A few years ago Daniel told Todd and I that one of his travel dreams is to see all of the water in the world and how it’s different. Todd and I LOVE the water and decided make this a family travel dream! When we set out to visit Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Superior, and Lake Michigan in the summer of 2016, one of the things we looked forward to most was experiencing all the beaches.
We visited over 20 beaches on the lakes and rated all of them for sand, water clarity, size, access, atmosphere, and shallow water for swimming. What follows are our top picks!
Long Point Provincial Park, Ontario
Imagine a beach that’s over a mile long, the sand is soft, there are sandbars far out into the water, shades of blue line everywhere you look, and the water is so clear you can see the ripples in the sand. Sounds like the Caribbean, right? How about the beach at Long Point Provincial Park in Ontario? Yep… it’s an awesome beach!
Long Point Provincial Park is located on a sandy piece of land that juts off into Lake Erie on the Lake’s north eastern coast. The whole area, including the nearest town, Port Rowan, has a fantastic relaxed beach vibe.
Interested in visiting Long Point? Click here to check out our full post.
Providence Bay, Ontario
No matter where we’re at in the world it seems that islands have special vibes that take us to another world. Lake Huron’s Manitoulin Island is no exception!
Providence Bay is a little town with an awesome beach located on the south shore of Manitoulin Island. The sand is soft, the water is beautiful, and the beach is about a mile long!
For those who don’t want to walk in the sand, there’s a new boardwalk along half of the beach that leads to an amazing playground. It’s a great place for families… kids have tons of fun playing while parents relax in the sun!
Interested in learning more about Providence Bay and all the other great places on Manitoulin Island? Click here to check out our full post!
Grand Marais, Michigan
Located on the south shore of Lake Superior in Michigan’s upper peninsula, Grand Marais is a little town with a beautiful beach.
The upper peninsula is known for its rocky shoreline, especially Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. There aren’t many soft sandy beaches in the area and we were really surprised when we drove up to the Grand Marais beach and found soft sand, clear water, and all kinds of beach fun!
Click here to read more about all that Michigan’s upper peninsula has to offer!
South Haven, Michigan
The South Haven beach is one of the best on the Great Lakes… it’s big, the sand is soft, the water is shallow, and it has a super fun vibe!
In addition to the beach, there’s a long pier along the channel that leads to a lighthouse. It’s a very picturesque spot.
The town of South Haven is about 5 – 10 minutes walking from the beach and includes all kinds of beautiful shops and restaurants. It’s a great place for a fun afternoon or an evening enjoying dinner and the sunset.
Interested in learning more about South Haven and other beautiful towns in the area? Click here for our full post!
Charlevoix Lake Michigan Beach, Michigan
Charlevoix Lake Michigan Beach is located at the mouth of the channel that connects Lake Charlevoix to Lake Michigan. Though the beach isn’t large, it is really beautiful and has a fun and relaxing vibe.
The location of the beach is part of the charm. The town of Charlevoix is just a quick walk up the channel and includes all kinds of shops and restaurants with beautiful views of the channel and Lake Charlevoix.
Interested in learning more about Charlevoix and the surrounding area? Click here to check out our full post!
Presque Isle, Erie, PA
Presque Isle State Park, located just west of Erie, PA, is a sandy peninsula with 13 miles of roads, 21 miles of recreational trails, and 13 beaches for swimming. We’ve been to Presque Isle multiple times and are always amazed that such a large beach is located on Lake Erie!
There is a ton to do on Presque Isle… paddle boarding, kayaking, biking, swimming, fishing, walking the beach, and overall enjoying the fun and natural setting!
Being so close to Erie, PA, visitors to Presque Isle have the opportunity to visit Erie and some other attractions in the area. Click here to check out our full post about Presque Isle and Erie, PA and learn more!
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