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    New Buffalo Beach

    3.8 (48 reviews)

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    Water is super clear
    Sera R.

    Parking is the only issue at this stunning little beach. We arrived at 12:30 and by that time almost all of the parking was taken up. We got super lucky and were able to snag a spot as someone was leaving. The parking was also $20 for a full day. This isn't horrible but it's a bit steep considering the rest of the town parking is free. The actual beach: It is rather small but it is a beauty. They have a smaller playground for little kids, restrooms (I've seen much worse), and even porta-potties for folks. There is a small snack and drink stand and they also had a couple food trucks when I visited. The beach has two sections, one is smaller by the playground and the lighthouse and a much larger section is down the board walk. Unless you get there by mid day, the section that requires the least amount of walking maybe full. Be prepared to walk the beach for a little bit to find a good, unobstructed spot. They do have life guards watching the swim section. The water is so clear and blue. It was a stunning place to lay out, take a dip and enjoy a nice day. There is no shade at all so be prepared.

    Parking at New Buffalo Beach
    Bruce K.

    I postponed coffee (technically, I couldn't find anyone decent that was open) and made it to the beach in time for sunrise. Magical. This early in the morning,t hey were not enforcing the parking so I had an hour of free parking, some beautiful onshore breezes and a view that was disturbed only by the seagulls. Sandy beaches, a great view, peace and quiet. What more would you possibly need other than coffee? [Review 20608 overall - 383 in Michigan - 1589 of 2023.]

    Playground
    Marissa C.

    Really beautiful spot with a great view for sunset! The lighthouse is a fun touch too. There's a nice playground in the sand near the pavilion/parking area, and a really great wooden boardwalk with some seating that lets you go up and get a good view of the area. The beach is good-sized and has nice sand. The potentially trickiest aspect is the parking - do make sure you find the pay machine or use the app to pay. There are some free hours but read carefully to check what times those are. Restrooms also have limited hours that don't match that of the beach, though there are some portapotties on site. The concession was also not open the entire time the beach is, but it is very walkable to something nearby, like Nancy's. The beach itself was quite great though!

    Trey C.

    This was our first time to New Buffalo and the Lake Michigan beaches. We took a weekend trip for Father's Day. The city of New Buffalo has done a great job keeping the beach clean and providing a nice area for folks to enjoy the sand and water. The parking lot is pretty large but after 10am it can get hard to find a spot. It's a paid lot and is $7 or so for 3 hours. The sand is VERY hot to the feet in the middle of the day so have shoes ready if needed. The water is clear and the beach is very wide. It feels safe knowing there are lifeguards and city police monitoring.

    Sunset
    Christina B.

    Came here at 8pm for sunset. Fresh air, gorgeous sunset! Not too busy. Water warm enough to swim.

    Padma A.

    Chi towners driving to see the elusive sunset! Every bit worth the drive ... last minute plans are the best! The sunsets @8pm in new buffalo. Would love to see the sunrise some day.

    Monarch butterflies
    Lynndel F.

    Way too crowded for me. But it had a ton of Monarch butterflies!!! And I found some beach glass and pretty rocks. My first time here. Maybe if it weren't Labor Day weekend it might have been less crowded.

    Walking the breakwall.
    Julie O.

    This is such a nice beach, and a relatively easy drive away from Chicago. Parking in the lot was $10, I think that was the weekend rate. Cash or card. The beach is very nice and clean. Lots of space. Water is clear. Sand is nice, not rocky. Small playground area for kids. Climbed the breakwall as far as it went. I was scared that I would fall and break my neck on the rocks, but luckily I did not. The view was worth the walk. There were machines for water and soda, a restroom and a place to wash off sand before you go home.

    New Buffalo beach - September sunset
    Jamie W.

