I am hesitant to divulge this location but its too beautiful not to share. This is one of the best…read morefresh water beaches in Michigan, in my opine, you will experience. A hidden gem to most but once you arrive at this location you will be left wondering why it took you so long to figure it out. Enjoy the small inland body of water, North Bar Lake, or cross the dune to Lake Michigan for much grander scenery. You could literally walk a mile down the beach and stake out exclusive real estate. Pack a full cooler and make a day out of it. The gas station as you enter town is the only place to stock up supplies. Get there before 11 am and grab a parking spot as it fills up pretty quick after noon. This simple equation will equal a successful day. The secret is out and I provided an address that gets you to the doorstep. The rest is up to you.

Beautiful lake and beach. Natural beauty part of Sleeping Bear Scenic route. We had a great picnic…read morelunch in the picnic area in the shade. Definitely worth a visit. Can't wait to bring family back.

Sleeping Bear Dunes is a must if you are nearby! There are beaches that are free to enter, but to…read morego into the actual park and see the big dunes, you have to pay $20 per car, or you can get in with a National Parks pass. Most of it is drivable once you're in, and you can park your car off to the side of the road and view multiple different overlooks. The dunes are huge I was surprised. They're much bigger than I am used to seeing at Indiana Dunes! We stopped at the Lake Michigan overlook. There's a parking lot with plenty of parking. To get up to the overlook, you'll have to walk up a smallish sand dune. It's easier if you take your shoes off. Once you get up, there's super steep dunes that many people attempt to go all the way down then climb up on all fours. It's extremely hard to get back up!! Walking through sand is not easy. There's even a sign that warns you of the dangers of doing so and the damage it does to the dunes. There was a firetruck and ambulance on sight ready to rescue anyone.

Amazing views. You're walking up hills in sand so wear appropriate shoes (I went barefoot) Very…read morelittle shade so wear sunscreen.

The most breathtaking lake in the world...sugar sand bottom, crystal clear waters, relatively…read moreunspoiled, and nestled into the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes. I double dog dare you to find a prettier lake. I'm telling you, it just doesn't exist!

The best lake in all of Michigan it's like being in the Bahamas but up north. The water is crazy…read moreclear and blue with sandy beaches amazing sand bars to relax and beautiful scenery all around dunes and big green trees! My all time favorite spot to come too annually.

The Mitten definitely has some beautiful beaches, and Otter Creek Beach is no exception. Thanks to…read moreYelp, I was made privy to this secret beach...and it was put on my to-do checklist for my up-north roadtrip. Thankfully, Mr. GPS knew where this beach is because I would have gotten so confused as we drove further and further into the woods. (that's what I love about up north beaches; you travel through woods and woods and then there is this perfect sandy beach) My guy and I grabbed the beach chairs, the dogs and a beach umbrella (for my pale ass) and marched the perfect waterfront location. The secret maybe out about this place, but not really "out" out. There was still plenty of room to roam about, enjoy the beach and get toasty. The water was cold but the sun was not. Whatevs...blue water, hot sand, a lovey day; what is there not to love? Of course, the dogs loved it as well. A cool tidbit: this beach sits where a 'lost' town once sat. You can read about the town of Aral at the entrance by the bathroom. Ahhh, the Pleasant Peninsula...what an amazing state!

Super nice beach with chilly water. Very family friendly. There's a spring feeding water so you get…read morethat chilly spring water out of otter creek.

This is a nice little park with a lovely view and beach space. There are two playground spaces, a…read morelittle lighthouse (possibly just decorative, but it was cute and added to the scenery), basketball and volleyball courts, and a boat launch. Restrooms are available, and there are parking lots (for a fee). Benches and picnic tables are also available. The playground we opted to check out was set right in the sand and was much enjoyed.

We took a trip from traverse city to check out the dunes & this was the closest beach we had found…read more We came in May and there was literally no one there. It was peaceful! Water was clear and we found so many rocks. It had two playgrounds and a shallow side on the opposite side of the lake. Although, the water was shallow enough for my two year old to play in on the actually Lake Michigan side. We loved this beach so much!! Parking is $1 an hour. Bathrooms on site as well

Be prepared to feel the pain of the climb. The view from the top is breathtaking! I recommend…read moretaking it slow and steady. My kids ran up and down the dune. Additional scenic views if you climb the second dune. Plenty of parking. Bring your own water. Note: This is not the newsworthy dune climb that costs thousands of dollars to be rescued. This is the dedicated dune climb for visitors to enjoy.

