Summer is here in Michigan and the weather makes it a great time to start planning a trip to the beach.
Michigan has more than 3,200 miles of shoreline, and features beaches along the Great Lakes and inland rivers and lakes, Pure Michigan says.
If you’re looking to head to the beach this season, the USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards ranked the 10 best in Michigan. The top 10 are along the shores of Lake Michigan on the west side of the state, including a national lakeshore, and along Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula’s Keweenaw Peninsula.
“With shoreline on four of the five Great Lakes, Michigan offers visitors hundreds of miles of family-friendly freshwater beaches, perfect for summer vacation. From spectacular sunsets to awe-inspiring dunes, there’s a beach for every taste,” USA TODAY’s 10BEST website says.
Here’s a look at Michigan’s 10BEST beaches.
No. 1: First Street Beach in Manistee
The beach features sandy shores along Lake Michigan in a family-friendly setting. The surrounding Douglas Park offers baseball and softball diamonds, picnic areas and charcoal grills, basketball courts, tennis courts and a fenced dog park.
First Street Beach was ranked No. 1 in 2024 as well.
How far from Battle Creek: Just over three hours’ drive
No. 2: Pere Marquette Park in Muskegon
Set on 2.5 miles of sandy Lake Michigan shoreline, this park offers volleyball courts, a scenic walking path, adventure sports like kite boarding, picnic tables, The Deck with live music and two historic lighthouses.
Pere Marquette beach ranked 6th a year ago.
How far from Battle Creek: Just under 2 hours’ drive
No. 3: Silver Beach County Park in St. Joseph
Located along the Lake Michigan shoreline in southwest Michigan, this park provides public swimming, a concession stand, kayak and paddleboard rentals, and beach volleyball, access to the South Pier, picnic tables, playgrounds and grills.
Silver Beach ranked third in 2024.
How far from Battle Creek: Just a little over an hour by vehicle
No. 4: Stearns Park Beach in Ludington
This tranquil Lake Michigan beach features swimming, a playground, concession stands, a sandy shoreline, picnic tables, grills, accessible walkways and facilities, popular for sunset views and celebrations like beach weddings and family reunions.
Stearns Park ranked second in 2024.
How far from Battle Creek: Just about 2 1/2 hours’ drive
No. 5: South Beach in South Haven
A trip to this ADA-accessible Lake Michigan beach offers swimming along the sandy shores, a playground, a lighthouse, picnic area, grills and concession stand.
South Beach was the fifth-ranked beach in 2024.
How far from Battle Creek: Just over an hour’s drive
No. 6: Hunter’s Point Park in Copper Harbor
At the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula, this 9.4-acre park features trails and a unique red pebble beach along the shores of Lake Superior, with opportunities for bird watching, hiking, photography and biking.
Hunter’s Point was the No. 4 beach a year ago.
How far from Battle Creek: Sorry, that’s in the UP and it would be a long drive (about 4 hours to St. Ignace, then about 5 hours to Copper Harbor)
No. 7: Silver Lake Sand Dunes Beach in Hart
On the Lake Michigan coast, this secluded beach includes about 2,000 acres of natural sand dunes, popular for swimming, boating, fishing, using dune buggies and off-road vehicles, with a lighthouse nearby.
How far from Battle Creek: About a 2 1/2 hour-drive.
No. 8: Oval Beach in Saugatuck
On the shores of Lake Michigan in this popular tourist town, the beach features rolling sand dunes and sandy shores with a concession stand and restrooms, perfect for swimming, sunbathing, sailing and more, with scenic trails offering hiking.
Oval Beach ranked 7th in 2024.
How far from Battle Creek: Just a little over a 1 1/2 hour-drive
No. 9: Grand Haven City Beach in Grand Haven
The sandy beach lines the coast of Lake Michigan in this tourist town, with a boardwalk and iconic lighthouse with scenic sunset views, great for swimming, building sandcastles and sunbathing, surrounded by nearby restaurants and ice cream shops.
How far from Battle Creek: About an hour and 50 minutes by vehicle
No. 10: Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Empire
This national lakeshore runs along 35 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline in northwest Michigan, a popular tourist attraction drawing in over 1.5 million visitors annually. The lakeshore features expansive a lighthouse, sand dunes, forests, sandy beaches, campgrounds, trails for hiking and biking, a historic farm district and coastal village and the Manitou Islands.
Sleeping Bears Dunes ranked 10th in 2024.
How far from Battle Creek: About a 3 1/2-hour drive
Where are the nation’s best beach bars?
The 10BEST awards ranked the following top 10 beach bars in the nation:
Where else were beaches ranked?
The awards also included the 10 best beaches in the following states:
Contact Jenna Prestininzi: jprestininzi@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Planning a beach trip? Here are 10 Michigan beaches worth checking out this summer
Reporting by Jenna Prestininzi and Rhonda Clark, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
