Start planning your summer vacation now: the beach towns along Lake Michigans coast offer a wide variety of lodging options for summer getaways, fall road trips and an extended day trip in the winter. The SS Badger carferry is a majestic sight when its visiting port, and people gather in Ludington to watch as it ferry across Lake Michigan, bringing visitors and their automobiles. Youll find a few brick-lined streets with ice cream shops, little stores and and cafes all within steps of Oscoda Beach Park, a beautiful ADA accessible park on the shores of Lake Huron. Located on Lake Huron's Saginaw Bay, Port Autin offers miles of sandy beaches. Glen Arbor is a few miles north of Sleeping Bear Dunes National . This speed ferry sails across Lake Michigan in 2.5 hours and also offers a wide variety of accommodations. Another magical Michigan beach town is the super small city (less than 1,000 residents) of Saugatuck. Go for a swim, lounge on the white sand, sail around the bay, go fishing, try out the water-sports galore, or explore the quaint town of Fort Erie. Any advice would be great, we would ideally like great beach, great town with bars, restaurants etc for this summer. At the mouth of the St. Joseph River, Silver Beach County Park provides sandy expanses, views of the pier, lighthouses and modern outdoor sculptures. The 7 Best Michigan Beach Towns Along Lake Michigan One of the five Great Lakes in North America, Lake Michigan is the second largest by volume, third largest by surface space, and offers more than three thousand miles of gorgeous coastline. 14 Top-Rated Beaches in Michigan | PlanetWare The large, sandy beach has plenty of room for swimming in the mild waves of Lake Huron and walking the dunes that define its landscape. Whether youre planning a relaxing beach vacation, taking a Lake Michigan lighthouse tour, sport fishing or seeking a fun beach town for quick getaway, Lake Michigan has something for you. Some of the local favorites here in Saugatuck are the Uncommon Coffee Roasters, Ida Reds Cottage, and The Southerner, just to name a few. That's the dream! You're not going to be transported to Cape Cod out herebut you are most certainly going to eat some delicious fried cod. Bike rentals are easy to find downtown. Arguably the grandest Michigan beach town of allLocated due west of buzzy Grand Rapids, Grand Haven is, indeed, grand. Sawyer 's easy access from Chicago and Detroit (it's about 80 miles east of Chitown and about 200 miles west of Detroit) and hundreds of acres of sand dunes make it a top pick for a Michigan beach vacation. And unlike other, smaller beach towns, this place hums with art, music, and a great food and drink scene. True to the name, Dutch culture anchors this community with must-see lakefronts at Holland State Park and Tunnel Park. A small-scale lakefront version of Grand RapidsThere are many reasons to visit Holland. Steeped in the history of native Americans, this area is extremely clean and visitor-friendly. MTV named this beach one of the Top Five Beaches in the United States of America. in one of America's top five beer states. An idyllic small town wedged between two lakesWith Lake Charlevoix to the east and Lake Michigan to the west, Charlevoix is practically surrounded by beachesbut there's plenty to do off the sand as well, since this place is known as quite the artsy little beach town filled with galleries and boutiques. Youll find an active beach complete with concessions, paddleboard and bike rentals, and comfortable picnic pavilions. You may even want to shop for yourself, adding to your wardrobe, home decor, or antique collection. Since you're here, make the 30-minute drive south to Eagle River for a stop at Fitzgerald's (aka "The Fitz"), an inn and restaurant located right on the shores of Lake Superior that serves excellent smokehouse barbecue and a massive selection of hard-to-find craft beers and fine whiskeys. Its 1,300 acres also offer opportunities for shore and lagoon fishing, camping, hiking, and more. Welcome to Michigan Beachtowns Michigan Beachtowns along the west Michigan lakeshore, offer a relaxing, carefree getaway with miles of sandy Lake Michigan beaches, exciting attractions, fun events and fantastic sunsets. They dont call it the Riviera of the Midwest for nothing. And what good is a beach town