Cross Village Beach Park
Cross Village, MI
Cross Village Beach Park sits at the north end of M-119's Tunnel of Trees, below the tiny village of Cross Village. It's a township beach with a boat launch and a quiet, rocky-sand shore. The famous Legs Inn, a Polish restaurant built of stone and driftwood, is a short walk up the hill.
A great stop on a scenic drive, though the beach itself is small and rocky.
How we score beachesDrive the Tunnel of Trees from Harbor Springs, have lunch at Legs Inn, then walk down to the beach.
A small free lot at the beach; spaces are limited.
A short walk from the lot to the shore.
The Tunnel of Trees peaks in fall color, usually early to mid October. On summer afternoons the beach is quiet, with mostly locals launching small boats.
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.