This is a hard list to make- do you know how many beaches are on Lake Michigan? Neither do I, but it has to be well over 100, depending on how you define a beach. Lake Michigan is the only Great Lake that's completely within the United States, and consequently it's the one I've spent the most time circumnavigating, from vacations in lower Michigan to living in the Upper Peninsula and southeast Wisconsin.

Overview

On the whole, I've been surprised by the difference been shoreline on the east and west sides of the lake. The Wisconsin side is generally a bit idyllic as far as sand goes, with a good chunk of shoreline featuring large 40-80 foot bluffs and decent sand, but sort of otherwise featureless. Getting north towards Door County, there's a mix of rockier landscapes and some pretty nice beaches, and a few dunes. The UP section is primarily forest mixed with some beachfront. Wrapping around to the lower Michigan side, you'll find some of the best stretches of continuous beach in the world, interspersed with the occasional sand dunes, all the way down to Indiana. I could make a whole list just for this side of the lake, easily, but we'll spread the love out a little bit.

The Beaches

Traverse City (mynorth.com)

1. West End Beach, Traverse City, MI

Traverse City is the focal point of a lot of Michigan and Midwestern tourism, and for good reason. It's prime wine and cherry country, features several peninsulas (Old Mission and Leelanau), inland lakes, scenic byways, and a town you're bound to fall in love with. There are too many beaches in the Leelanau area to list, but if you happen to be here, the West End Beach in Traverse City is incredibly accessible from town and gives you a lot of bang for not a lot of effort. There are usually sailboats and kitesurfers on the water, and you can easily rent a kayak or paddleboard and get on the lake yourself. After a couple hours, you have your choice of breweries and restaurants only a few blocks away.

Sand Dunes Beach (michigan-explorer.com)

2. Sand Dunes Beach, US-2 (West of St. Ignace), MI

This is an underrated spot, and almost more of a concept than a specific place. US-2 runs from St. Ignace, Michigan out to Everett, Washington. Within a couple miles of St. Ignace, it follows the northern side of Lake Michigan, where your introduction to the Upper Peninsula couldn't get any more gorgeous. There are large dunes, evergreen trees, small rock formations, and sand-covered motels that are right out of the 1960s. Stop anywhere along the highway here for great views, or just enjoy the drive. This area of the lake can get incredibly windy, and we've seen some huge waves just west of the bridge here. In comparison to other beaches on the list, this is a place for solitude (except for cars on the highway). There are other UP beaches to the west on Lake Michigan, but you're going to have to discover those for yourself!

Whitefish Dunes (onlyinyourstate.com)

3. Whitefish Dunes State Park, Door County, WI

Door County is a prime summer vacation spot, often called the Cape Cod of the Midwest. Despite this moniker, it's a bit less known for beaches than you might expect, with a significant amount of rocky shoreline that's scenic and incredible for hiking and kayak tours. However, there are a few spots with excellent beaches, and Whitefish Dunes is among the best. This state park (one of five in DC) is easy to access, just 20 minutes north of Sturgeon Bay. Next to Cave Point County Park, there are opportunities to hike and paddle, but the sweeping eastern-facing beach in front of the dunes is perfect for a summer day in cherry country.

Sleeping Bear Dunes (mynorth.com)

4. Sleeping Bear Dunes Beach, Glen Arbor, MI

Just to the west of Traverse City, across the Leelanau Peninsula, is the quiet town of Glen Arbor. Quiet at least in the winter and spring, as summer and fall bring some of the best weather and views to one of the most gorgeous places in the nation. In fact, Sleeping Bear Dunes was voted the most beautiful place in America in 2011 by Good Morning America. This is for good reason- these dunes tower over the lake, and really only by climbing to the bottom (if you trust yourself to get back up) and hanging out at the beach below, can you fully appreciate their size. As with the rest of the Leelanau, this is a hotspot for kitesurfing and sailing, and there is a lot to do inland as well, including road biking, exploring a historic village, eating cherries, and sampling wine.

Ludington State Park Beach (travel-mi.com)

5. Ludington State Park Beach, Ludington, MI

Ludington is where I officially demarcate as "up north" on the west side of Michigan. Something about the town just has that feeling. At this point, you're fairly far from any major cities, but what you're not far from is beachfront. You have the main beach right in town, which is comparable to anything else further down on this list, but there's more to the north. Heading up to Ludington State Park drops you in the middle of a large dune area sandwiched between Lake Michigan and Hamlin Lake. This area includes the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness to the far north, Big Sable Point Lighthouse, numerous camping areas, hiking trails, and a few resorts to the south. From this point northwards, you can't really go wrong, as continued driving will bring you to Manistee, Frankfort, and then the Leelanau, all of which are phenomenal spots.

