Four of the world’s greatest bodies of water lap against Michigan’s shores – Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake Michigan – offering an equally impressive range of adventures. Together, along with Canada’s Lake Ontario, they form the legendary Great Lakes – the largest area of fresh water on Earth. Here’s how to enjoy them, and the historic American towns in between.
Lake Superior
Three best beaches
1. Sand Point Beach, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Clean, safe and accessible, Sand Point is one of the many beautiful beaches lying within Lake Superior’s Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, famed for its multicoloured sandstone cliffs. Named one of the “Top Five Summer Beaches in America”, it’s rumoured to have Superior’s warmest water, so dive in before sitting back to watch the sunset.
2. Agate Beach, Grand Marais
Lake Superior’s beaches are natural treasure troves of dazzling rocks, gems and minerals, and gold, amethysts and even diamonds have been spotted here. With rich bands of red, yellow and orange, agate is one of the rock hunters’ favourites, and Agate Beach in Grand Marais is one of the best places to find it.
3. Black Rocks Beach, Presque Isle Park
If you’re after more than lounging and soaking up the sun, Black Rocks Beach in Presque Isle Park has plenty to keep you busy. The rock formations offer a natural springboard to cliff jump into the lake, while the forests behind have beautiful hiking trails, and the chance to see white-tail and albino deer.
Three best outdoor adventures
1. Paddle the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
To truly experience Lake Superior’s natural beauty and peace, paddle it! There are plenty of opportunities to hire stand-up paddle boards, kayaks or canoes, and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is one of the most exciting places to explore, with soaring cliffs, caves and rugged rock formations, including the Grand Portal and Indian Head.
2. Dive the Keweenaw Underwater Preserve
Michigan’s Great Lakes have treasures lying beneath the surface, too. The wrecks of lost ships provide fascinating snorkelling and dive sites, and the chance to learn more about Michigan’s maritime history. Keweenaw Underwater Preserve has several shallow-water wrecks dating back to the 1800s, plus the well-preserved U. S. Coast Guard Cutter, Mesquite.
3. Go wild in Isle Royale National Park
A wonderfully remote archipelago of over 400 islands, Lake Superior’s Isle Royale National Park offers exciting off-grid adventures and wildlife encounters from mid-April until the end of October. Roamed by moose and wolves, the islands have 36 campgrounds, 165 miles of hiking trails, and just a few services, so pack wisely and enjoy the wild.
Nearby towns to explore
Michigan’s oldest city, Sault Ste. Marie – known locally as ‘The Soo’ – provides a great base for exploring the Upper Peninsula’s natural wonders. Linked to its larger twin, Sault Ste. Marie in Ontario, by a bridge over the St Mary’s River, the waterfront city’s Soo Locks also link Lakes Superior and Huron, with boat tours taking visitors close to the action. Gateway to Sugarloaf Mountain and incredible wilderness adventures in Presque Isle Park, Marquette city's photogenic harbour and lighthouse offer scenic lookout points over Lake Superior; views which become even more stunning when the Northern Lights come out to play overhead. And from the lakeside town of Munising, you can hike to 17 waterfalls or through Hiawatha National Forest, take a boat tour of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, and cycle alongside Superior on the H-58, which offers spectacular views of the forests’ scarlet and golden leaf displays each autumn.
Lake Huron
With striking blue water, miles of untouched sandy beaches, and five historic lighthouses guarding its shores, Lake Huron forms the easterly outline of Michigan’s famous ‘Mitten’, including the ‘Thumb’ which stretches to Saginaw Bay. The third-largest inland lake in the world, Huron is also a magnet for stargazers, with three designated Dark Sky Preserves.
Three best beaches
1. Tawas Point State Park
Known as the ‘Cape Cod of the West’, Tawas Point State Park sits at the end of a sandy spit on Tawas Bay, which has a beautiful swimming beach, and a nature trail along the shores of the lake. Popular with twitchers, the park provides a crucial habitat for migratory birds in autumn and spring.
2. Oscoda Beach Park
The golden sands of Oscoda Beach Park slide gently into Lake Huron’s clear, blue water, offering the perfect viewing platform to watch the dawn from Michigan’s ‘Sunrise Side’ over the lake. In July and August there are movie nights on the beach, while an observation deck and boardwalk beckon for evening strolls.
3. Cheboygan State Park
With five miles of Lake Huron shoreline, Cheboygan State Park is the perfect choice for a beach escape, offering great swimming, a campground at Duncan Bay, plus cabins and teepees for hire. The park has six miles of trails for hiking, with stunning coastal views, carpets of wildflowers in spring, and glimpses of lighthouses along the way.
Three best outdoor adventures
1. Kayak to Turnip Rock
Rent a kayak from Port Austin and set out on an adventure to view the stack known as Turnip Rock, due to its weather-worn bulbous shape. Rising up from Lake Huron, the rock provides the turnaround point for a seven-mile return paddle via the Point aux Barques trail.
2. Live the lumberjack life
Learn about Michigan’s logging past and live out your lumberjack or jill dreams at the Lumberman’s Monument Visitor Center, where visitors can learn how to use the traditional tools of the trade and cut a log ‘cookie’ with a crosscut saw, before exploring the trails of the Huron-Manistee National Forests.
3. Snorkel the wrecks of Thunder Bay
The only designated freshwater sanctuary in the USA, the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary near Alpena protects nearly 100 historic sunken shipwrecks in Lake Huron, which attract snorkelers and divers from around the world. Glass-bottom boats also cruise the bay, while the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center explores the region’s rich history.
Nearby towns to explore
Known as the ‘Jewel of the Great Lakes’, Mackinac Island offers a glimpse into Old America, with historic inns, forts and churches, immaculate lakeside gardens, and friendly fudge shops that make up to 10,000 Ib of the sweet stuff a day. Catch the ferry from Mackinaw City or St. Ignace, but leave your car behind: there are no motor vehicles on the island, and travel is by bicycle, on foot, or by horse-drawn carriage. Also bursting with old-school charm, Alpena was once a major port for the lumber industry, and its historic downtown honours its past with restored turn-of-the-century buildings, which sit alongside hip eateries and bars. An hour south, Oscoda is a vibrant base for seeing the spectacular colours of ‘fall’, hitting the Sunrise Side Wine & Hops Trail, and learning more about the Great Lakes’ lumbering history at the Paul Bunyan Days Annual Festival and Oscoda Historical Museum.
Lake Erie
The shallowest and warmest of the Great Lakes, Lake Erie is the closest to the city of Detroit, and takes its name from the Erie tribe, who lived along its southern shores. Dotted with lighthouses, the lake draws divers and snorkelers to explore its sunken wrecks, and nature lovers to its beaches, woodlands and trails.
Three best beaches
1. Belle Isle Park
Detroiters don’t have far to travel to find a great beach. Not far from Downtown, the Belle Isle Park sits on the Detroit River, which connects Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie. The park has a nature centre, woodlands and a swimming beach, plus off-road electronic wheelchairs for people with disabilities.
2. Luna Pier
A laid-back coastal city on the shores of Lake Erie, Luna Pier has a long sandy beach and a large crescent-shaped pier, just 45 minutes from Downtown Detroit. Previously known as Lakeside, the city’s original wooden pier was considered the best place for dancing under the stars in the heady 1920s.
3. Sterling State Park
Lake Erie’s only state park lies an hour from Detroit in the city of Monroe. With lakefront camping, seven miles of hiking and biking trails and a mile-long stretch of beach near Sandy Creek, Sterling State Park offers a refreshing escape from the city heat in summer, and snowmobiling adventures in winter.