We loved this beach! It's large enough that it feels like you're at the ocean, but small enough that it's not too busy. I was worried it would feel too small since online it said it was about 800 feet, but I couldn't see the end of it from where I was standing. They had a plastic walkway from the parking lot to about halfway down the sand to the waterfront where there were a few benches. It was very easily accessible for my mom who is disabled. We were there a few days before Memorial Day weekend and it was not busy at all, however it was only about 40 degrees outside. I can imagine this place is absolutely packed when it's nice out. Parking is $20 for the day or $7.50 for 3 hours to park in the attached lot. However there's plenty of free parking in town which is probably just a 5 minute walk away. read more

New Buffalo Beach - Beaches Near Me

The lake (Michigan) is so vast like the ocean. It amazes me how it looks like the sea. It's like a beach with lots of sand and don't forget to wear actual protective shoes and that's a Lyft loss because there are rocks coming out of the sand everywhere so be careful. If you have older persons with wheelchairs and walkers, this is not an easy place to go to, but they could stay near the parking lot and look at the ocean, however. So nice. A lightHouse sits here and it's very romantic esp w the sun going down or up. Lots of places to walk and sit. read more

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First time here visiting new buffalo Michigan for a day trip. The beach is very nice pretty clean and there was a lot of space. Parking can be a little difficult but not too bad. We really liked walking around the town and visiting the shops and restaurants. Would recommend and will be back. read more

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$20 for all-day parking? Ewww. Slash that price in half, which is closer to what other Lake Michigan beaches charge further north. There are two lots, and my friend and I nabbed the last two spots around 1 PM on a Friday. My takeaway? The earlier you can get there, the better. One aspect of this beach that I dig is that you can either claim your spot overlooking Lake Michigan or the channel that leads to the lake. I say this because if you're not into crowds, the channel is less populous. read more

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. read more

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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.] read more

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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! read more

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Really nice beach. Great that it has amenities! The beach is clean. It was super crowded when we visited. It's also kind of annoying that they charge for parking. I guess we could've parked a little farther away and walked instead of using the paid lot. read more

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. read more

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

New Buffalo Beach - Sunset - Beaches Near Me

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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. read more

New Buffalo Beach - Beaches Near Me

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. read more

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There was plenty of parking and a pretty easy drive from Hyde Park, but when we got here, the sand was extremely hot and surprisingly rough, and the entry into the lake was much steeper than I remembered, meaning it wasn't great for a toddler. And it was just as crowded as the beaches in Chicago. I like New Buffalo, actually, but there wasn't much to recommend this beach over some of the great Chicago beaches, like Montrose. After about 25 minutes of burning ourselves in the sand, our son said "dada, I want to go home." So we did! read more

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. read more

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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. read more

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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. read more

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I enjoyed my recent visit but the beach is very small and the sand has small pebbles of rocks that hurt my feet. However I did like the walk way that goes partially down to the beach area. It is very friendly for those with disabilities who want to enjoy the views and sounds of the beach but can't walk in the sand. A wheelchair will roll on this walkway. Overall it's a great beach and very clean and the local area is nice with good restaurants and cute shops. I will definitely visit again read more

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. read more

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Watch out for Officer Rene! She will walk right past (approx 10 feet from her vehicle) the illegally parked Ferrari convertible revving it's engine, putting on a show for the teens to write tickets for Honda and Ford and all "lower class" aka middle class vehicles. Park anywhere you want if you have the right tax return and car title. Great job officer! read more

This beach is a classic in area with public access. There's a parking lot onsite with a fee if you choose to park there. It can be tricky to win over a spot during busier times so you may have to find a spot to park in town. There are restrooms on the beach near the Italian Ice stand. If you get hungry, it's a relatively quick walk over the bridge where more restaurant options are. The Stray Dog Bar & Grill is the first one you will see and is a must while in New Buffalo! read more

This is a wonderful beach. We went early in the season so the water was very cold but it's Lake Michigan people, what else would you expect?! The day was sunny and hot and there is not a lick of shade on the beach so make sure to bring your beach umbrellas. This would be a five star beach except for the parking situation. We waited in line a full 40 minutes to park. When we finally got to the front we discovered the reason. Instead of an attendant that can take cash quickly and the cars can flow through they had a parking machine that gave the option of taking credit cards. It was so slow that we wanted to see just how fast we could get through so when it was our turn we opened up our trusty little stopwatch ap on the phone and timed ourselves. Cash transaction......31 seconds. Credit cards are much longer. Later we found out that the parking machine was new just that weekend and that they are "working out the kinks." Yeah, I can help them work it out. Throw that #@*$ machine in the junk pile and hire one of those college kids in desperate need of a summer job to collect the money. One more word, and this is on parenting. Do not leave your child unattended! They become frightened and something could actually happen to them. When we were ready to leave the beach and headed out to the parking lot there was a young girl about age 3 or 4 standing by the edge of the pavement about ready to cry. My husband and I thought how strange. As we headed into the parking lot she did begin to cry. We thought she might be lost so I headed back to her and my husband headed out to the road to get a police officer. The child told me that her mother had left and gone into the parking lot. I stayed with her and just as I saw my husband and the officer coming the mother came up and very indignantly said that she had another child and that she couldn't carry two out to the car at the same time. I haven't even said anything to her. Can you believe that she mad at me? Well, if you had just put sandals or shoes on your children you wouldn't have to carry them over the hot pavement! A little fore thought people!!!! read more