without food and drinks on the waterfront? The biggest of the Great Lakes, Lake Superior offers . You don't have to go far to find your idyllic beach vacation, though many visitors come from across the nation to enjoy the best Lake Michigan beach towns. Aurora, New York. An Indiana pro shares her growing tips and recommendations. Silver Beach County Park. If youre looking for trip ideas, add South Haven to your travel itinerary. There's Sunset Park on top of the bluffs overlooking Little Traverse Bay, where youll find a stair tower to Bayfront Park below. Grand Haven is also close to Holland (a fun visit during tulip time), where you can try on a wooden shoe to celebrate the towns Dutch heritage. Just a short drive from the Detroit suburbs has you feeling like youve stepped back in time when you visit Lexington. There's a (admittedly small) public beach at Marina Park, but there's also fantastic dining at places like Martha's Leelanau Table and 9 Bean Rows, plenty of cute boutiques in downtown Suttons Bay, and the entire Black Star Farms estate campus with its winery and tasting roomcomplete with an onsite inn in the very likely event that you never want to leave. Saugatuck also offers the opportunity to enjoy outdoor yoga, day spas, and early-morning hikes to help refresh your min. Theres books shops, boutiques, gift stores to explore and great dining options, too. Michigan Beachtowns | Michigan Youll also find small dunes of soft silver sand and paths to explore. South Haven, Michigan is a fantastic Michigan beachtown, on the Lake Michigan shore just about 30 miles west of Grand Rapids. Guests can visit the ship dockside or sign up for a cruise. New Rose Varieties for Frills, Fragrance and Victorian Charm. Holland has many other annual events and celebrations that are worth the visit. Sugar Beach Toronto, Ontario It is also home to some of the cleanest beaches, with white sugar-like sand and warm, shallow waters. A short drive from Detroit, even shorter from Grand Rapids, and a fantastic day trip away from Chicago, Muskegon has all the trappings of a great beach town, in addition to being a cultural hub. As the fifth largest lake in the world (! As for Mackinaw City, it serves as a holding pen for the island, with a substantial number of shops and small restaurants crammed right by the ferry docks. Around Christmas, South Haven has a host of holiday festivals to enjoy. If youre looking for a spot that mixes quaint beach town vibes with pristine sandy beaches, this is the spot for you. It has even been considered as one of the top twenty-five beaches in the world. Before the sun sets and the sky goes dark, Lake Huron is a fun place for boating and fishing. Visiting Holland will give you the opportunity to enjoy Girlfriends Weekend, the LAUP Festival, and even a cruise down Main Street and memory lane. Grill Your Biggest, Best Burger Yet with Chicago Chef Erick Williams, The James Beard Award winner dishes on eating out, honoring roots and upping your burger game. The Upper Peninsula is known not exactly for beach towns, for its random stretches of beach. Lake Erie is the shallowest of all the Great Lakes, making it the warmest. This area is known as the Sunrise Coast for a reason: Waking up early to take in the sunrise coming up over the horizon of Lake Huron is a must. 9 BEST Lake Towns in Michigan - Lake Living Guide 2023 Several people have asked, Is Ludington worth visiting? The answer is, yes! Downtown Ludington offers visitors the opportunity to shop, dine, and explore. As far as Michigan beach towns go, pretty little Lexington checks all the boxes: Large, picturesque harbor? With a population of over eight thousand, Ludington is the largest city in Mason County, Michigan. In 2021, July water temperatures were roughly averaging 74 degrees, although they are much colder in the winter months.Annual reports from the EPA and lakes commission on climate change indicate that surface water temperatures have increased slightly for each of the Great Lakes since 1995. In these towns, tourists will find dozens of bars and restaurants, breweries, wineries, hiking trails, biking routes, sand dunes, boating tours, picnic areas, and places to wind down and relax. Known as Charlevoix the Beautiful, its easy to fall in love with this upscale resort town. Jump To Grand Haven