Lakeport, MI

Lake Huron

4/5

Overview:

Located 20 minutes north of Port Huron is Lakeport State Park, the perfect state beach for getting out of the city and going for a swim on a hot summer day. This state beach is also located close enough to the metro Detroit area to be a great day trip beach. Off M-25, down a small hill and through the trees, you will find the beautiful dark blues and teals of Lake Huron. The park is also a great place to barbeque or get family and friends together.  

Location:

Thumb Michigan, Lake Huron.

Distance from:

Port Huron: 11 miles (20 minutes)

Detroit: 72 miles (1-hour 11minutes)

Flint: 73 miles (1 hour 7 minutes)

Ann Arbor: 110 miles (1 hour 44 minutes)

Lansing: 128 miles (1 hour 57 minutes)

Swimming conditions:

Lakeport State Park is a great place to go swimming. You can swim laps parallel to the beach on a calm day because there is no current. The water is crystal clear at the water’s edge and the water temperature is refreshing and soothing (I went the 2^nd week of August). Very enjoyable swimming experience.

Sand and Land Conditions:

The beach is about 1,350 feet of water frontage but the depth is only about 25 feet to 30 feet for most of it. The entrance to the beach is a bit deeper, but most of the beach is narrow because of trees and bushes close to the water. Water levels in the Great Lakes have been high this summer (2019), which might have something to do with the narrow beach depth. The sand is white and can be hot at times. Water’s edge is a little bit rocky, but not as rocky as other beaches in Port Huron. You can survive without water shoes here. On the small hill overlooking the beach, there are plenty of grills and places to have your picnic.

Views:

Even though I have been to Lake Huron many times, I was amazed at the first impression this beach had on top of the hill.  To the southeast, you see Canada with windmills on the shore. To the east, you see infinite water to the horizon. This is a great place to see Great Lakes freighters, I saw four of them all at once when I first arrived. Take your mind off your stressors and stare at Lake Huron.

Bathrooms:

Lakeport has great bathrooms; they are relatively big and were clean when I went. The bathroom here is above average for a state park. The park could use an outdoor shower for washing off the sand and a better foot wash station.

Cost/ Parking:

Lakeport, being a state park, you need the recreation passport on your license plate or pay a daily fee (usually $10). That being said, I went on a Friday and Saturday and there wasn’t anyone checking people in at the gate. There’s no reason not to have the recreation passport, it’s $11 for the year and it gets you into all Michigan State Parks. Help maintain Michigan State Parks, they are beautiful. There is a small parking lot on the eastside of M-25 and a larger parking lot on the west side of M-25 that is connected to the beach by a pedestrian bridge. The westside lot has hundreds of parking spots, but it is a bit of a hike to the beach.   

Ratings:

Beach size: 3.5/5

Views: 5/5

Bathroom: 3/5

Swimming conditions: 5/5

Overall: 4/5

Travel rating:

A perfect day trip beach for most of the eastern part of Michigan.