There are a ton of lakes, and inland lakes to enjoy in the Upper Peninsula, more than what you would think that there would be. There are beaches on the Great Lakes; there are lakes off of the Great Lakes. You will find a lake no matter what city you will be visiting in. You will also find one that you will enjoy and will want to go back to. In this little bit of information below, you will find some of the lakes that some people enjoy. Obviously these are not nearly all the lakes in the Upper Peninsula, so just keep in mind that there are many more that you could visit and have a wonderful time at. Do not limit yourself to just these; explore all the lakes that you can when you are in the Upper Peninsula.

One of the top ten beaches in the country, voted by the weather channel, is located in Munising Michigan. This beach is called Sand Point Beach. The water at this beach is warm enough to swim in for about two months out of the whole year.  There is also a pristine sand floor, sand bars and a wonderful view that you will never forget.  This beach is also very clean, easily accessible and yet undeveloped and un-crowded. The sand on the beach is white and the waters are shallow. Also the Sand Point Beach has clear waters of Lake Superior. The views you will get are of Munising Bay, Grand Island, the East Channel Lighthouse and the unspoiled shoreline of the National Lakeshore.. The beach is also a great place to go for a walk at night to watch the sun set over Munising Bay.

Visit many of the lakes in Curtis Michigan.  They are about 30 feet deep and shallower. This means that the water warms up quickly since there is not a lot of it and it stays warm. With the nice warm waters it is great to go swimming. Some of the major and more popular lakes are North Manistique Lake, Big Manistique Lake, South Manistique Lake, Milakokia Lake, Lake Ann Louise and Millecoquins Lake. There are also many smaller lakes around the area as well.

Murray Bay, in Munising Michigan is a great place to swim. The bottom of the lake is sandy and provides good wading. It is really good place to bring your kids. The waters stay shallow so you don’t have to worry about it getting too deep too quick.

In Eagle River, if you follow M-26 you will be able to come across some lakes that would be worth stopping and taking a swim. You will be able to go to Lake Superior. At this location, it looks similar to Maine, but without the crowds that would be there. Later down the road you will come to the Rocky Shores and Islets, which will be interrupted by the occasional crescent bays and beaches. Some of these bays and beaches are sandy and other ones are rocky. There will also be roadside parks you will be able to stop at to enjoy the scenery. These roadside parks have benches, picnic tables, and the occasional gazebos.

Just seven miles south of Gaylord Michigan is Heart Lake. Heart Lake is a great place if you are looking for vacation spot right by water. The water of the Lake is clear with an excellent sandy bottom. The swimming area is even protected. This is a great place to just relax and have fun with family and friends for a day or however long your vacation is.

Otsego Lake is located in Otsego County.  The beach there is a place for a day of fun. It has a playground, volleyball court, horseshoe pits, an area for picnicking, and of course the beach.  The beach is more than a half mile long so there is plenty of room for many people. You won’t have to look hard for a place to sit on the sand because there will be plenty of it to go around.

In Copper Harbor there is the well known lake called Lake Manganese. This is a clear beautiful lake in the hills just south of the town and it is Copper Harbor’s favorite place to swim. It is a 52 acre lake that has a long, sandy beach, with a gradual drop off. The water is warmer than Lake Superior but still cold enough for brook trout. Since the beach is larger, you don’t have to worry about trying to get a spot on the sand. There is enough sand for everyone to share and have a good time without being crowded.

In the city of Hancock there is the McLain State Park. This park offers visitors 2.5 miles of Lake Superior beachfront. The beaches are sandy with a little stones. There are also low dunes and woods of big oaks, pines, birch and maple trees surrounding too.  Across the road from the beaches there are all kinds of habit that include a pond, and a marsh. There is a seawall the makes swimming off the sandy beach on the waterway warmer than Lake Superior. Along with the beach there are combined bathhouse, park shelter and a playground for kids to enjoy if they get sick of swimming. All of this is wheelchair accessible which is great. Be sure to bring a cooler of food. When you are ready to eat go to the picnic gazebo, which is in a wooded area up on the bluff. This gazebo is also handicap accessible.

If you are visiting Mackinac Island there are private and public beaches all around. If you are staying at one of the major resorts in Mackinac Island, you will have access to the private beaches with a superb lunch and dinner menus. If you are not staying in one of the major resorts, or if you are looking for more of a public beach be sure to visit Windermere Beach. Windermere Beach shoreline is known as pebble-littered. An event also takes place every year at Windermere Beach. This event is the annual Stone Skipping Tournament.  This tournament takes place on July 4^th every year.

There are a couple of campgrounds that are located right on lakes so you can enjoy sunrise/sunset, a late night swim with the star glowing for light, or anything else you can think of.  Lyman Lake has ten campsites located right on Lyman Lake. Lyman Lake is located in Delta County. Another lake that is just two miles away from Lyman Lake is Gooseneck Lake. This is another lake where you can enjoy the same things as Lyman Lake. Camp Seven Lake Campground is also located in Delta County. Camp Seven Lake Campground has a lake that offers 600-acres of lake. This lake is a great place to go swimming and to have a place for a picnic when you are ready to eat.