Arcadia Beach
Arcadia, MI
Arcadia Beach is the small public beach in the village of Arcadia, about 15 miles north of Manistee near the Arcadia Dunes. It has a sandy shore, picnic tables, grills, a playground, and restrooms. It's a quiet stop on M-22 that most people drive right past on the way to Frankfort.
Quiet and well equipped for a small village beach, though there's not much else here.
How we score beachesStop at the Inspiration Point overlook on M-22 just north of town first. It's one of the best views on the whole coast.
A small lot at the beach.
The lot sits close to the sand, with a short walk.
The water warms up in July, and the beach stays quiet all summer. Fall color on the dunes around Arcadia is stunning.
More Great Lakes beaches
Sleeping Bear Dunes Beach
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Freshwater Lake Michigan surf below towering sand dunes, some over 400 feet tall, with water clear enough to rival a coastline and a hike back up the dune to burn it off.
New Buffalo City Beach
New Buffalo, MI · Great Lakes
New Buffalo City Beach is the first real Lake Michigan beach you hit crossing from Indiana, a wide stretch of sand at the end of Whittaker Street beside the harbor and the Galien River channel. Chicago weekenders fill it in summer. The town's shops and restaurants are a five minute walk back up the street.
Warren Dunes State Park
Sawyer, MI · Great Lakes
Warren Dunes State Park in Sawyer has roughly three miles of Lake Michigan shoreline and some of the tallest dunes in southwest Michigan. Tower Hill rises about 260 feet above the lake, and climbing it and running back down is a rite of passage. On a hot July Saturday the beach feels like a small city.