Beaches Holland South Haven Muskegon Saugatuck Northern MI Southwest MI This restaurants serves some of the best Polish food in the state and has long been a draw for travelers in the area. Quick Links Wisconsin Beaches Kenosha, Milwaukee, Sheboyban Illinois Beaches Wilmette, Chicago Indiana Beaches Chesterton Michigan Beaches Muskegon, Saugatuck, Silver Lake, South Haven The north shore of Lake Michigan the Upper Peninsula is equally beautiful with a diverse coastline from St. Ignace to Manistique to Escanaba. The State with the Best Beach Towns Isn't Even on a Coast - Thrillist Stay at a waterfront room at the luxurious Marina Grand Resort or unwind at Four Winds Casino Resort. Its one of the most popular Michigan beach towns, home to not just one but two wide, sandy Lake Michigan beaches open to the public. From gorgeous beaches and bustling beach towns to endless miles of quiet dune trails and wide-open vistas, the entire coast is an adventure waiting to happen. St. Joseph, MI (also known as the Riviera of the Midwest) is a Lake Michigan beach town youll want to put on your Michigan beachtown list. Michigan's Best Beach Towns Near Lake Erie, Lake Michigan, and More The best (but also the busiest) of all things northern MichiganTraverse City is a sleepy little hamlet of 14,000 that nearly bows under the weight of thousands of tourists. Check out the masses of flowers, birds and trees at Galien River County Park from a 300-foot canopy walkway that includes a 60-foot-high overlook tower. The town of Ludington embraces its beachy culture: the shops and restaurants are casual and welcoming. This beautiful lake borders four states: Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, and of course, Michigan. Best Bet Explore two more customsturning wooden bowls and woodworking with reclaimed materialsat the Holland Bowl Mill and Cento Anni. Clinch Park sits across the street from downtown's rich lineup of shops and restaurants and offers multiple beaches, kayak and paddleboard rentals, a movie theater, snacks, and more. Then, go back to the beachesthey really are something. This means that they don't get paid until you get paid. 2. Thats only a small part of the charm of this nautical beach town. Michigan's Adventure is smaller than, say, Cedar Point, but the very fact that there are good coasters and a huge water park in this lake town is astounding. Named the Most Beautiful Place in the United States, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is a must-on any Lake Michigan travel bucket list. Best beach town on Lake Michigan 5 years ago Save We are 2 families with older children (6 kids from 17 - 21years old) looking for the best area to go to rent a beach house on Lake Michigan (10 people in total). A west coast escape with east coast prices and crowdsLudington State Park has a beautiful stretch of sand that's 7 miles longsome of it accessible from outside of the park (if you're too cheap to pay the $9 nonresident entrance fee). It runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Oval Beach. You can save a little money without sacrificing fun for your Michigan vacation rental, by exploring lodging options that are in town or not directly located on the water. lf you dont mind staying in town or short distance from the water, there are beautiful accommodations awaiting you on the Lake Michigan freshwater coast. Youll even find a boardwalk to stroll and cute trolley to help you explore the towns shops and restaurants. The last few years have brought some exciting new spots to Ludington: Hit up Jamesport Brewing Company for house-brewed beer and hearty pub grub or The Mitten Bar beer garden for all things Michigan (as far as beer, wine, and spirits go). 