Gold Coast
The 48-acre urban park is all beach – a wide, gorgeous one with squeaky clean sand. It’s mega popular in summer, especially for families, who appreciate the warm shallows for swimming. Stroll the pier punctuated by a tall red lighthouse, or mosey on the boardwalk that skirts the Grand River and deposits you downtown.
The park offers 174 modern tent and RV sites ($33 to $37); reserve ahead for a spot.
19.59 MILES
One of the state’s most visited parks, Holland offers a lovely huge beach on Lake Michigan that’s stellar for sunset gaping and lighthouse views. A cafe,…
1.09 MILES
Chinook Pier has a lot going on. There’s a seasonal mini-golf course (adult/child $3/2) and farmers market (8am to 1pm Wednesday and Saturday). Wet Mitten…
0.87 MILES
Everyone gathers for the musical fountain performance each evening in summer. It's a trippy tradition to watch water spray high in the sky while…
29.45 MILES
The downtown museum is dedicated to Michigan's only president. Ford stepped into the Oval Office after Richard Nixon and his vice president, Spiro Agnew,…
2.8 MILES
Learn about dunes! A 0.7-mile (one way) boardwalk trail takes you from the parking lot to the Lake Michigan shore. Prepare for loads of stairs up and down…
29.83 MILES
The city's beyond-the-norm art museum fills a sun-drenched building with 19th- and 20th-century works. European and American masters such as Henri de…
27.2 MILES
Life guards patrol the long expanse of fine sand. There are bathrooms and concession stands, though not enough to spoil the peaceful, dune-laden scene. It…
29.77 MILES
Maya Lin – best known for designing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC – created this round plaza in the heart of downtown. In summer it…
0.87 MILES
Everyone gathers for the musical fountain performance each evening in summer. It's a trippy tradition to watch water spray high in the sky while…
1.09 MILES
Chinook Pier has a lot going on. There’s a seasonal mini-golf course (adult/child $3/2) and farmers market (8am to 1pm Wednesday and Saturday). Wet Mitten…
2.8 MILES
Learn about dunes! A 0.7-mile (one way) boardwalk trail takes you from the parking lot to the Lake Michigan shore. Prepare for loads of stairs up and down…
16.65 MILES
A popular place to immerse in all things Dutch. When the gardens bloom in spring, Veldheer charges a fee (adult/child $12/6). Otherwise it's free to check…
19.59 MILES
One of the state’s most visited parks, Holland offers a lovely huge beach on Lake Michigan that’s stellar for sunset gaping and lighthouse views. A cafe,…
27.2 MILES
Life guards patrol the long expanse of fine sand. There are bathrooms and concession stands, though not enough to spoil the peaceful, dune-laden scene. It…
29.45 MILES
The downtown museum is dedicated to Michigan's only president. Ford stepped into the Oval Office after Richard Nixon and his vice president, Spiro Agnew,…
29.77 MILES
Maya Lin – best known for designing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC – created this round plaza in the heart of downtown. In summer it…