McCarty's Cove
Marquette, MI
McCarty's Cove is Marquette's favorite in-town beach, a sandy crescent on Lakeshore Boulevard just north of the red Marquette Harbor Lighthouse. It's lifeguarded in summer. The Coast Guard station and lighthouse sit on the point at the south end, and the multi-use path along the lake runs right behind the sand.
Marquette's classic beach with a lighthouse and lifeguards, though it's packed on the few truly hot days.
How we score beachesSwim only when the lifeguards are on duty and the flags are green. Lake Superior currents change fast here.
Parking along Lakeshore Boulevard and in the small lot by the beach; it fills on hot afternoons.
The lakeshore path runs right behind the beach, with a short walk onto the sand.
Lifeguards are on duty in the summer season. On a rare 85 degree day, it feels like all of Marquette is here.
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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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.
