Douglas Beach Park — Attraction in Douglas

You will arrive to this beach park.

You will gaze down at a seemingly endless series of steps in varying widths, lengths and steepness.

You will debate if it is worth it to descend and ascend these steps to go to the beach.

You will see a few people on the beach who you are quite certain struggled mightly with the aforementioned steps.

You will think if they can do it. I can do it.

You will the descend the steps.

You will get to the beach.

You will be delighted with how delicate and soft the tan sand feels on the soles of your steppers.

You will notice a lot of rocks, small rocks, scattered along the area of the sand where the remnants of waves clash with the sand.

You will find a flat rock. You will try to skip it. You will feel disappointed that your perfectly flat rock’s skipping trajectory was interrupted by a less than moderate sized wave.

You will look around. You will briefly forget you are in michigan and you will think you are near an ocean in an exotic locale.

You will remember you are in michigan. You will think the lake is too cold for swimming and splashing. You will dip your toe in the lake. You will realize it’s warmer than you think.

You will play in the water for a bit. You will do other beach things.

You will decide it’s time to go. You will look at the stairs. You will think, why did I decide to descend these stairs to get to the beach?

With sand stuck all over your legs and feet you will ascend the stairs. You will wash your feet off.

You will load in your car and a small war will be unleashed between cars waiting for your spot.

You will look upon this beach day with fondness.

You will be happy you...

I took my wife on a birthday weekend to a cabin not far from here and on our way back from driving up the coast we we're able to stop and capture the view of the sun setting over the lake. Standing on the beach huddled together for warmth as we watched the sun clinging to the horizon, as though it didn't want to give up the the fight to the night, was without a doubt the apogee of our trip. Yes we had to drive 30 min back to the cabin in the dark, but have such a peaceful place to reflect back on was well worth it. The beaches are going to be filled with hundreds of tourists during the summer and the feeling of peace and tranquility will be lost. Come in the winter when you can have the place to yourselves. We plan to return in a month and again...

Wonderful beach. There was plentiful parking when we arrived (~6 pm on a Saturday), and the beach was secluded and peaceful. Parking spaces are, admittedly, fairly limited (around 10-12 spots), but they are worth waiting for if you are not a fan of crowded places. Perfect for introverts who want to enjoy the beach! Beware of the riptides, and bring water shoes to avoid having your feet mangled by the rocky shoreline.

Hotels in the area are exorbitantly priced, and the downtown saugatuck area is over-hyped at best, so either plan for accomodations in advance, or make this a day trip (which is what...