Chippewa Park Beach
Thunder Bay, ON, Canada
Chippewa Park Beach is Thunder Bay's sandy Lake Superior beach, on a bay at the city's southeast edge with a head-on view of the Sleeping Giant across the water. The park has been a local summer spot since 1921, with a small amusement park, cabins, a campground, and big grassy fields behind the sand.
A century-old family favorite with the best view of the Sleeping Giant, though the water is chilly.
How we score beachesSit on the benches at the Sleeping Giant viewing area near the flower garden at sunset.
Parking in the park off Chippewa Road.
Park paths lead to the beach from the lots.
The rides, cabins, and campground run in summer. The bay is sheltered but Superior water stays cool all season.
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.
