Peterson Beach

Winter clouds over Peterson Beach.

NPS credit

Quick Facts

Amenities

4 listed

Beach/Water Access, Entrance Passes for Sale, Parking - Auto, Toilet - Vault/Composting

Pets:
The endangered piping plover nest on Peterson Beach. Please review the pets in the park page for the most up-to-date information about areas closed to pets.


This Lake Michigan beach at the end of Peterson Road is one of the most beautiful and secluded beaches in the Lakeshore. This relaxing, less-crowded beach is a great place to hide out on a hot summer afternoon. Nestle in the deep sand behind a thicket of beach grass, listen to the waves rolling in, and just let go.

Peterson beach offers vistas of the bluffs along Sleeping Bear Point and Empire Bluff. To the south is Platte River Point. On a clear day, you can also see South Manitou Island.

Limited parking is available at the end of Peterson Rd and along the roadside. A boardwalk crosses the low dunes from the parking lot to the beach.

Enjoy the beach safely

Swim safe

The Lakeshore's pristine beaches are ideal for swimming, but forceful waves and rip currents can turn a fun visit into a frightening one. Use caution when swimming alone and take special precautions with children: keep a close watch on all children, stay within arm's reach, and be sure they are wearing a life jacket.

Be alert for rip currents

Although they are not common in the Lakeshore, rip currents are dangerous and can occur at any beach with breaking waves.
Lake Michigan conditions can change quickly. Know what to expect before you go in the water. Monitor the weather and check out the swim risk level for the beach you plan to visit. Read more in Safety.

 

Poison Ivy: leaves of three, leave it be!

Poison ivy grows plentifully in many areas of the Lakeshore as a vine or low shrub. The leaves are red in early spring, shiny green in summer, and an attractive red or orange in the fall. Each leaf consists of three leaflets. Most people are sensitive in varying degrees to the sap of this plant, which makes the skin itch, blister, and swell.

Avoid contact with all parts of the plant. Avoid plants with three leaflets.

If exposed, wash the affected skin with soap and water as soon as possible.
 

Beach fires

Roasting hot dogs and marshmallows over glowing coals while watching the sun go down over the lake is a perfect ending to a fun day at the beach. Beach fire are allowed on our mainland Lake Michigan beaches between the water's edge and where the dunes begin, and away from any vegetation. Make sure you use firewood from park approved vendors to help us protect our forests from pest and disease. And be sure to extinguish all beach fires with water. DO NOT bury fires-hidden embers could burn unsuspecting bare feet!

Take care around plover nesting areas

Keep a watchful eye out for a tiny animal friend, the piping plover, a threatened species that breeds here in the spring. Piping plovers find the cobbled beaches of Sleeping Bear Dunes an ideal place to find mates, nest, and raise their young. To protect the plovers and their nests, some parts of the beach may be temporarily closed to visitors and pets. Please help us protect these special birds by keeping dogs on a leash and obeying all beach closure signs.

Step around the Pitcher's thistle
Pitcher's thistle (Cirsium pitcher) blooms only once when the plant is seven years old. This native thistle grows only on the shorelines or sand dunes of the Great Lakes and is common in the Lakeshore. It is a threatened species: it is likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future.

Walking through foredunes on your way to the beach may trample and kill these plants before they can reproduce. So please watch out for the Pitcher's thistle: stay on the wooden walkways and established trails.

Paddle safe
Before going out for a paddle, check the weather. Have a boating plan and make sure others know it. Always wear safety gear, including personal flotation devices. Buddy up, don't go out alone. Check your boat and make sure it is safe for conditions. And always keep the shoreline in sight.

Look! A Petoskey stone!
Watchful beachcombers can find a rainbow of pebbles dotting the shore, but uncovering a Petoskey stone is finding beach treasure. Petoskeys have an interesting shape and the intricate hexagonal patterns of the fossil colonial coral. Tossed by the waves, a Petoskey is rounded and smooth. Their attractive gray to brown color make Petoskeys stand apart from all other local rocks, and they are a favorite of rock hounds. Admire these natural beauties all you like, but please don't take them from the beach: it is illegal under federal law to remove stones from the National Lakeshore. Leave what you see for others to discover!