Deland Park Beach
Sheboygan, WI
Deland Park Beach is Sheboygan's flagship beach on the north side of the Sheboygan River mouth, a broad sandy shore right below downtown. Sheboygan calls itself the Malibu of the Midwest, and this is where the surfers, paddleboarders, and volleyball players gather. The Blue Harbor Resort and the lighthouse on the breakwater are across the river.
The Great Lakes' best-known surf town beach, busy and fun, though summer weekends get packed.
How we score beachesThe best surf here comes on cold, windy days in fall and spring, when strong onshore winds push swell into the shore. Watch from the breakwater even if you don't surf.
Parking along the lakefront near Deland Park.
Paved paths along the lakefront lead to the sand.
Swimmers crowd the sand in July and August. Surf season runs roughly September through April, when cold, windy days bring the best waves.
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.
