Grand Mere State Park
Stevensville, MI
Grand Mere State Park near Stevensville protects about two miles of Lake Michigan beach that you can only reach on foot over the dunes. There's no beach house, no lifeguards, and no big lot at the water. Three small inland lakes sit behind the dunes, and the park is a favorite with dog owners and birders.
Two miles of beach that rarely feel crowded, though you earn every step of it over the dunes.
How we score beachesPack light. The walk in crosses loose dune sand, and whatever you carry in, you're carrying back out uphill.
Walk-in beach access is free; parking is at trailheads off Thornton Drive rather than at the beach.
Reaching the beach means hiking over steep, soft sand dunes; not suitable for wheelchairs or strollers.
Summer brings warm water and very few people compared to Warren Dunes. Spring and fall migration make it a strong birding stop.
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.