Northern Michigan Beaches: Pick your perfect beach in the Petoskey and Harbor Springs area! From the remote to the right-down-town, these Northern Michigan beaches all have the power to soothe the soul and restore a sense of peace to the most hectic of summer vacations. Use the MyNorth guide to the Petoskey area to plan your own perfect beach day. Satisfaction guaranteed.
A visit to Petoskey State Park —a wildly beautiful oasis of dune, forest and crystalline bay water—is a must for beach and nature lovers. Although just minutes from downtown Petoskey and Harbor Springs, the park’s dune-backed beaches feel miles from anywhere. Pick your own quiet spot in the sun or stroll the shoreline on a photo-safari search for Michigan’s protected Pitcher’s thistle plant, which grows only on Great Lakes coasts. You’ll find forest hiking trails and campsites galore behind the beach.
The swimming is perfect and smack-dab downtown at Harbor Springs’ Zorn Park . The small beach, which boasts a floating raft at the far end of the designated swimming area, a petite playground and, often, life- guards, is a great spot for families.
Looking to cast away farther North? Just five miles north of Cross Village is Sturgeon Bay Dunes an infinitely sublime but little-visited haven you likely won’t have to share with anyone except the resident piping plovers.
This inland lake's meandering shoreline is almost ridiculously picturesque with its collection of rustic cabins and pine trees. Crooked Lake is part of the Indland Waterway, which runs from Petoskey to Cheboygan. This summer head to the Conway township park--a perfect place for a picnic on the shores of Crooked Lake.
Just a short walk from downtown Boyne City, this peaceful municipal beach offers perfect views of Lake Charlevoix, one of Northern Michigan's largest and striking indland lakes. Ideal for families, Peninsula Beach offers playground equipment, picnic tables, restroom facilities and ample paved parking.
Find your own secret Northern Michigan oasis in this remote nature preserve. Just north of Harbor Springs on M-119, Thorne Swift Nature Preserve begins with a short woodland hike which ends at 300 glorious feet of Lake Michigan beach. On a clear day, you can see Beaver Island and Charlevoix, as well as the dunes.