Kirk Park
Grand Haven, MI
Kirk Park is an Ottawa County park on Lakeshore Drive south of Grand Haven, best known for its off-leash dog beach. The main beach is wide and sandy, and a wooded path through the dunes connects it to the lot. On summer weekends you'll see dogs from all over West Michigan racing into the surf.
The off-leash beach is a big deal for dog owners, but the lot fills on summer weekends.
How we score beachesTowel the dog off before the walk back. The dune path is sandy, and the car will thank you.
Ottawa County charges a daily parking fee from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.
A wooded path leads from the lot through the dunes to the beach.
Dogs are allowed off leash in the designated dog beach area.
Summer mornings are prime dog time, before the sand heats up. Fall is quiet and cool, perfect for a long walk.
More Great Lakes beaches

Sleeping Bear Dunes Beach
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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
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Warren Dunes State Park
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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.
