Carefree Travel Guide 2023

CAN’T-MISS BEACHES

VISIT CHARLEVOIX CHARLEVOIX In the heart of NW Michigan, Charlevoix is a favorite year-round vacation destination. Beaches are endless, open, and free to the public. VisitCharlevoix.com

Frank Krzykwa

FISHERMAN’S ISLAND STATE PARK For a unique beach camping experience, Fisherman’s Island State Park offers 80 rustic campsites with 15 nestled along the shoreline. Michigan.org/Property/Fishermans Island-State-Park

Greg Viau | Hoffmaster Beach, Norton Shores

One hundred years ago (1923), Carrie Mears donated the land that became the 50-acre Charles Mears State Park (named for her father, a local lumber baron and industrialist). Here, the Pentwater Beach stretches for about 2,000 feet north from the channel pier and lighthouse. In addition to all the fun a beach provides, the park offers a one-mile interpretive trail that winds around to Old Baldy – a well-known wooded and sand-blown dune that affords panoramic vistas. This is a pet-friendly shoreline, open to metal detecting, and adjacent to a 175-unit campground within a half-mile walk of the quaint downtown. A Recreation Passport is required for entry into the state park. In the heart of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Empire Beach sits just a block from the small downtown business district. The Robert H. Manning Memorial Lighthouse is one of the area’s most iconic structures (and one of 129 lights in Michigan, more than any other state in the country). Other amenities include a pavilion, outdoor grills, Article Contributed by Dianna Stampfler | Promote Michigan

playground, and drive-in boat launch. As a bonus, beach fires are permitted in designated fire rings, and dogs are also allowed.

Mara Palomino

GRAND HAVEN STATE PARK Enjoy a West Michigan beach day on the sandy shores of this 48-acre park. After you swim or sunbathe, wrap up the day with a stunning sunset over Lake Michigan. VisitGrandHaven.com

Lucy McClellan-Hunter

Rock hunting is a popular activity for beachgoers visiting Northern Michigan, hunting for Michigan’s elusive state stone (actually fossilized coral), the Petoskey Stone. Keep your eyes peeled for these stones, often found in Charlevoix, Petoskey, Manistee, and the Leelanau Peninsula.

KEWEENAW PENINSULA The meeting of Lake Superior and the Copper Island coastline has created an array of diverse beaches. Rocky, sandy, remote, close to town, you name it— the Upper Peninsula has it. VisitKeweenaw.com

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#WestMichigan | 2023 Carefree Travel Guide