Best Beaches on Sandy Southern Lake Michigan
The best of the best can be found along the 20-mile stretch of highway – Red Arrow Highway – that connected Michigan to Chicago before the days of the interstate freeway. All of these beaches are accessible from Interstate 94.
Silver Beach County Park
St. Joseph, Michigan
Take Interstate 94 East to Exit 23. Take M-63 into St. Joseph. Turn west on Broad Street and follow the signs to the beach. Open May through October, daily 5 a.m. to sunset.
This popular white-sand beach stretches for nearly a half-mile along clear, blue Lake Michigan below the Lake Street bluff and historic downtown St. Joseph. It’s a destination that draws all ages, with a large playground area, beach volleyball tournaments, food concessions, bike racks and scrupulously clean bathhouses. You can even order a pizza from your cell phone and have it delivered right to your blanket! Parking’s no problem: Most locals walk to the beach, leaving visitors to use the 600-spot parking lot. There’s a small entrance fee-per-car to use the lot, and seasonal parking passes are also available. For more information, call 269-982-0533.
Weko Beach
Bridgman, Michigan.
Take Interstate 94 to Exit 16. North on Red Arrow Highway to Lake Street. West on Lake Street to the Beach. Open May through October, 6:30 a.m. to sunset.
This lovely little gem of a beach, with its historic waterfront Beach House, towering twin dunes, boardwalks and nature trails, is a favorite with families. More than 900 feet of clean, natural-sand beach surrounds the modernized two-story, city-owned Beach House and its wrap-around decking for outdoor eating. There’s playground equipment for the youngsters and lots of camping area for those who want to stretch their weekend get-away into a week or two. The beach also sports a boat launch, volleyball nets, and a nightly performance of “Taps” as the sun sets over Lake Michigan. For fee and day-pass information call 269-465-3406 or visit www.bridgman.org/parks.html.
Warren Dunes State Park
Sawyer, Michigan
Take Interstate 94 to Exit 12. West on Sawyer Road to Red Arrow Highway, then north to the park entrance. Open year-round, daily, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
With nearly 2,000 acres of prime lakefront beachfront, campgrounds, nature trails and forested dunelands, Warren Dunes draws land-locked out-of-towners like a magnet each summer. In addition to the sprawling, clean, white-sand beach, the property is characterized by the towering 250-feet-high dunes that are favorites with hikers and parasailers. The site also includes grills, picnic tables, two modern walk-up concession stands, lots of clean restrooms, a beach equipment store, umbrella rentals, indoor and outdoor showers and ample patio space on two verandas. Entrance and camping fees apply. For current information, call 269-426-4013 or visit http://www.goswm.com/go_htm/southwest_michigan_parks/warren_dunes_state_park/warren_dunes_state_park.htm.
New Buffalo Beach Park
New Buffalo, Michigan
Take Interstate 94 to Exit 1. Turn west onto LaPorte Road which become Whittaker Road in New Buffalo. Follow the road to the lake and the beach gate. Open May-October, daily 8 a.m. to dusk.
This lovely beach at the confluence of the Galien River and Lake Michigan was long the summer fishing camp of the Potawatomi Indians, who gathered wild rice from the nearby marshes and drew huge sturgeon from the cold Lake Michigan waters. Today, it’s a favorite meeting place of vacationers and summer home-owners who love the idea that they can walk to the beach through the tiny city’s streets lined with quaint shops and eateries. Lifeguards are on duty all summer, and there’s a park patrol for land and water as well. Families enjoy the playground equipment and on-beach concession stand. There’s a parking fee but walk-ins are free. For more information, contact the Harbor Country Chamber of Commerce at 269-469-5409 or visit http://www.harborcountry.org/newbuffalo.
