Haserot Beach
Old Mission, MI
Haserot Beach is a small township park on Old Mission Harbor, about 20 miles north of Traverse City on the Old Mission Peninsula. The harbor is protected, the water is shallow and clear, and boats bob at anchor just offshore. There's a playground, restrooms, and a boat launch.
Calm, clear water in a beautiful harbor, though the lot is small.
How we score beachesPair it with a winery stop on the drive up the peninsula. The beach is a perfect end to a tasting afternoon.
A small lot at the park.
A short walk from the lot to the sand.
The sheltered harbor warms up by early July. In fall, the peninsula's vineyards and orchards make the drive worth it.
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.