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10 great beaches

In land of lakes, it's not hard to find a place to play.

The beach at Big Bay State Park faces Lake Superior.

The beach at Big Bay State Park faces the open water of Lake Superior.

Around here, you don't need oceans for a beach vacation.

We have thousands of lakes, plus inland seas on shoreline that often is called the Fourth Coast. Lake Michigan's shores are a veritable Riviera, and even rocky Superior has some noteworthy stretches of sand.

You could throw a dart at the map and come up with a good beach. Or you could take a cue from names of state parks — Point Beach and Harrington Beach in Wisconsin, McCarthy Beach in Minnesota, Orchard Beach in Michigan.

They're big, they're beautiful and they're not far away. Below are 10 of this region's best places to lounge away a summer day.

Europe Bay in northern Door County. This beach in Newport State Park, Wisconsin's only formally designated wilderness park, is long, curving and scenic, lined by wildflowers and grasses. It's good for swimming, depending on the mood of Lake Michigan, and you'll rarely find a crowd. 920-854-2500.

Pelican Lake near Nisswa, Minn. For all its fame as a summer vacation destination, the Brainerd Lakes area has very few places where the public can take a dip. In fact, this beach in Crow Wing State Forest is pretty much it. But it's a beauty, with a broad swath of sand and expansive lake views.

It's shallow, so it's good for playing but not swimming. And it's a great place to escape the heat. On a 95-degree day one July, my family and I spent a whole afternoon just sitting in the cool water, rising occasionally to toss a Frisbee.

It's a little tricky to get there. From Nisswa, head east on County Road 18 and then County Road 4 to its intersection with 118. From there, it’s 1.7 miles to Pelican Beach Road; turn left, and the beach is another mile. 218-546-5926.

Platte River Point in Michigan's Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. This is a great place to play. Swimmers can run back and forth between the warm, crystal-clear waters of the shallow river and cold Lake Michigan, whose sandy bottom is sprinkled with flat stones that are perfect for skipping. There's a grassy picnic area, and small sand dunes that kids like to run up and down.

There's the same choice of warm/cold at the Lake Michigan/South Bar Lake beaches in nearby Empire, where locals go to watch the sunset, and at the more remote Lake Michigan/North Bar Lake beaches, whose dunes look like they belong on the Atlantic Coast, not in the Midwest. 231-326-5134, www.nps.gov/slbe.

Oak Street Beach in Chicago. The nation's third-biggest city has 15 miles of beautiful beaches, all easily reached by bicycle or in-line skates on the Lakefront Trail. Oak Street Beach is just a few steps from bustling Michigan Avenue, but it may as well be in another time zone, with its California vibe and easygoing beach culture. Sit under an umbrella at a beachside cafe table or swim laps in the 65-degree water; lifeguards are on duty from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. 312-742-3224, www.chicagoparkdistrict.com.

Zippel Bay on Lake of the Woods. At the top of Minnesota, visitors to Zippel Bay State Park can look across 80 miles of inland sea toward Kenora, Ontario. The park's centerpiece is two miles of white sand lined with wildflowers, including lady's slippers and many other orchids. A stone jetty marks a harbor from which turn-of-the-century sturgeon fishermen once sent their fish to East Coast markets. 218-783-6252, www.mnstateparks.info.

Big Bay on Madeline Island. This long, curving beach on the largest of Wisconsin's Apostles is a beauty, with a mile and a half of luxurious sand. The annual sand-castle contest in August draws imaginative artists from all over.

Swimming off the beach in Big Bay State Park is mighty bracing until late summer, unless a breeze from the northeast brings in a layer of warm water. But people also can follow the beach north to Big Bay Town Park and splash in the warm water of the lagoon or rent a canoe. To the south, shoreline trails lead onto sandstone outcroppings. 715-747-6425.

Green Lake in Spicer, Minn. Nothing says "summer'' more than a day at Spicer's big Saulsbury Beach, also Kandiyohi County Park 4. There's usually a cutthroat game of beach volleyball going on, and swimmers line up to jump off a tower on one of two rafts. Next door, Melvin’s on the Lake dispenses burgers from the grill on its big patio and, on Saturdays, hosts outdoor concerts.

Park Point in Duluth, Minn. This Lake Superior beach is where you go if it's really hot or you're feeling really hardy. The dunes start just east of the Aerial Lift Bridge and line this six-mile sandbar right up to the Superior Entry. It's all public, but the Park Point Recreation Area beach, with beach house and restrooms, starts off 43rd Street. The view of hillside Duluth, hazy in the hot summer sun, is a bonus. 800-438-5884, www.visitduluth.com.

Rock Island in Door County. Surrounded by Lake Michigan, this island, entirely Rock Island State Park, is cool in summer and warm in fall. It's as far east as you can go in Wisconsin, and the islands off Michigan's Garden Peninsula can be seen from its lighthouse. Campers get the best use of its beautiful south-shore beaches because ferry schedules limit the time day-trippers can spend there. If the lake is calm, though, canoeists and kayakers easily can cross the milelong strait from Washington Island. 1-920-847-2235.

Father Hennepin State Park on Mille Lacs in Minnesota. Little more than an hour and a half north the Twin Cities, this small but lovely park includes prime beachfront on big Mille Lacs Lake. On a hot day, it's a particularly nice destination for bicyclists on the paved Soo Line Trail, which stretches 11 miles between Onamia and Isle. 320-676-8763.

Last updated on August 4, 2008

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10 great beaches

In land of lakes, it's not hard to find a place to play.