13 Best Beaches in Michigan (by an outdoor guide!)
January 3, 2026
Michigan has a secret… it’s hiding some of the best tropical-like beaches in the USA! From the Great Lakes to inland hidden gems, here are the best beaches in Michigan.
Why this blog? Hi there! My name is Maddy and I was born and raised in Michigan and I wrote this blog based on my experiences working the past eight years as an outdoor guide and travel writer! My content is totally AI-free and I write with the goal of helping you find the best possible trip for your interests and comfort level!
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Best Beaches in Michigan:
Check out the best beaches in Michigan! All of these links are to Google Maps locations, so you should be able to save them for later. Remember to pack out all trash with you!
Additionally, be sure to keep in mind that the Great Lakes experience rip currents! Follow posted warnings before swimming, keep in mind that there are often no lifeguards on duty, and be mindful that if there are whitecaps on the water, there are also likely rip currents. Read more about rip currents on the Great Lakes here.
1) The Sleeping Bear Dunes Beaches
Michigan’s Sleeping Bear Dunes are home to not only some of the best beaches in Michigan, but probably some of the best beaches in the entire United States! Here, you can find miles of sandy beaches, hikes out to remote swimming holes, and warm, clear rivers that meet the comparatively chilly waters of Lake Michigan.
I grew up visiting the beaches in the Sleeping Bear Dunes every summer with my family, and have such fond memories of the area! Here’s a quick guide to my favorite beaches near the Sleeping Bear Dunes:
- Platte Beach: Here, the Platte River flows into Lake Michigan making for really dynamic scenery. The Platte River is also really fun for tubing. Personally, I like this beach setup because you can find warmer water in the river than in open Lake Michigan.
- Empire Beach: Next to the town of Empire, this beach is walking distance from ice cream shops and features views of the Sleeping Bear Dunes both to the North and South
- North Bar Lake/Beach: This is a good spot for families with mixed goals– ie, the little kids want to swim somewhere warm and calm but the older kids want Lake Michigan. Here you get the best of both worlds.
- Dune Climb to Lake Michigan: Challenging four-mile round trip trek over dunes out to Lake Michigan. Super fun day/picnic trip for a hike-in swim.
A National Parks Pass is needed in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. For a few cute places to stay near Empire, Michigan and the Sleeping Bear Dunes, check out Empire Lakeshore Inn, Dune Climb Inn, and M22 Inn. Additionally, check out Sleeping Bear Riverside Cabins.
READ: Ultimate Guide to the Sleeping Bear Dunes
2) The Pictured Rocks Coves (Hike-In)
Looking for the single best beach in Michigan? When hiking along the coves of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, you can find a handful of absolutely top-tier swimming spots. It is truly hard to overstate how great some of these swimming holes are, with sandy beaches, little cliffs and caves.
Start your hike from the Little Beaver Lake Trailhead. You can reach the coves with around a four-mile round trip hike. Consider continuing your hike to Spray Falls. Check out a map here.
A National Parks Pass is needed in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. I recommend camping near the Pictured Rocks since there are so many great beachfront campsites and smaller campgrounds on inland lakes, but if you’re looking for a bed, check out Roam Inn, Holiday Inn Munising (lakeviews) and North Coast Place.
READ: Ultimate Guide to the Pictured Rocks
3) Ludington, Michigan
South of the Sleeping Bear Dunes on the West Coast of Michigan, Ludington makes for one of the best Michigan beach destinations. Check out Ludington State Park with nearly 20 miles of hiking trails, including the lighthouse trail, which runs over miles of beach out to the Ludington Lighthouse. To camp on or near the beach, check out camping in Ludington State Park or other local camping options.
You can also check out Stearn’s Park Beach near downtown Ludington, or head south to Silver Lake State Park to play in the dunes.
4) Bete Gris Bay, Keweenaw Peninsula
In my opinion Bete Gris Beach is the best beach in Michigan, no contest. Tucked away in the far north of the Keweenaw Peninsula, Bete Gris (Frech for “Grey Beast”) and is home to singing sand. Personally though, I think this beach really shines for it’s unique topography and how isolated it is. You can drive here, but even on a Saturday in the summer you can find a slice of beach just for yourself.
The beach is surrounded by rolling hills, and though the beach itself is sandy, the surrounding shore includes a variety of rock types from sandstone to harder volcanic rocks (above left). Bete Gris beach is also the launching point for kayaking to Montreal Falls, a 12-15 mile paddle from the beach to a waterfall that tumbles directly into Lake Superior. This can be a challenging paddle, and sea kayaks with a full safety kit and deep water self rescue experience is recommended.
Alternately, consider booking a guided sea kayaking tour.
The water here is crystal clear, the beach is sandy, and it’s basically an unbeatable wilderness-adjacent beach. Check out nearby Haven Falls Park while you visit.
READ: Best Things to do in the Keweenaw Peninsula
5) The Porcupine Mountains
Michigan’s Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park is the ultimate Michigan backpacking trip, but did you know the Porkies are also home to epic Lake Superior beaches? From beachfront backcountry campsites to roadside pull offs, the Porcupine Mountains have a number of great beaches.
I make frequent day trips to the Porcupine Mountains, especially in the late summer when the water warms up. Here are some of my favorite beaches:
- Check out the public beach in Ontonagon, just outside the Porcupine Mountains
- The Porkies Roadside Park makes for a good beach stop
- The Presque Isle River Scenic Area in the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park has excellent waterfalls, unique river scenery, and beautiful beachfront.
