Kruse Park
Muskegon, MI
Kruse Park is a 52 acre Muskegon city park south of Pere Marquette, with about a mile of Lake Michigan beach, accessible dune walks, and overlooks. There's a playground, a basketball court, and four picnic shelters. It's quieter than the big city beach up the road.
Quiet, with good trails and overlooks, though erosion has shrunk the beach and closed the dog area.
How we score beachesUse the accessible dune overlook if you want the view without the sand climb. It's one of the easier lake views in the area.
A large lot at the park rarely fills the way Pere Marquette's does.
Accessible dune walks and overlooks; the beach itself is reached by sandy paths.
The northern dog-beach section has been closed due to erosion; check current status before bringing a dog.
High lake levels in recent years have eroded the shoreline, so the beach can be narrower than you'd expect. Fall storm watching from the overlooks is worth a trip.
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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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
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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.