New Buffalo Beach - Beaches Near Me

The out houses ( port a potties) were filled to the top of toilet with waste and no toilet paper if you really really needed to go. Awful site read more

I've been coming here for YEARS! This was the only "vacation" spot that my sister and I would go to with my grandparents for quite a few summers in a row and now I am taking my kids here. Love that. It's only about an hour and forty-five minute drive from me which is close enough and far enough to travel with the two kids. We got there and had to wait in a line of cars for about 30 minutes before actually getting into the parking lot because they installed an automatic payment machine which was, in my opinion, a big mistake! SOOO many people don't know how to use it, because they are older, foreign, etc, so one transaction would sometimes take up to 3-4 minutes!!! CRAY!! Needless to say, I was getting VERY impatient! Once we got in, there were still plenty of spots, so we parked and headed to the bathrooms to get changed. Bathrooms = YIKES! The women's, in particular, had 3 stalls and no area designated to changing or showering, which is a MAJOR downgrade!! I mean, I was literally in a line for 15 minutes just to get changed and for all the people just waiting to pee, they were super annoyed with people like me to had to change and therefore take a lot more time in the TINY ass stalls! They need some serious making over of those bathrooms and possibly add another one altogether since this is the ONLY one for the whole, huge beach! That in conjunction with the payment machine is what took the two stars off my rating because I absolutely LOVE the beach itself. The beach is super clean and for me, takes me back to my childhood, which I love. Even when it's crowded, it still seems like you have your own spot. The lifeguards are pretty attentive when dummies would venture out past the markers in the water and wouldn't stop blowing their whistles until they would come back. Yay for safety! And another thing that I love about the beach is when you break away from the crowds, you can find some amazing sea glass, porcelain, etc...OMG...LOVE it! That is such a passion of mine and again, takes me back. Awwww... Overall, I would definitely recommend this beach to anyone looking to get away from Chicago and relax for a little while. PS...one more downer is the long stretch of HOTTTT sand between the little walkway and the actual beach. They needs to be expanding that shit. read more

Very beautiful place to visit. Easy drive from Illinois and Indiana to New Buffalo, MI. The scenery is absolutely perfect. Still very cold when I visited. Could not swim in it but, it made for beautiful pictures. I recommend for all. read more

New Buffalo Beach - Beaches Near Me

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This beach( while more expensive then surrounding beaches ) is a fantastic beach! It's super clean and is well taken care of! One of the down sides is that people with money will get priority over everyone else. For instance a out of towner in a Porsche parked in the closest handicapped parking spot possible without any indication that he was handicapped, meanwhile the police just skipped right over him and he was there all day and never got a parking ticket. Now that's frustrating because the beach was packed and the people that needed that spot could not get it and had to park much, much, much farther away due to this stuck up snob who obviously was far too beyond the law! read more

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First off, the beach is beautiful and the walking plank out to beach was much appreciated. The frustrating part of our trip was the lack of posted instructions for paying for parking. Strangely, you must estimate your time at the beach and pay for that time frame (plus enter your license plate) FIRST, before going to beach. The ONLY sign that was posted for instructions was at the entrance, along with numerous other signs, which doesn't make it easily accessible and clear to read the information and confusing for my 71 year old mother. Let's keep in mind other cars are backing up behind her, ready to enter the beach. Once in the parking lot, there are 14 million signs posted regarding how to download pay app( again 71 y/o ) or enter in license plate # at kiosk. NEVER STATING TO PAY FIRST! Well, SURE SHIT she gets a $75 ticket. We go down to Town of New Buffalo and spoke to the nasty lady in charge of parking violations. I repeatedly gave her solutions on how to fix the problem, but she doesn't feel there is an issue with lack of educating the community on the strange parking regulations. The kicker was another lady came in complaint about the parking regulations right behind us Move along people, no problem here lol.. How the heck do you know how long you're going to stay at the beach?! read more

This is a nice and easy to reach beach in New Buffalo with convenient parking. It was rockier than I expected and rockier than some other local options, but still nice. There is a staircase that allows you to walk up to a great viewing area above the beach. I was taking a walk later in the day and loved this part! A small play area for the kiddos and clean bathrooms. Nice spot! read more

Fantastic beach that had onsite parking for $10. Its a nice beach and not real crowded out compared to many Chicago beaches. New Buffalo beach is located in downtown New Buffao city and has plenty of cute little shops and restaurants to try out. The Stray Dog restaurant is downtown and a classic for the neighborhood. The beach has a small restaurant that serves nachos, drinks and other snacks. read more

Its a nice lake michigan beach close to home. I would rate it better than michigan city beach but not as good as silver beach. They have paddleboard and kayak rental right on the beach. A tent in the sand and you cast off right where you swim. That was cool. I didnt care for the gravel and sinking feeling in the water. Also, I cant swim and it got deep fast. For swimmers its awesome, for me, it left minimum amount of playing room. read more