READ: Best Things to do in the Porcupine Mountains
6) The Crystal River
If you’re looking for an adventure filled with swimming holes and little hidden beaches and coves, check out kayaking the Crystal River in Glen Arbor, Michigan. The District in Glen Arbor offers shuttles and kayak rentals.
This is a beginner-friendly paddle, especially if you have previous paddling experience, so slow down and enjoy the ride! Here, the Crystal River lives up to it’s name with clear blue water, interesting wildlife and scenery. After a long day on the water, consider heading to Traverse City and checking out a Wine and Beer Tour.
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7) Torch Lake
With so many Great Lakes beaches to enjoy, Michigan’s many inland lakes often get overlooked. For one of the best lakes with crystal clear water, check out Torch Lake, Michigan.
There’s a lot of private land around Torch Lake, but there are a number of public access points, and if you can get out to the sandbar on a boat it’s worth the trip. Beyond Torch Lake, the Chain of Lakes nearby has a number of beaches, paddling routes and more.
READ: Ultimate Guide to Torch Lake, Michigan
8) Saugatauck
For 13 miles of hiking trails, sand dunes and beachfront, head out to Saugatuck Dunes State Park. Beyond the beach, the adorable beach town of Saugatauck is worth a visit in itself, and be sure to check out the Saugatuck wine trail.
9) Highway 2, Sand Dunes Beach
If you’ve ever driven across the Upper Peninsula, you’ve likely become acquainted with two particularly lovely stretches of beach. The first is the Sand Dunes Beach off Highway 2 as you start to head east after the Mackinac Bridge. This beach is a quick pull off for a picnic and a dip on your journey across the Upper Peninsula. Alternately, there’s a number of State Forest Campgrounds in the area that are worth basecamping at.
Many of these are first-come, first-serve sites, but a lot of them are really top-tier. I recommend heading up with a game plan to check out a few sites and campgrounds until you find your home for the night.
READ: Best Hiking Sandals
10) Au Train Beach
The other incredible roadside beach you may be familiar with as you drive across the Upper Peninsula is the stretch of beaches between Munising and Marquette. Specifically, Scott Falls Roadside Park (and beach), Au Train Beach and other Roadside Parks.
11) Petoskey, Michigan
Petoskey, Michigan is an adorable harbor town located on Lake Michigan with cozy shopping, coffee shops, bookstores and of course, great beaches. Petoskey is perhaps best known for the Petoskey stone, a unique stone of fossilized coral that you can find in the region on Michigan beaches or even along dirt roads.
My favorite beaches near Petoskey include…
- Petoskey State Park: Great for swimming and hiking, but you’re unlikely to find Petoskey stones here due to the amount of visitors looking for exactly that; it tends to be a little picked over.
- Roadside Park: Pullout south of Petoskey, good for Petoskey stones and a quick beach stop
- Michigan Beach Park: Main beach in Charlevoix, MI
- Fisherman’s Island State Park: Very close to industrial area, but good pickings for Petoskey stones if you’re willing to walk.
Petoskey has a lot of really cool places to stay both downtown and near the water. I recommend looking into Apple Tree Inn, Bay View Inn, The Perry Hotel, and the Inn at Bay Harbor.
How & Where to find Petoskey Stones on Michigan Beaches:
To find Petoskey Stones, start by keeping your eyes peeled for a honeycomb pattern. You can find these unique fossilized coral stones from Traverse City north to Wilderness State Park roughly speaking. For beaches, spring after the thaw tends to churn up new stones that were previously farther out in the lake. Beyond the beaches, you can sometimes find these stones on dirt roads, but they won’t be lake-polished; Lake Michigan acts as a natural rock tumbler!
12) Great Sand Bay, Keweenaw Peninsula
Honestly the Keweenaw Peninsula is wildly underrated for Michigan Beaches. It might seem far from everything, but with that distance comes the rare chance to walk a beach for yourself, and the mix of sandy beaches with rocky shores makes for really stunning scenery.
Great Sand Bay beach faces Northwest (ish, more west) and can be accessed at a few points through stairs down to the beach or stairs from scenic pullouts above. This is a long and winding sand beach and the perfect spot to watch the sunset over Lake Superior. On a June weekend around 3pm, I had this beach entirely to myself, and found what I think were wolf prints — large, deep claws, and walking in a straight line without any human prints — in the sand.
READ: Ultimate Upper Peninsula Road Trip
13) Lake Huron Beaches
While I personally gravitate toward Lake Michigan and Lake Superior, Lake Huron also has a number of public beaches to choose from. Check out…
What to pack for a Michigan Beach vacation:
Michigan beach days can range from a casual roadside pull off, to a picnic, to a full hike-in adventure. Here are a few quick essentials for your beach trip:
- Shorts: I like a quick dry pair with a built-in belt and a elastic waist, swim-friendly pair
- A UPF sun hoodie
- A solid day hiking pack
- Hiking sandals like Bedrocks (designed for paddling guides and paddling guide (me) approved)
- Packable beach towel or blanket
- Sunscreen
- Binoculars for watching wildlife
- A swimsuit
- An America the Beautiful Pass
Love reading about the best beaches in Michigan? Continue exploring?
- Check out the best backpacking trails in the Midwest
- Read about 27 bucket-list Michigan hiking trails
- Plan a trip to cozy and coastal Traverse City, Michigan
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