Leif Erikson Park Beach
Duluth, MN
Leif Erikson Park Beach sits below the Rose Garden and the Lakewalk in Duluth's east hillside, a rocky stretch of shore reached by paths down from the park. Summer brings concerts and events to the park above, while the shoreline below stays a quiet place to sit on the rocks and watch the lake.
A pretty park with lake views, though the shoreline is rocky and small.
How we score beachesWalk through the Rose Garden in July when it's in full bloom, then head down to the rocks.
Street parking along London Road and nearby side streets.
Paved Lakewalk paths run through the park; the shoreline itself is rocky.
The Rose Garden peaks in July. The state monitors water quality here during the summer season.
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
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.