    I love New Buffalo! AFTER 8pm. My 4-star review is for my after 8pm visits, I say this because parking is like $10 just to get into the public beach and it is usually always packed, but after 8pm parking is free and most of the crowds have left for the day. There is no attendant at the gate, so you'll need to have exact cash or use a credit card at the kiosk. If I were doing this review from a regular day-time visitor view, I'd only give it a 3-star for 'A-ok'. I'm a sunset kinda gal so the evening is the ideal time for me to visit anyways! Also, before 9am is free parking for the sunrise! If you time it right, you are in for one of the best sunset views around! The views from the Indiana side of the lake don't get any better than this, simply breath-taking! Sometimes when I'm sitting on the beach I forget that Lake Michigan is just a lake and not the actual ocean. At this beach I love to watch the boats come and go from the yacht club next door, in the summer they also have a Lighted Boat Parade that we love to watch. You can climb the rocks that go out towards the lake but at your own risk, I don't suggest taking kids out there as I've seen many parents do - it makes me cringe to see them holding a child while jumping across the rock gaps. There is usually a life guard on duty during the day, it is at your own risk though after 6pm, Memorial Day - Labor Day. Nearby you can sometimes see fires along the beach but these are the private beach lots that are connected to the public beach - fires are not allowed on the public beach. No glass or alcohol is allowed either. There are dunes that you can climb and viewing decks as well. You can walk from downtown to the beach, it's about 1/2 mile walk and many people do it if you can find a downtown parking spot. Across from the public beach parking is a boat parking lot for those boating for the day. There is a concessions stand that serves Redamak's burgers - the best burgers around town. Kayaks and paddleboards are available for rental right on the beach between 11am-5pm. These are $20 per hour to rent or $25 per hour for a double kayak - life jackets are included in the prices. Again, only available Memorial Day - Labor Day. Expect the bathrooms to be dirty and full of sand, it's a public beach restroom. And there is often a wait for the woman's bathroom - there are only 4 stalls and they are used as a changing room for most beach-goers. Again, I like the after 8pm idea - just make sure you off the beach by 11pm or you'll either get kicked out or gated into the parking lot.

    View from laying out
    Jerahya W.

    For a lake beach, I have no complaints. This was my first official lake beach experience and it was actually better than I personally anticipated. Watching the sunset from here is amazing. They have a cute lighthouse on the sand and playground for little ones. There are a lot of geese and seagulls, like A LOT! Going on a Friday night around 8pm, there were not a lot of people at all! It was pretty clear and we just walked around and took it all in. On Sunday we went back around 11am and it was pretty busy as to be expected. Overall we had a great experience and I would love to go back! Just as a note, no alcohol is allowed and there is a beach patrol of cops that go around.

    Joe C.

    Went here on Labor Day weekend. The lots were full and we had to park in town and walk to the beach. The walk wasn't that bad but then again we went carrying much so it didn't matter. It looks like parking here is a problem all the time as there was a unloading area so you could drop people off. Once there my girls needed to get their suites on. There were 2 changing tents outside of the restrooms that you could use to change. Kind of like the tents common in the 60's you see in the movies from California. The restrooms were attached to a building that sold chips and drinks. We walked down to the water and attempted to rent a stand up paddle board. The rentals were first come first serve. We drove 1 1/2 hours so the girls could paddle board so we waited near the rental place for someone to return a board. Never saw any come back so after 60 minutes of waiting i went back to the rental place and asked for a board again and got one. Would've been nice to know they leave them at the water and didn't return to the empty rack behind the booth. Would've save some time.. The waters edge had sharp rocks and you needed to get into the water to get back to the sand. This beach was crowded today because of the holiday but it was still nice and we had a place to sit. The lifeguards in the tower had to blow an air horn about 10 times as people kept swimming by the pier rocks. I walked out on the pier and if your not good on your feet stay off. Many areas you have to stretch and jump from one rock to another. Could be dangerous for elder and younger people. Don't allow your kids to go out without supervision. Once on the pier you could watch the boats come into the harbor on one side and people swimming, kyacking and paddleboarding on the other. Not a bad looking place, we think we will go back again when it's not so busy.

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - New Buffalo Beach

    Review Highlights - New Buffalo Beach

    ! Sometimes when I'm sitting on the beach I forget that Lake Michigan is just a lake and not the actual ocean

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    Third Coast Paddling - Galien River - Paddleboarding with Third Coast Paddling at the Galien River in New Buffalo

    Third Coast Paddling - Galien River

    4.3(20 reviews)
    0.8 km

    Friendly staff and luckily there were walk up singles available. Lovely journey down and back on…read morethe river, great break from the hustle and bustle of New Buffalo's main drag.

