Muskallonge Lake State Park
Deer Park, MI
Muskallonge Lake State Park sits on the narrow strip of land between Muskallonge Lake and Lake Superior, on the site of the old lumber town of Deer Park. A long stairway and a gentler path from the picnic pull-off lead to the Lake Superior beach, a favorite for agate hunting on the Shipwreck Coast.
Warm inland-lake swimming and Lake Superior agates in one park, the catch is a long drive on H-58 to get there.
How we score beachesSwim in warm Muskallonge Lake and hunt agates on the Lake Superior side, all in one visit.
A Michigan Recreation Passport (or nonresident pass) is required.
A long stairway and a more accessible path from the picnic pull-off lead to the Lake Superior beach.
Muskallonge Lake warms up in summer while Lake Superior stays cold. Fall storms bring the best agate hunting.
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.
