Elberta Beach, Michigan, United States

5David L 5:00 PM Aug 10, 2015

Those lists of the "10 best beaches" missed this one,
Follow the road (formerly M-168, which was the shortest state highway in Michigan) through Elberta until you see Bye St heading up the hill. At the top is a parking lot where the more timid drivers stop. From there you can see miles along the Lake Michigan coastline as well as down at the Frankfort harbor and light. Just before sunset the lot fills with cars as people come to watch the sun fall into the massive inland sea. As long as it is not winter, you can then drive down the steepest (but paved) hill your car has been on in a while to the lower parking lot. A boardwalk (some years there are 2 of them) crosses the dunes to the shore. Across the bay in Frankfort there may be hundreds of people, but there are rarely more than a few at Elberta. The sand is perfect, the water is clear. This year, Lake Michigan is several feet higher than before and the beach is much narrower. So you may need to pull back into one of the open sandy areas in the dune grass to sun yourself. You can walk for more than 5 miles down the beach to the south and at certain times of the day and in any month but July or August you may not see anybody. Alcohol is permitted but carry away your trash please. Dogs are permitted too, but even more important carry your doggy baggy! Did I mention the tree covered dune that rises high above the beach? For a real treat carry some firewood, beach chairs or blanket and a bottle of wine down just before sunset. watch the sunset, light the fire, open the wine and get ready for some great star watching to the sound of lapping waves. I just talked myself into it---I am going again this weekend!

4AndSand76 5:00 PM Aug 4, 2021

Spacious beach
This beach is an interesting contrast to the neighboring Frankfort Beach. Arriving mid-morning on an August Wedesday, we found very few people on the beach, which stretches for a long ways. There is lots of sand and water space. More people eventually came, but there was still plenty of space. There were small waves and the water wasn't particularly shallow, but our chidren ages 4 to 8 had a great time for many hours. The sand seemed slightly coarser than at Frankfort. Walking out on the pier provided great views of both beaches, boats coming and going on the Betsie River, water splashing on the rocks, and many fish.