Main Street Beach
Vermilion, OH
Main Street Beach sits at the north end of Main Street in Vermilion's historic harbor district, a small sandy beach with a concession stand and a kayak launch. The replica Vermilion Lighthouse stands nearby at the river mouth. Downtown's shops and restaurants are a short walk away.
A charming harbor beach steps from downtown Vermilion, though there is only room for a handful of towels.
How we score beachesGrab ice cream in downtown Vermilion and eat it on the beach.
Street parking in downtown Vermilion.
A short walk from Main Street to the sand.
On summer evenings families fill the little beach after dinner downtown. In fall, the harbor district is quiet and the lighthouse is lit against early sunsets.
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
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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.