Split Rock River Beach
Two Harbors, MN
Split Rock River Beach is the pebble beach at the mouth of the Split Rock River along Highway 61, at the start of the popular Split Rock River Loop on the Superior Hiking Trail. The loop climbs past waterfalls and the split-rock formation the river is named for, then returns to the lake.
A pebble river mouth at one of the best short hikes on the shore, though the beach itself is a small stop.
How we score beachesHike the five mile Split Rock River Loop, then cool your feet in the lake at the river mouth.
A wayside lot at the Split Rock River trailhead.
A short walk from the lot to the river mouth.
The loop's waterfalls run hardest in May snowmelt, and the trailhead lot fills on summer weekends. The river mouth is a quiet spot to finish a hike on a cool evening.
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.