9 Great Lake Michigan Beach Towns - WorldAtlas Michigan is known as the Great Lake State for a reason. From the southern basins of Lake Michigan in the Lower Peninsula to the northern shores in Michigans Upper Peninsula, Lake. This pretty spot is more than just a beach town; its home to an old-fashioned downtown that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Rounding out this list of gorgeous beach towns in Michigan is the breathtaking yet tiny town of Saugatuck. Holland is near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan on Lake Macatawa. Remember, beach vacations are not complete until youve discovered your perfect beachtown. You'll also want to spend at least one evening gorging at Chuck Wagon Pizza because it's a Michigan favorite and, well, because it's pizza. Surrounded by grand, restored (mostly) Victorian mansions, youll feel like youve stepped back in time. because its simply delightful to explore. Best Bet: Historic White Pine Village re-creates 30 structures from the area's first settlements. Even still, there is the iconic Art's Tavern and Grocer's Daughter Chocolate in Glen Arbor, and The Cherry Hut, to the south of Empire in Beulah, for cherry pie (a must-try). Hop on the Lakeshore Trail bike path to loop the park, see Muskegon Lake and head into downtown. Popular events like Drag Queen Bingo and the Dunes Diva competition at The Dunes Resortone of the largest LGBTQIA+ resorts in the countrydefinitely help set this area apart from that of nearby, more conservative Holland. This beach is widely recognized around the globe as an award-winning location because of its beauty and fresh water. Check.Sandy beach with a long pier and play structures for the kids? Hunt for Petoskey stones (fossilized coral rocks exclusive to, and abundant in, Michigan) at Fisherman's Island State Park. A few other fun events include a Labor Day Semi-Truck Parade, Civil War re-enactments, and a Fire Truck Parade. If an impromptu map of Michigan is always shown as a left hand, East Tawas is located around the knuckle of your index fingera region most tourists skip in favor of more popular Lake Michigan on the west side of the state. You can also find private beachfront rentals, lake homes and cabin rentals, hotels and motels, full-service resorts and campgrounds. That gives the painfully picturesque, tiny island the feeling of being lost somewhere in timenot unlike the movie Somewhere in Time that was famously filmed on the island. If you love to hike, there is the Best Valley Trail, and if youre looking for a thrill suitable for the entire family, then you most certainly want to visit the Edge Adventure Course and Zip Line at Crystal Mountain. The sprawling Pere Marquette Park beach, with its playground, volleyball courts and restaurant, may be the one of the best-kept secrets on the entire coastline, but lets keep that between us. There is also the Good Heart Farms Nature Preserve, where the hayfields and beautiful wooded trails give its residents and visitors a pleasant outdoor experience. Where to Eat While Visiting Lake Michigan's Beach Towns So whether you like barbecue, fried chicken, pizza, burgers, steak, or seafood, the Saugatuck and Douglas area combines to give you a tasteful and memorable culinary tour along Lake Michigan. The DeZwaan Windmill, moved here from the Netherlands, anchors Windmill Island Gardens and still grinds winter wheat and corn. Other fun activities in the Petoskey area include ziplining, ax throwing, river rafting, biking, gambling, water parks, and more. Still, none of that would matter without the beaches. By 97sueellend. 9 Great Lake Michigan Beach Towns Community News | Jul 19, 2022 | 7 min read 9 Great Lake Michigan Beach Towns By World Atlas Lake Michigan, one of North America's five Great Lakes, provides an enormous shoreline that stretches across parts of Wisconsin, Indiana , Illinois, and of course, Michigan. The good news is that reputable personal injury lawyers work on contingency. The two beaches Grand Haven City Beach and Grand Haven State Park are within easy walking distance of this quintessential Michigan beachtown. If you;re looking for more michigan beach towns to explore, be sure and use our interactive Michigan Travel and Beach map. Grand Haven is one of the best Lake Michigan beach towns. Youll find restaurants serving a must-try Upper Peninsula treat: the pasty. Theres plenty to do, see, eat, and drink downtownbreakfast at Morning Star Caf, rooftop cocktails at Snug Harbor, pizza at Fricano's Pizza, beer at Odd Side Ales, cold-pressed juices, smoothies, and wellness shots at Bodhi Treebut none of it takes away from what is ultimately the primary focus and your raison d'tre: that big, beautiful beach, and those thermos cocktails. The five-mile-long Mighty Mac is the largest suspension bridge in the Western Hemisphere, where it spans the Straits of Mackinac connecting Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas. These