Lake Street Beach
Gary, IN
Lake Street Beach, at 860 North Lake Street, is Gary's lifeguarded neighborhood beach at the heart of Miller Beach, a few blocks from the neighborhood's cafes and galleries. Lifeguards are on duty 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Walk west from here to reach the quiet sands of Miller Woods Beach.
A guarded, walkable neighborhood beach in artsy Miller, though parking fills on hot weekends.
How we score beachesGrab coffee or lunch on Lake Street in Miller before heading to the sand.
Parking at the beach lot.
A short walk from the lot to the sand.
The beach is open dawn to dusk from Memorial Day to Labor Day, with lifeguards 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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.