First time visitor to new buffalo beach. It was a nice day and the beach itself and the town was nice. However, when we left town we realized there was a piece of paper flapping in the wind as we had smiles on our faces from such a nice day. Our smiles soon faded as we realized the piece of paper was a parking ticket for the beach parking. We NEVER SAW a parking sign when we entered the beach. I thought a good, friendly, conversation with the number provided would be the best solution since we truly saw no parking pay station or sign at the beach parking lot. When I called, I polity asked where the sign was to pay and we were told that there were 4-5 signs directing us to a pay station (we didn't even see 1) and we were told there was a parking attendant in the lot as well. I was then told it's not the parking attendants fault that we didn't see the signs (fair-but we truly didn't see any signs) I hung up the phone pretty disappointed in the conversation with the disgruntled parking lady on the phone. I looked online for more info and it actually said there is NO parking attendant at the beach lot. I did a little more digging and this does not seem to be the first time this has happened. Beach goer be aware! Too bad the town of new buffalo won't post more obvious signage because last time I checked, I and my friends who are young, healthy, and intelligent people are not blind and can read. But there was truly no obvious sign to read. Makes me not want to go back and spend my money there. read more

It costs $12.00 to park, walk wasn't too bad but the sand was incredibly hot. The beach hut that served food didn't start serving until 1:00pm..... a little late in my opinion. It was nice for a day trip. read more

If you go to this beach make sure you search for a pay station! I did not see any signs to pay or a pay station and ended up having to pay $53 dollars! I would recommend going to the beaches in Indiana the are freeee, besides the National park! read more

Clean! Nice and peaceful. Everybody is coming to relax and hang out with their families. I was able to get tanned/audiobook and not worry about my kids safety. Kayaking was really fun too. read more

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Do not go to NB Beach. No lifeguards on duty, except 1 (only on busy days). Dirty bathrooms, no ventilation. Boardwalk gives splinters. Trash cans over flowing. Weird sand. Save your $12, and go to Warren Dunes State Park instead. read more

Whew---our mistake for thinking to go on a weekend. Not one social distance aspect taking place here. Since we drove a bit to get here, we stuck it out & stayed--especially as the Dunes were closed. The only place to stay away from a crowd was in the cove part-exactly where you're not supposed to swim so we just sat & enjoyed the water on a hot day. And speaking of hot, the sand-whew. The beach walk is a nice feature but only one foot wash-why can't more be added, especially now to keep people apart. The parking is atrocious. Don't bother to try at the beach---worthless & as others mentioned, a very screwy payment set up & they are looking to get tickets to as many cars as possible. If you can find a spot over the bridge, that is your best bet--but good luck, you & the rest of IN or IL is doing the same thing! Many better spots to try towards IN IL or MI---just not this one---keep it moving! read more

This is an annual stop for us, but it doesn't improve with age. The facilities need improvement at NB beach. They charge $10 for parking, ok. But what does NB do with the money? The bathrooms stink and need cleaning and ventilation. The foot shower is a muddy mess. It needs a shower on a DRAINED concrete slab. Just a little bit of design and drainage would go a long way to respecting paying visitors. The City of Grand Haven did a wonderful job on its city beach a couple of years ago. Check it out. We'll probably bypass New Buffalo until we know they upgraded the beach facilities. read more

Everything you could want in a beach! Loved the boardwalk that extends almost all the way to the water and appreciated that all areas of the parking lot, small playground, concession area, and sand are clean, tidy, and well maintained. You can rent paddleboards and kayaks, as well as beach umbrellas. Umbrellas seem to be quite popular along Michigan's beaches! Parking is easy and efficient in the lot and you don't have to walk far to reach the water. However, $10 to park on a weekday? Holy smokes, folks! Plan accordingly because there are no "in and out" privledges! If you arrive at sunrise or sunset there is no parking charge. During the day, the beach was pretty crowded and lots of people were still there when I ventured back later in the evening around sunset. In comparison to other beaches close by, I really enjoyed New Buffalo the most (except the steep parking fee!)! read more

one of my favorite beaches on lake michigan. plenty of space for everyone to have their own spot. the water is clean and litter-free. there are also two lifeguard towers, but i'm not too sure how often the lifeguards are there as sometimes they aren't. love this place! read more

Yelp a beach!!? Ok then. This place is great. We have a house on a small inland lake 12 miles from here, but love driving to New Buffalo for the afternoon to come to the beach. We are from Chicago and the beaches there do not compare to this one---not even North Ave or Oak St Beaches. My kids love it here. For some reason the water seems warmer, the sand is definitely cleaner (no worries about broken glass), and it is much more expansive. It also seems safer...dont mean to sound snooty, but I have kids to think about and this place is full of families with young kids having fun. Just like us. We end the day by having dinner at one of the many restsurants within walking distance, and ice cream of course. read more

I loved the small sand dunes to climb behind the beach. Yes, it was clean. The parking lot filled up quickly--by 11am on Labor Day weekend, so we parked across the bridge and walked. I just wish I knew how rocky and pebbly it is so I could pack water shoes for the kids. read more