Southern Gateway
Muskegon
A port city for dune hikes and beach days: state parks on both sides of town, a city beach, pier lighthouses, maritime museums and a ferry to Milwaukee.
About 5 miles away (straight line)
Beach · Southern Gateway
Pere Marquette Park
Muskegon's big Lake Michigan beach at the channel mouth, raked daily, with volleyball, kiteboarding, the South Breakwater Light and the Lakeshore Trail.
Pere Marquette Park is the beach Muskegon heads to in summer: 27.5 acres of sand on Lake Michigan where the Muskegon Channel meets the lake, at the north end of about 2.5 miles of city-owned shoreline. The sand is raked daily.
It suits families and anyone who wants a beach with things going on. There are sand volleyball courts, a restaurant and snack bar, play equipment and picnic tables, and the beach is a draw for kiteboarders, kayakers and paddleboarders. Kiteboarding rentals and lessons are listed on site.
Walk out the pier to the red Muskegon South Breakwater Light, or stroll the channel to watch boats come and go. The park is also the south end of the paved Muskegon Lakeshore Trail, if you want to ride along Muskegon Lake.
Parking is paid in summer, and a 200-foot accessible walkway leads onto the sand. The park also hosts the Burning Foot Beer Festival.
Practical information
- Managed by
- City of Muskegon
- Best months
- May to September
- Parking
- Parking is paid in summer, listed from mid-May to mid-September. Check current rates before you go.
- Official website
- muskegon-mi.gov
Location
Map of Pere Marquette Park
4 places on an OpenStreetMap map
Nearby towns
Also nearby
Straight-line distances, not driving distances.
State park
Muskegon State Park
Three miles of shoreline on Lake Michigan and Muskegon Lake, with forested dunes, two campgrounds, a CCC blockhouse and the Muskegon luge park.
About 1 miles away (straight line)
Attraction
Muskegon Luge Adventure Sports Park
A year-round adventure park inside Muskegon State Park with a luge track, lighted cross-country ski trails and skating in winter, and a zip line in summer.
About 3 miles away (straight line)
Trail
Muskegon Lakeshore Trail
About 12 paved miles along Muskegon Lake from Pere Marquette Park to the Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve, with views of the channel and South Pier light.
About 4 miles away (straight line)