure and Wildwater Amusement Park. The Gillette Nature Center at P.J. Hoffmaster State Park has exhibits on dune history and ecology.

Other attractions worth visiting are the USS Silversides Maritime Museum, the Muskegon Historic District, the Hackley and Hume Houses, the Fire Barn Museum, the John Torrent House, the Hackley Public Library, the Muskegon County Museum, and the Muskegon Museum of Art.

Grand Rapids is to the southeast via I-96. Muskegon County Airport services the area. Cars are essential. Lodging and dining options are limited. Camping is a good alternative in season.