are all spots worth exploring. Here is a brief guide to some of the must-see spots along the Lake Michigan coastline, you can click on each location find more information and an in-depth vacation guide to each spot on the map. 9 BEST Lake Towns in Michigan - Lake Living Guide 2023 Destinations Best Towns on Lake Michigan (Last Updated On: May 11, 2022) With almost 1640 miles of Great Lakes shoreline, there's no shortage of towns along Lake Michigan. You can take a Michigan Circle tour shortcut aboard the lake express ferry and bypass traffic in Chicago and Milwaukee, too. Crystal Beach by far the town of Fort Erie's biggest draw. Additionally, South Haven is host to many music festivals, art shows, and cultural events. We cant talk about Saugatuck, Michigan, without discussing the tremendous homestyle meals, breweries, and wineries that this special place has to offer. Featured in this tiny beach town is Oval Beach. Find A Personal Injury Lawyer Near You - Forbes Advisor You might want to plan for at least two days to fully experience this northern Michigan beach town. This carferry, named the S.S. Badger, operates May through mid-October and travels between ports at Ludington, Michigan and Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Go to Muskegon before everyone else does. Whether you are shopping for a souvenir for a loved one or something cute to wear for yourself, this beautiful town has a shop with your name on it. Cheboygan has some of the most crystal-clear water, surprisingly warm in the shallow bays in Michigan, and its sometimes overlooked as a beach town. Were sharing some of the best beaches here, and you might also want to check out our Guide to the Best Family-Friendly Beaches and our Guide to 10 Secret, Must See Beaches, too. Situated in Walworth County close to the border with Illinois, Lake Geneva is one of the most popular lake towns in Wisconsin. 7 Michigan Beach Towns Perfect For Water Adventures It is also a harbor town at the mouth of the Pere Marquette River and located on Lake Michigan. From the Indiana Dunes up to the Grand Traverse region to Charlevoix, Petoskey and beyond, Lake Michigans shores are simply a perfect sandy playground for visitors year around. The state park is among Michigan's best, and the beach was named AAA's favorite in the state. Some lean on the touristy side, and others are unspoiled and entirely yours for the taking. Virtual Michigan Travel: Best Michigan ONLINE Tours, Is it possible to get a hard copy of 2023 Michigan travel guide, Lake Michigan 2023: Michigan Ultimate Travel Guide, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (Empire, Glen Arbor), Guide to the Best Family-Friendly Beaches, Arch Rock Mackinac Island: Facts, Legends and Stories, 30 BEST Small Towns in Michigan Worth Visiting in 2023 (MAP), 12 Best Keweenaw Peninsula Restaurants (MAP), Tunnel of Trees Michigan M-119: Your BEST 2023 Guide, Bay City Michigan: 15 BEST Things to DO (MAP). 12 Best Lake Michigan Beaches With White Sand and Stunning Views Trip Ideas Beach Vacations 12 Best Lake Michigan Beaches With White Sand, Rolling Dunes, and Stunning Views These. Later, relax at area wineries or distilleries. Use the My Michigan Beach website as a visitors guide to find travel tips and the best spots to stay, play and in Michigans beach towns that dot our never-ending coastline. Discover the beauty that thousands of generations of visitors have found along the shores of Lake Michigan. Address: 4490 Beach Road, Cheboygan, Michigan. Best Bet: The Traverse Area Recreation and Transportation Trails crisscross 60 miles of the area, including a trail through town. Bordered on the north by Muskegon Channel, the beach at Pere Marquette Park provides views of two lighthouses, 40 sand volleyball courts and other places to play, including a dog beach on the south end. If you enjoy shopping, downtown South Haven offers several locally owned and operated shops, perfect for finding excellent gifts for family and friends. In addition, Petoskey offers many places to enjoy the outdoors, one of which is the Boyne Mountains which provides a terrific ski experience.

Fun Things To Do In North Jersey For Adults, Mother's Santa Monica, Mount Nabooru Cave Korok, Harry's At The Waterfront, Hochstein Youth Orchestra, Articles B