    I love paddleboarding and I love exploring new places. It only made sense for me to come rent a…read morepaddleboard when I was visiting the Indiana and Michigan. The main reason for my low rating was because the kid who was handling all rentals really had an attitude of "I don't know and I don't care". I almost feel like if I had never been paddleboarding prior to this, I would have had a miserable experience. He gave me zero information and then proceeded to give me a paddle that was too short and also did not know how to adjust the length. Then he sent me out into the water tail end first. The website said we would be guided as to where the turnaround point was-he did not share this. And then when I returned there was zero acknowledgement or even some basic customer service of "how did you like it? did you have fun?". From other reviews I have read it seems like the company is a very reputable service provider in the area. I just think that this one kid is a terrible representation of what you want your company to be. In addition to the complete non-existence of any kind of customer service experience, the water in the river is quite disgusting. I got a rash on my foot just from touching the water. Fortunately I am skilled on the paddle board and did not fall in. I really was hoping that I would have been able to take the paddle into the actual waters of Lake Michigan. That in itself would have been a more thrilling experience.

    Photos
    Third Coast Paddling - Galien River - Exploring Harbor Country's Galien River on a kayak with Third Coast Paddling

    Exploring Harbor Country's Galien River on a kayak with Third Coast Paddling

    Third Coast Paddling - Galien River - Kayaking with our pup on the Galien River in Harbor Country with Third Coast Paddling.

    Kayaking with our pup on the Galien River in Harbor Country with Third Coast Paddling.

    Third Coast Paddling - Galien River - There's no better activity in Michigan's Harbor Country than kayak rentals!

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    There's no better activity in Michigan's Harbor Country than kayak rentals!

    Rubloff Vacation Rentals - Big home for big groups wanting big fun - private assoc, pool and private beach.

    Rubloff Vacation Rentals

    3.8(4 reviews)
    0.7 km

    I see quite a few great reviews by renters and on places they have stayed. However, I am a…read morehomeowner who is trying to use their management services. Have had unbelievable experience with Agents from Rubloff out of their New Buffalo Offices in working with them over the past 8yrs on the purchase of both my primary and second homes and have referred them to a few friends as well who have been extremely grateful for the referral. When I was told Prudential Rubloff had acquired the rental company formerly known as New Buffalo Vacation Rentals, I was more than happy to give them a try this year to rent out our second home. We've rented only once before but by a smaller organization in the area. I was looking forward to having my home professionally managed and thought a larger company with Prudential Rubloff's reputation might be better. We signed a contract with them April 1st and they've recently found us a renter for the summer.

    Rented 'As Good as it Gets' from NBVR for a weekend and the house was very nice; even better than…read moreexpected. I can't speak for their other properties, but I assume they're nicely furnished and equally enjoyable. No issues with the property at all. It really was as if a family, who enjoyed hanging out and having fun, vacated their house for our use. I give 4 stars instead of 5, because I think the rental agreement is a wee bit knit-picky and also because there was a slight glitch with the payment...however Dan, the owner, personally took care of the issue immediately. In the end, everything turned out just fine. Just follow all the rules and there shouldn't be any issues. We slept 14 guys comfortably, although we did bring some air mattresses. Dan stopped by when we first arrived, just to make sure everything was OK, then we didn't see him again. If you're considering renting in New Buffalo, I recommend looking at some of New Buffalo Vacation Rentals, and I specifically recommend 'As Good as it Gets'.

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    Rubloff Vacation Rentals - Shared pool in downtown New Buffalo.  All you need is a cool drink

    Shared pool in downtown New Buffalo. All you need is a cool drink

    Rubloff Vacation Rentals - Townhouses in the heart of downtown - pool, walking distance to everything, a bunch of amenities....what else do you need?

    Townhouses in the heart of downtown - pool, walking distance to everything, a bunch of amenities....what else do you need?

    Rubloff Vacation Rentals - One of the two lakes at the popular Lakeside Cabins Resort.

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    One of the two lakes at the popular Lakeside Cabins Resort.

    New Buffalo Beach - beaches - Updated May 2026

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