Port Huron, MI

Lake Huron

3.5/5

Overview:

Lighthouse Park is located at the southern base of Lake Huron, where it transitions into the St. Clair River. Lighthouse Park is one of the few beaches in the Port Huron area. Swim in Lake Huron as freighters go under the Blue Water Bridge. The lighthouse the park is named for is Michigan’s first lighthouse and oldest still in service.  For more information about the lighthouse, check the Fort Gratiot Light in the lighthouse section. Experience the Great Lakes within a short drive of the Detroit area.

Location:

Thumb Michigan, Lake Huron.

Distance from:

Detroit: 64 Miles (1 hour 3 minutes)

Flint: 68 Miles (59 minutes)

Ann Arbor: 102 Miles (1 hour 36 minutes)

Lansing: 123 Miles (1 hour 50 minutes)

Swimming conditions:

Lighthouse park is a beautiful beach with amazing water, I just wouldn’t recommend it for beginner swimmers. Because of its location at the base of Lake Huron and the mouth of the St. Clair River, there is a strong current (the water flows from North to South). The water also gets deep quickly, so the swimming rope is only about 30 feet from shore. Water’s edge is very rocky and so is the bottom, I recommend water shoes for swimming here. Also, along the beach there are steel dividers in the sand, most likely to try to prevent erosion. At first the water can be a little cold, but it is refreshing after a while. No lifeguards on duty.

Sand and Land conditions:

Lighthouse Park has over 900 feet of shoreline on Lake Michigan and plenty of room to set up your spot for the day. The sand is a medium coarse yellow sand that didn’t get too hot on the day I went. There is also a large playground and picnic area for grilling.

Views:

When you first walk from the parking lot you are taken back by the beauty of the teal and dark blue water of Lake Huron and the endless horizon to the north. When you look to the east and south, you will see Sarnia, Ontario and the Blue Water Bridge. The beach is a great place to watch freighters go by as they get close to the beach on their way north or south. If lighthouses interest you, you can get up close to the Fort Gratiot Light right next to the beach. 

Bathrooms:

The cylinder block building bathroom is average at best. They were relatively clean the day I went. I was at the beach on a Wednesday and for some reason the bathroom closed at 4:00 PM when the beach is open until sunset. There are port-a-potties also available in the parking lot, but those are never a pleasant experience.

Cost / Parking:

On the Port Huron website, it says admission is $5 (per car) for the day, which is more than reasonable for this park, but when I went on a Wednesday there was no one there to collect money. There is adequate parking for a park this size, but it wouldn’t be unheard of on a weekend for the lot to be full. If that is the case there are nearby neighborhood streets that should have parking available.

Ratings:

Beach size: 4/5

Views: 5/5

Bathroom: 2.5/5

Swimming condition: 3/5

Travel rating:

Lighthouse Park is a less expensive option to Lakeside Park for out-of-towners (and possibly less crowded also). Enjoy a Lake Huron beach day and check out the lighthouse and freighters. If your drive is an hour and a half of less, I recommend it for a day trip to Lake Huron.