Bete Grise Beach
Lac La Belle, MI
Bete Grise Beach sits on the Keweenaw's quiet east shore, about half an hour south of Copper Harbor. The long sand beach is known for singing sands: swirl your hand through the dry sand and it makes a faint humming sound. It's remote and uncrowded, with Mount Bohemia and the Keweenaw hills rising behind it.
Remote, sandy, and a little magical with the singing sand, though it's a long drive out.
How we score beachesTry the singing sand on a dry, sunny day. It doesn't work when the sand is damp.
Roadside parking near the beach.
Short paths over sand lead to the beach.
The east shore is sheltered from the prevailing west winds, so the water is calmer here than on the Keweenaw's west side. It's still cold, so plan on wading.
More Great Lakes beaches
Sleeping Bear Dunes Beach
Empire, MI · Great Lakes
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.