Grand Haven City Beach (visitgrandhaven.com)

6. Grand Haven City Beach, Grand Haven, MI

Grand Haven is another hotspot on the Michigan side of the lake, and one can't not recommend. Home to the large annual Coast Guard Festival, this town celebrates summer the right way. The primary beach is Grand Haven State Park, on the south side of the pier, and has a playground, restaurants, and two lighthouses. Grand Haven itself, along with Spring Lake, are pretty decently sized towns just 30 minutes from Grand Rapids, and sit at the center of the Grand River and a number of connected lakes, which each have some beach areas of their own. It's worth noting that the entire lakeshore from here up to Muskegon has some decent-sized dunes, and it's worth exploring a bit north!

Silver Lake Sand Dunes (expedia.com)

7. Silver Lake State Park, Silver Lake, MI

The Silver Lake Sand Dunes are an unusual spot. This is, to my knowledge, the only place in the Midwest (and possibly the US) where you can ride off-road vehicles, ATVs, and dune buggies on sand dunes next to a giant inland lake. The dunes are split into three sections, with one being dedicated to wildlife and normal beach activities, one for public off-roading, and one for dedicated dune tours, which I'd highly recommend! The views cannot be discounted here, either. On the backside, you have Silver Lake itself along with a quaint town that comes alive during the summer. To the south, there's Little Sable Point lighthouse (one of my favorites) and another beautiful stretch of beach.

Indiana Dunes (indianadunes.com)

8. Indiana Dunes National/State Park, Michigan City, IN

The only national park to make our list (although we have one national lakeshore), Indiana Dunes is perhaps an unexpectedly gorgeous piece of Lake Michigan shoreline given the nearby industry and urban areas. This is an easy drive for anyone in Chicago or even Indy, and offers a long stretch of uninterrupted shoreline stretching all the way north to Michigan City. There are pleasant drives and hiking trails atop and behind the dunes, as well as a campground for those looking to make it a weekend trip.

Nicolet Beach (nicoletbeach.com)

9. Nicolet Beach, Door County, WI

The second of our Door County beaches, Nicolet Beach is located on the north end of Peninsula State Park, which is personally my favorite of the five in Door County. The park as a whole has a lot to offer, including the Northern Sky Amphitheatre, lots of terrain and big bluffs with views of neighboring islands, bike trails, a lighthouse, golf, and everything in nearby Fish Creek and Ephraim as well. That said, Nicolet Beach is just a pleasant and reasonably secluded spot to get away. There's a small camp store (no beer, we tried), kayak rentals, and a boat launch as well. Don't just stop here though, there are lots of other Door County beaches that we didn't get to include.

South Haven (michiganbeachtowns.com)

10. North Beach/South Beach, South Haven, MI

South Haven is a beach town's beach town. It's about halfway between Grand Rapids and Chicago, and is one of the first major stops if you're headed north looking for this sort of thing. The beaches themselves are split into two by the Black River, and while the north side is a bit larger, the South Beach features kayak and SUP rentals, a splash pad, and an ice cream shop. There's a lot to do in the town itself in the summer, and truly just a ridiculous amount of boating.

Honorable Mentions

Ohio Street Beach (chicagotraveler.com)

Ohio Street Beach, Chicago, IL

Did you think we'd go the whole article without mentioning Illinois? There are a few great beaches in IL to choose from, but we went with perhaps the most obvious. Just a block from Navy Pier, many tourists will walk right by the Ohio Street Beach. It's accessible and has a great view of the city, but it's not for those looking to get away from the crowds.

Bradford Beach (mmsd.com)

Bradford Beach, Milwaukee, WI

I've spent hours on a Saturday afternoon at Bradford Beach feeling like I'm in Miami. A dozen volleyball games going, beer pong next to the tiki bar, music blasting, cruise ships leaving Milwaukee... it's enough to make you forget you're in cheese country. Depending on what you're looking for, Bradford can get a little rowdy, and there are many family-friendlier options nearby. But it's right near downtown and pretty excellent for being in the city.

Sheboygan (wearesheboygan.com)

North Side Municipal Beach, Sheboygan, WI

We can't wrap up without talking about the Malibu of the Midwest. Sheboygan is globally recognized for some of the gnarliest surfing in the Great Lakes region, courtesy of its breakwater and point that both jut out and create unusual wind and wave patterns. It hosted the Dairyland Surf Classic for over a decade, and the town itself has some fantastic reasons to pay a visit (we're looking at you, 3 Sheeps Brewing).

If you're planning a beach trip to Lake Michigan...

and haven't been here before, just remember that this is a massive lake. It's about 6.5 hours in a car from Chicago to Mackinaw City, so you'll likely be narrowing down your itinerary at least a little bit. As you've seen, you really can't go wrong, and there are so many options regardless of where you're headed.

If you're more familiar with the region, we hope that we inspired you to scope out a new area! There are so many great beaches and beach towns around the lake that we couldn't dig into, but we tried to canvas the best in each sub-region. If you're looking for more in the Great Lakes region, be sure to check out our Adventure Guide. Happy travels!