Ludington & Manistee
Ludington
A Lake Michigan harbor town for beach and lighthouse trips, with the S.S. Badger car ferry and a big dune state park just north of town.
Under a mile away (straight line)
Beach · Ludington & Manistee
Stearns Park Beach
Ludington's free city beach on Lake Michigan: 2,500 feet of sand, a playground, mini golf, accessible paths and the pier to the North Breakwater Light.
Stearns Park Beach is the in-town beach for Ludington, and it suits almost everyone: families, people who want a lighthouse walk, and anyone who wants a beach without an entry fee. It is a free city beach with about 2,500 feet of white sand on Lake Michigan, kept up by the city.
Kids have plenty beyond the water. There is a playground, a skate park, mini golf, shuffleboard and volleyball, plus a grassy strip with picnic tables and grills for a long afternoon.
Access is a strength here. In summer, three wheelchair-accessible paths run to the water, and you can borrow a free sand wheelchair, first come, first served. Check ahead if you are counting on it.
From the beach, a long pier leads out to the North Breakwater Light at the harbor entrance. It is an easy walk on a calm evening, and Stearns Park is a local favorite for sunset. Stay off the pier when waves are high.
Parking runs diagonally along one-way Stearns Outer Drive; pull in nose first. For dunes and a wilder shore, head north to Ludington State Park. More on the big lake is on our Lake Michigan page.
Practical information
- Managed by
- City of Ludington
- Best months
- June to September
- Pier and lighthouse
- A long, walkable pier runs from the beach out to the North Breakwater Light. Stay off it when waves are high.
- Official website
- ludington.mi.us
Location
Map of Stearns Park Beach
4 places on an OpenStreetMap map
Nearby towns
Also nearby
Straight-line distances, not driving distances.
Attraction
S.S. Badger
A 1953 coal-fired steamship and National Historic Landmark that carries passengers and vehicles across Lake Michigan between Ludington and Manitowoc, Wisconsin.
Under a mile away (straight line)
State park
Ludington State Park
A big dune park between Hamlin Lake and 7 miles of Lake Michigan shore, with three campgrounds, 21 miles of trails and the walk to Big Sable Point Lighthouse.
About 6 miles away (straight line)
Lighthouse
Big Sable Point Lighthouse
An 1867 lighthouse, 112 feet tall and banded black and white, on the Lake Michigan shore in Ludington State Park. You reach it on a 1.8-mile walk or ride.
About 7 miles away (straight line)