Grand Haven City Beach

Grand Haven City Beach suits you if you want the Grand Haven shoreline without the state park’s entry pass. It is the city’s sandy swimming beach on South Harbor Drive, just south of Grand Haven State Park, with the same Lake Michigan water and the same view up the shore to the pier.

The draw is parking. The beach has its own free lot with no pass needed, and on a busy summer Saturday that can be easier than the state park gate. There is no overnight parking, so plan to be out by 10 pm.

Keep expectations simple. It is listed without the volleyball courts and concessions you get at the state park, but a paved path leads toward the shore. Dogs on a leash are listed as welcome early and late in the day in summer and at any hour from October through April; check posted rules first.

Lake Michigan off Grand Haven can turn rough, and the city warns about undertows and rip currents. Watch the flags at the state park, swim only in calm water, and stay off the pier to the Grand Haven South Pierhead Lights when waves are high. See our Lake Michigan page for more on the big lake.