Holland State Park
Holland, MI
Holland State Park sits on the north side of the channel where Lake Macatawa empties into Lake Michigan, and every photo from here includes Big Red, the Holland Harbor lighthouse, across the water. The beach is wide and flat. It's one of the most visited state parks in Michigan, and Ottawa Beach Road shows it on summer afternoons.
The Big Red view never gets old, but the traffic on a summer Saturday makes locals think twice.
How we score beachesFor the classic Big Red shot, stand near the north pier at golden hour. The lighthouse itself sits on the south side and is reached from the Macatawa side, not this beach.
A Michigan Recreation Passport (or a nonresident pass) is required; the beach lot fills by late morning on summer weekends and cars back up on Ottawa Beach Road.
The lot sits right behind the beach, with a short, flat walk onto the sand.
Warm, busy, and loud in July and August. Winter gales pile ice on the pier and the channel walls, which draws photographers but should never be walked on.
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