Iron Ore Bay
Beaver Island, MI
Iron Ore Bay is a long, secluded sand beach on the south end of Beaver Island, the largest island in Lake Michigan. Getting here means a ferry from Charlevoix to St. James and then a drive the length of the island on mostly gravel roads. What you find is clear water, soft sand, and often nobody else.
About as remote and clean a beach as Lake Michigan gets, the tradeoff is a ferry ride and a long gravel drive.
How we score beachesRent a car or bring one on the ferry. The bay is a long way from St. James, and there's no shuttle.
Informal parking at the end of the road; there are outhouses you can use for changing.
A short walk from the parking area onto sand; the island's gravel roads are rough in places.
The ferry runs from spring into late fall, with the most sailings in summer. Island water stays cold into July, so the best swimming is late July and August.
More Great Lakes beaches
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