The Best Beaches Near Traverse City, Michigan

Traverse City is one of the most popular vacation destinations in northern Michigan. It is a lively city in a location that serves as a great base to access several beaches on the coast of Lake Michigan – even all in the same trip if you like to try new places each day of your trip!

Continue reading for our list of the best beaches near Traverse City. 🙂

1. Van’s Beach

For a small, quieter beach day with soft sand and a stunning tree-lined coast, check out Van’s Beach! This beach is free to the public and located near the small village of Leland, Michigan (also nicknamed “Fishtown”).

Van’s Beach in Leland is a 35 minute drive by car from Traverse City, located at 205 Cedar St, Leland, MI 49654.

2. Frankfort Beach

A bit farther down the coast, on the other side of the large sand dunes from Traverse City, is an expansive getaway called Frankfort Beach. This is a great place to spend a full day at the beach, with room for volleyball, water sports, and more. The beaches are wide enough that even with large crowds you will be able to claim your own space and relax.

Frankfort Beach is about an hour’s drive from Traverse City.

3. Sleeping Bear Point Trail Beach

This beach is a short, flat walk from a parking lot near Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park – but a little less trafficked! This is a good destination if you’re looking for somewhere relatively secluded, but just a short drive from a global tourist destination!

Given it’s location, I would recommend packing some supplies (food, drinks, blanket, bug spray) to enjoy your beach day with everything you need on hand!

The Point Trail Beach is located at W Sleeping Bear Dr, Glen Arbor, MI 49636, which is roughly a 40 minute drive from Traverse City.

4. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park

If you haven’t already been to Sleeping Bear Dunes, you’ll definitely want to make a pitstop. While not a typical beach, the dunes are made of large amounts of sand that you can set up camp on at either the top of bottom of the massive mounds. This would be a great place for a good book and great people watching!

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park is a 40 minute drive from Traverse City. It should be noted that you will be required to purchase a park pass in order to access the dunes.

5. Crystal Lake Beach

Though all of the beaches in Michigan are lakeshores, this beach is located on the smaller Crystal Lake instead of one of the vast Great Lakes. This beach backs up immediately to a small town in Benzie County, allowing you to enjoy sitting waterside while being able to pop over to a store or restaurant easily if wanted.

Crystal Lake is a 50 minute drive from Traverse City.

6. Clint Park Beach

Clint Park is one of the few beaches located within Traverse City’s bounds. So you really cannot get any more convenient than this if that is where you’re staying! Given its proximity, it may be a bit more crowded & rambunctious than some of the beaches farther out from the city listed above, but it’s still a popular choice!

7. West End Beach

West End Beach is adjacent to Clint Park up the western coast of Lake Michigan’s inlet towards Traverse City. This portion of the city’s beach is a bit longer of a stretch away from the central part of the town, with volleyball areas set up to enjoy as well.

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