Little Presque Isle
Marquette, MI
Little Presque Isle is a state forest recreation area about 15 minutes northwest of Marquette off County Road 550, where a sandy beach looks out at a small rocky island just offshore. Sandstone ledges line the shore, and trails run north through the woods. It's a favorite of Marquette locals for evening swims.
Marquette's favorite evening beach, with an island view and sandstone shoreline, though the tiny lot means parking on the road on busy nights.
How we score beachesCome for an evening swim. The sun sets over the lake and the island glows.
A small lot off County Road 550.
A short trail leads from the lot to the beach.
A week of hot weather in late July is what it takes for the shallows here to feel swimmable. The trails north toward Sugarloaf Mountain are prime for fall color.
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.