Lake Michigan, its beaches, and its cities are top destinations each summer. Grand Haven, Saugatuck, and Ludington are all popular locations to visit. The east side of the state shouldn’t be ignored though. Its cities and beaches are equally beautiful and worth visiting. Below are the top Lake Huron beaches.
Oscoda Beach Park in Oscoda
Oscoda Beach Park has almost too many features and amenities to list. First, the beach is wheelchair accessible to the shoreline. Second, it has a beautiful boardwalk. Third, Oscoda Beach Park is family friendly with playgrounds, basketball courts, a skateboard park, and more. Fourth, it has an excellent pavilion and picnic area with grills.
The city of Oscoda is in Northern Michigan and roughly 3 hours from Detroit and 3.5 hours from Grand Rapids making it an excellent weekend getaway location too. Learn more about exciting activities to explore in Oscoda here.
If you’re in Oscoda, check out Three-Mile Beach Park too!
Albert Sleeper State Park in Caseville
If you’re traveling near the tip of The Thumb, Sleeper State Park is a must-visit. One of the unique features of this beach is you can watch both the sunrise and sunset; not something you can do from many Michigan beaches! The beach is half a mile long stretching along Lake Huron’s Saginaw Bay. The beach area which includes a beach house and picnic area is easily accessible via an overpass bridge. If you are looking to host an event in the area, there is also a commercial kitchen and dining hall available for rent.
Hoeft State Park in Rogers City
The Rogers City Stake Park has over a mile of sandy beaches to squish your toes into. If you don’t like the idea of the sand, Hoeft State Park has nearly 5 miles of hiking trails to explore, which are cleared in the winter too! For some entertainment, you can see a lot of the Great Lakes shipping traffic from the beach. A plus about Hoeft State Park, the beach tends to be less crowded, which can be a plus!
Rogers City is a fun place to explore by bike so bring yours along and travel along the Huron Sunrise Trail if you are staying in the area. You can also walk the Bicentennial Pathway to see the marvelous Ocqueoc Falls.
If you have kids, Rogers City Lakeside Beach is worth a visit.
Mich-E-Ke-Wis Park in Alpena
Mich-E-Ke-Wis Park is best known for its sandbar. It is the perfect place to go swimming out to the sandbar and also is a popular place to paddleboard or canoe. Outside of the beach area, the park is loaded with activities including a volleyball park, horseshoe pit, BMX bike park, and more! There is also a park shelter building that can be used for events.
Alpena is the second most populated city in Northern Michigan after Traverse City, so it is a little more built out than some of the smaller city locations on our list. Due to this, there are a ton of attractions beyond the beach that are sure to please everyone in your family.
Lexington State Harbor Beach in Lexington
North of Port Huron, Lexington State Harbor is a quick drive from Detroit. Lexington is a quaint and walkable beach front town with everything you need. The beach is easily accessible from anywhere in the city and has a walkable pier and a playground for the kids when they need a break from the sand. It has a boat launch and is perfect for fishing if that is your thing. You can even use the fish cleaning station at the beach.