I feel like this is the perfect beach for a small town…read more It was not overly busy on a Sunday around 11am, but it was overcast and only about 70 degrees. The water was still freezing so we only put our feet in. I loved the fountain and the carousel. There are lots of benches and observation points. Plus, parking was quick and easy. There was also surprisingly clean public restrooms as well.

This is my childhood beach location. There's so much that has changed here over the years, but all…read morenecessary upgrades. There's a handicap accessible playground and more seating to eat at the little beach food shop. Walking the pier allows you to see a great view of the shoreline, but be careful on windy and wavy days as the water comes up over the pier . In the peak summer months, I would recommend parking up on top of the bluff and walking down the steps right by Silver Beach Pizza, so you can save yourself from the cluster of cars trying to get down to beach parking. Also, St. Joe city is changing parking and routing near Silver Beach so be aware of traffic shifts. All in all, a great beach for families, but 4/5 stars because some other beaches are less touristy, which locals like myself much prefer.

If you're looking for a peaceful getaway, Grand Mere State Park is a hidden gem that delivers on…read moreall fronts. The park offers several trails that take you through dense forests and towering sand dunes which lead to some stunning overlooks and beaches of Lake Michigan. It's a bit of a trek to get to the water, but once you do, the lakefront is beautiful and less commercialized than other spots. Definitely recommend Grand Mere State Parkin for anyone in the area looking for a peaceful outdoor escape.

Path to Lake Michigan was flooded, water over your ankles. No easy path to Lake Michigan. A…read morehiker would love the up/down sand dunes.

THIS spot! Stumbled upon it driving by and what a pleasant surprise. There are stairs for those…read morethat is an issue for; but do know that they did a lovely job of incorporating several deck levels, nooks, and benches that you can enjoy, or use as resting moments up and down. This is a residential neighborhood with many beach rentals, so parking is limited, if busy, bikes might be a better bet. The beach itself is lovely for relaxing, walking, running, dogs, etc. Do respect the dune restorations, and the private property of others. Enjoy!

Nice beach with few steps leading directly to the sand. Parking is a bit sus. I'd highly recommend…read morearriving early to get a parking spot close to the beach. If not, there's a chance you'll have to park down the road a ways. Very clean and well kept beach with beautiful views of Lake Michigan. I highly recommend!

Clean beach .. lots of rocks to collect! Not crowded, family friendly! Nice views of the lighthouse…read moreat silver beach !

This park has free parking, nice ramp down to beach area with sand mat to the water. Family,…read moreSenior, friendly beach area. More parking is needed. Bathrooms are outdated.

Beautiful Beach! Went to see the Northern Lights and even though it was getting late, we captured…read moresome great photos!

This is almost always my first stop on a trip to Harbor Country. If I get there around 11AM, I can…read moretake a nice two-hour walk along the beach before finding a fun lunch spot. I like to call this area the "Malibu of The Midwest." If you take a right at the bottom of the stairs, you can walk along the shore of all the lake front homes which are all perched up on the bluff. Don't dally on their beaches, though, as the beach rights are private. Anyone can walk along the water, of course, and their is a small public access beach at the bottom of the stairs from the small parking area. You can take a long hike here, and do some rock hunting. And you usually will not find any crowds. Just great scenery and solitude. Especially off-season. Parking near the entrance is easier then.

On my lighthouse tour (there are 105 on the loop around Lake Michigan - yes, really), this was my…read morefirst visit and it did not disappoint! We visited on a cold fall day and didn't see another soul when visiting. Easy parking with two entries out to the pier. We chose to climb the small staircase above the public restrooms and walk the beach to the pier. The sand will be in my shoes forever :) The walk out to the first lighthouse was easy and no concerns, from the first to the second we saw slippery spots and a much narrowed walk way - if you are comfortable, totally worth walking all the way to the end to look back to the beach. We walked back down the entire pier and past a beautiful sculpture to return to the parking lot. The entire walk and view took us about 40 minutes, but definitely a leisurely pace! Bring a camera, maybe a selfie stick and if it is cold you will want a jacket that can break the wind when you are walking out on the water.

Beautiful! Walking at su set you get such amazing views. The walk to the lighthouse isn't far and…read moreby this time it's not too busy. Such a great place for pictures and just to relax.

Located along the shores of Lake Michigan,this State Park has over 1500 acres of pristine beaches…read moreand sand dunes making it one of Michigans most popular State Parks. There is an admission free to enter. Plenty of parking available. We went in the Fall midweek so it was not crowded at all.

Beautiful beach and park!…read more We came for the day to play on the beach and see the sand dunes. You have to pay for the use. There is a large parking area by the beach. As soon as we pulled in we noticed the beach on one side of the parking lot and the sand dunes on the other. We decided to climb the dunes first. There is one big hill that everyone was going up. It is challenging but fun. Great views from the top. And super easy to come down. Then we went to the beach. Sand was really nice and clean. A storm started to roll in so we had to leave the beach a little early. They do a great job of communicating and changing the flags when the beach conditions change. There are bathrooms and some food vendors. Only wish is they had actual showers to clean off all the sand. They have the outside ones but they weren't very efficient.

Paid parking at a beach that you really cannot access the water on is ridiculous. St Joe beaches…read moreare very lacking compared to the county Silver Beach. I wonder where all of the ticket money at $40 each fine is going towards. The Lions beach as others have mentioned had eroded terribly so it's tough to get toddlers or older people to the water. When we went the water was very rocky so you needed water shoes.

Five stars for the playground areas. My kids loved the yellow tire swing, the steep slide, and the…read moreobstacle course. There was also a large elastic spider web, for lack of a better description; though this did not get as much usage as the rest of the play area. There are benches allover for great views of the sunset. The only downsides are paying to park and you can't really get into the water since there isn't direct access.

This place was absolutely beautiful, don't get me wrong, but I don't know that I could highly…read morerecommend it at this point. The beach has been heavily eroded and was very hard to access. There were also several tires in the water. Definitely a nice, secluded spot, but proceed with caution until repairs are made. Wouldn't recommend for dogs or small children.

Currently more stairs than beach, but there's a picnic table off to the side and some roadside…read moreporta potties. Could be a good place to fly a kite, put an inflatable in the water, or just get some stairs for exercise, but the beach is quickly disappearing if you wanted a place to relax.