Michigan Beach Ranked One of the Best in the World

Michigan is known for having some of the best beaches in the U.S., thanks to the Great Lakes and all of our incredible inland lakes. As it turns out, one Michigan beach has also been ranked one of the best beaches in the entire world.

I know that seems like a stretch, even for Michigan, but if you think about it, Michigan truly has some of the best freshwater beaches in the world. The state is a rich source of freshwater for the world, so it makes sense that one of the state's beaches would make the cut.

That beach is Oval Beach in Saugatuck, Michigan. According to Saugatuck.com, Oval Beach is "recognized as one of Condé Nast Traveler’s Top 25 Beaches in the World, National Geographic Traveler’s Top Freshwater Beaches in the USA, and MTV’s Top 5 Beaches in the USA." That's a lot of great recognition for just one beach. City-Data.com goes on to discuss some of the beach's highlights, stating, "Oval beach can best be reached via North America's only hand-pulled chain ferry boat, which crosses the Kalamazoo River from nearby Saugatuck. A climb of 282 steps then takes visitors to Mount Baldhead, where they are rewarded with a splendid view of the harbor and Lake Michigan. From there, visitors descend onto the grassy coastal sands and the stunning shoreline. Along with the customary beach activities of swimming and sunbathing, visitors can also take a freewheeling ride on the "dune schooner" - a converted pickup truck that traverses some of the towering nearby sand hills."

The site adds, "The area is vintage, small-town Americas at its best - a combination of scenic, beautiful beaches, 19th-century architecture, and 21st-century shops and activities." The latest pricing data for Oval Beach says parking is $10/day and $50/season. To ride the chain ferry or Interurban bus, it will cost you $1. Admission is free from Labor Day to Memorial Day.

Read on for a list of the 40 Michigan small towns for a great weekend getaway!

Summer is on the way, and that means it's about to be road trip season. I always enjoy driving around during the spring and summer months, discovering new towns around Michigan. Fall is a great time to road trip, too, because of the gorgeous colors. This state has so many beautiful small towns, which make for perfect stops during a long road trip.

So, how small are Michigan's tiniest dwellings? I actually looked up some data from the state of Michigan and discovered that many towns in Michigan have just a few hundred people. That's almost hard to imagine. Some examples are Addison at 597, Akron at 394 and Alba at 295. Now, that's really, really small.

When it comes to Michigan's quaint cities, I always enjoy South Haven. My uncle lives around that area, and I used to go there at lot as a kid. The beach town is right on the eastern shores of Lake Michigan, in the southwest part of the state. Its population is just over 4,000 residents, but it seems way bigger during the summer months, as it's a very popular tourist destination. Just thinking about South Haven's warm, sandy beaches is making me smile. If you head there, don't forget to check out South Haven's trademark red lighthouse.

Of course, South Haven is just the beginning when it comes to great places to visit. Read on for 40 small towns in Michigan that you need to visit this summer for a weekend getaway. You'll also find information on each town below with a link to that town's official website, so you can find more details about the best time to visit and how to get there.

https://www.munising.org/

https://www.travelmarquette.com/

https://www.traversecity.com/

https://www.michigan.org/city/holland

https://saultstemarie.com/

https://www.alpena.mi.us/

https://tawascity.org/

https://www.sjcity.com/

https://www.cityofharborsprings.com/

https://www.escanaba.org/

https://www.frankenmuth.org/

https://www.mackinacisland.org/

https://www.ci.northville.mi.us/

https://villageofontonagon.org/

https://www.michigan.org/city/paradise

https://www.copperharbor.org/

https://www.saugatuck.com/

https://www.southhaven.org/

https://petoskeyarea.com/

https://visitludington.com/

http://www.pentwater.org/

https://www.mytecumseh.org/

http://www.colonmichigan.org/

http://www.cityofboynecity.com/

https://www.michigan.org/city/caseville

https://portaustinarea.com/

https://www.easttawas.com/

https://stignace.com/

https://www.michigan.org/city/suttons-bay

https://www.newberrychamber.net/

http://www.cityofmarshall.com/

https://www.harrisvillemi.org/

https://www.frankfortmich.com/

https://villageofelberta.com/

https://elkrapids.org/

https://www.michigan.org/city/au-gres

https://www.rosecitymich.com/

https://www.gaylordmichigan.net/

https://menominee.us/