A wide beach lies between the waves of water and the waves of sand. Unlike the vegetation at most active sand dunes, here you'll find woody patches of juniper, stunted jack pine, some small stands of northern hardwoods, and dune marshes with wetland species such as hemlock and larch. Many of the dunes are lightly covered in dune grass. Set along approximately 7,300 feet of undeveloped shoreline, Nordhouse Dunes is the only designated Wilderness on Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Many species of waterfowl and songbirds have been identified here, as well as white-tailed deer, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, porcupines, skunks, and squirrels.
Visitors come most often during summer and deer-hunting season.
A limited trail system of about 11 miles is minimally marked and sometimes hard to follow. The trails can be accessed from the nearby Lake Michigan Recreation Area on the northern boundary. All water must be carried. Due to the fragile nature of the dunes, no camping is allowed in the western Open Sand Area, and all other campsites must be chosen with great care to minimize impact.