I made it through the entire walkthrough and back! No need to pay that $3,000 SOS fee. Overall,…read morethis climb and walk was definitely a challenge that I was not prepared for. I recommend if you come here you do this barefoot but you might step on a few things like what I did but thankfully it didn't completely slice my foot open. I personally think it was harder going up the mountain starting to course to the beach but it was a little bit more easier on the way back. I just followed the markers. There are 28 of them ( technically 27 but I consider the beach 28) you will be going through tons of inclines and decline through sand! I highly recommend drinking water the entire time. Thankfully it did not rain throughout my walk but I would imagine it would make this a lot more harder to get through. It took me about an hour to get one way and about 50 minutes heading back. If you're just try going to the top of that mountain and if that was a giant challenge I highly recommend not following that trail.

Was charged $497 for 6 hours of boating time then, the next day they ran an unauthorized…read moretransaction of $48. Boat was left clean and gas filled up.

The boat was perfect and Doug even provided a cooler with ice! The boat was stocked with all the…read moresafety gear and even some fun equipment. Thank you Doug for making sure we had a good time!

This is one of the most magnificent beaches in Michigan. It's easy to get to. It's clean and it's…read morenot well known so it's not crowded. Definitely worth the trip when you're up in Northport.

This beach has spectacular views and for the most part, pristine water! In addition to this,…read morethere's plenty of rocks all around the shoreline. My only complaint about this beach would have to be the terrible smell. If you stray away from the shoreline (which you probably will to set up a parasol and a beach towel) by the bluffs it smells so so bad. At first I thought it was dog crap but with further inspection, it smells that way all over the beach honestly. I recommend you spend most of your time scavenging for rocks and swimming instead of sitting around by the smelly cliffs.

This Pyramid Point Overlook has such a colorful setting here on the banks of Sleeping Bear Dunes…read moreNational Lakeshore. I really admired the surroundings and simply looking down upon Lake Michigan's beautiful sand and beaches. Pyramid Point Trail was recommended to me by the park ranger at the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center back in the town of Empire, MI. It's a casual 1/2-mile climb to arrive at this observation point. Though...you can hike a 2.7-mile round trip loop around the lakeshores to get a more real feel perspective of being here at Sleeping Bear Dunes rather than just heading straight for this Pyramid Point vista spot. I visited on a random Tuesday back in late May 2021 around 12pm and had the trail and observation point all to myself. So, from high above the waters I was able to hear the waves crashing down below. It was quite nice, and I genuinely appreciated the ambiance. And...I couldn't believe how scenic the turquoise green colors of Lake Michigan appeared especially when highlighted by the sun's strong reflections. Btw...while exploring at Sleeping Bear Dunes I also recommend hiking Empire Bluff Trail and driving the 7.5-mile Pierce Stocking Drive on the outskirts of Lake Michigan. And when traveling along Pierce Stocking Drive, my favorite pullovers were stop numbers 9, 10, 11 to capture the best backdrops for what makes the lakeshore special. Also, don't forget trekking up the 3.5-mile roundtrip Dune Climb to access the beach shores of Lake Michigan. Finally, this Pyramid Point Overlook and Trail was my last full activity here at Sleeping Bear Dubes NL. The crisp, clear background scenery was a terrific way to end my explorations in the Lower Peninsula section of Michigan before venturing further north towards the "UP" driving "Shipwreck Coast" and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore before ultimately ending at Isle Royale National Park. But...I highly suggest hiking the 1/2-mile (each way) Pyramid Point Trail to arrive at this visually appealing overlook!

Fabulous experience that is well-worth visiting. Hiked through the wooded area to eventually see an…read moreoverview of Lake Michigan. A must visit!

Beautiful sandy beach on Lake Michigan with free parking behind Van's garage. It's one of the…read moreeasiest places to hunt for Leland blues. Lots of other rockhounds; everyone was really friendly. We found a few pea-sized stones and were satisfied. The water is about 50 degrees in June, but there some sunbathers and even a few brave souls past knee-deep.

Van's is a great beach off Lake Michigan in Leland perfect for relaxing, swimming, taking in the…read moresunset, or, as we saw others doing, enjoying water sports like surfing and paragliding (can't speak to this directly as I have no skills in either sport but the people who were saw doing it seemed to be very happy there!). It's right near downtown Leland so parking can be a bit sticky but if you're staying in town or spending the day here it's an easy walk from the most bustling parts of this wonderful little town!