Just in Time for Labor Day 2015, Michigan's Best Beach Bets

Grand Haven State Park is one of the “beachiest” places in Michigan, according to Thrillist. (Photo by Eridony via Flickr)

Beach season is slipping away – and if you’re looking to slip away before Labor Day (Monday, Sept. 7), Michigan has lots to offer with 3,000 miles of Great Lakes shoreline, in addition to gorgeous inland lakes.

Where should you go? Thrillist, which recently ranked 19 beach towns in Michigan.

Here’s the rundown, in reverse order:

19. Copper Harbor: Located in the northernmost tip of the continental United States on the Lake Superior shoreline, this part of the UP is better known for hiking than summertown frolicking.

18. St. Ignace: The best thing about St. Ignace is the view of the Mackinac Bridge from Kiwanis Beach. Save the ferry fee and kayak from there to Mackinac Island.

17. Cheboygan: Located on the shores of Lake Huron, Cheboygan State Park has seven miles of lake frontage with a mix of habitats from marshes to dunes and beaches to wetlands. Cheboygan also has Burt Lake State Park with 2,000ft of sandy shoreline.

16. Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island: Mackinac Island is picturesque enough, but the beaches are small, rocky and not suited for beachy things.

15. Petoskey: Sunset Park, perched on bluffs overlooking Little Traverse Bay and with the stair tower to Bayfront Park, the waterfall helps make this a northern Michigan favorite.

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14. Ludington: Ludington State Park has a beautiful stretch of sand that’s seven miles long, with some of it accessible from outside of the park, if you’re being cheap. Within the park is the lovely Hamlin Lake Beach area with warm, shallow waters, and just to the north is the 3,450-acre Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area.

13. Charlevoix: It’s not exactly a traditional “beach town,” but there’s plenty here to keep visitors occupied once they’ve finished the beach portion of their day. Some options: a walk on the Charlevoix South Pier to the lighthouse, biking on the 26-mile Little Traverse Wheelway, and a hunt for Petoskey stones at Fisherman’s Island State Park.

12. Suttons Bay: The Leelanau Peninsula is a place to hang out all summer long, with vineyards and wineries, ciders and beer, and farm-to-table restaurants. There’s a samll public beach at Marina Park, which is secondary to all the other amenities and offerings.

11. Empire/Glen Harbor: Sleeping Bear Dunes isn’t exactly sleepy. “Good Morning America” named it the most beautiful place in America in 2011. With a national lakeshore sandwiched between them, the two towns essentially function as one for beach purposes. They’re both great places to “just be.”

10. Pentwater: Pentwater Public Beach offers white sand and a boardwalk, plus oodles of beachy entertainment options and the Silver Lake Sand Dunes, a 2,000-acre mountain of sound, and the only dunes east of the Mississippi where you can drive a dune buggy.

9. Sawyer: Sand dunes run along most of Michigan’s west coast. The dunes at Warren Dunes State Park tower 260 feet.

8. South Haven: Located on the shore of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Black River, South Haven was once known as “the Catskills of the Midwest.” South Haven has seven public beaches and a great view of the South Haven South Pier Lighthouse.

7. Manistee: All of the beaches in Manistee are public, and they’re the big, beautiful kind of beaches that are full of sugary-soft sand. Other draws include charming historic buildings lining a quintessential American Main Street and cute riverwalks, bridges and marinas.

6. Benton Harbor/St Joseph: These sister cities practically share Silver Beach County Park. St. Joseph may be themore charming coastal resort-style sister, but Benton Harbor is stronger in the cultural areas

5. Traverse City: If you want to still feel like you’re getting away but are still part of civilized society , consider Traverse City. It has consistently been ranked as one of the top places for food, wine and small-town Main Street amenities that may lure you away from the actual beach.

4. Saugatuck/Douglas: Saugatuck, nicknamed “The Great Art-Doors,” and Douglas have strong reputations as Great Lakes art destinations.

3. Holland: Of the many reasons to visit Holland, some stand out: Tunnel Park; local breweries like New Holland Brewing, Founders and Bell’s; the tulip celebration in May; and, of course, Holland State Park, which has sandy beaches on both Lake Michigan and Lake Macatawa.

2. Muskegon: Marquette Beach is one of only three “certified clean” beaches for public safety and environmental health on the Great Lakes. Visitors will enjoy 27.5 acres of sugar-sand beach and pristine water, along with 2½ miles of Lake Michigan shoreline at Pere Marquette Beach. In all, Muskegon County has 27 miles of Lake Michigan frontage, including a rare lakefront amenity – a dog beach in Kruse Park.

1. Grand Haven: The big, sugary-sandy beach at Grand Haven State Park is the main draw, and it was named AAA’s favorite in Michigan. There is plenty to do and see and eat and drink in in downtown Grand Haven, too. This is a Michigan beach town at its very finest: beachy, breezy, and boozy.

» Now it’s your turn. Do you agree with this list? What are the best inland beaches in southeast Michigan?