Pere Marquette Park — Attraction in Muskegon

The sunset, the night we walked the pier, was the highlight sunset of a lifetime for all 3 of my kids and I. It's absolutely magical how it played out. The sky was bland, overcast, and we couldn't even see the sun that day. Ty, Ash, Em, and I decided to walk down the pier to the lighthouse right at sunset. We commented wishing the sky was in a better mood for a prettier sunset, having no idea how it would turn around the farther we walked. Both girls and I barefoot, of course, didn't realize the 2 mile round trip was mostly concrete 🥴. We first see a memorial for all the people who have lost their lives on this pier. The farther out we got, the sketcher it got. Drop off on each side surrounded by huge boulders. As we walked on, the more beautiful the sky became, turning into the most beautiful and breathtaking sky we've ever seen. And somehow, our phone cameras came very close to capturing it. We even chatted with a local that ventured out, saying how rare it was for them to see such a sunset over the lake. It was very hard to turn our backs on to venture back to the soft sand. Our feet were begging for 1/4th of the way in. Really wish I'd have taken more pics of our faces. But, we were too in awe of the sky to snap pics of anything else. Watch the pics in order (ugh, I don't think it put them in order) to see the sky turn from mundane to magnificent. The 2 hours we spent is not only the highlight of our trip, but mist definitely a highlight of a lifetime as a mom with my sunset chasing kids. If you are lucky enough to find yourself in Muskegon Michigan, definitely take the time to walk down the...

I've been going to this beach since I was a child. Now I've been all over the world chasing the sun and the beach. I'm blessed to say that we have one of the most beautiful beaches in the world right in my hometown... My daughter and I have made it our duty to grab a trash bag and gloves so when we are finished we pick are trash and any trash on the way to car.... The neatest thing is in the last cpl years I head down in the morning to meditate and soak mother nature's beauty , the more I see ppl not in city clothes picking up trash and it warms my heart! These days I'm not even filling my trash bag it's so clean! So thank to all that participate!! It shows! I'm proud to call this place home! Plus you can't beat the fresh water... Beautiful all seasons but the summer is a hit! We are starting to blow up thanks to social media and I've met ppl from Texas and Las Vegas who brought there women all the way back to propose to them and then back to get married so if that tells you! There words "you guys have the most amazing hidden little beach of the world" Anyway I can all day but come check it out yourself.. So much to do in...

Pere Marquette has all of the qualities needed for an ideal summer trip to a lake Michigan beach. Picturesque lighthouse, check. Extensive Sandy beaches, check. Recently updated kids playground, check. Public bathrooms, check. Picnic tables for easy picnic lunches, check. Beach volleyball courts, check. Extensive parking, check. Free to use, check.

I grew up in the area and know of other beaches that can hit most of these points, but pere Marquette is where I bring my kids when I come back to town because it hits all of these points consistently.

Note: summer 2019 has unusually high lake levels which means that many of the alternative lake options don't have much in the way of Sandy beaches because the water is right at the base of the dunes. Pere Marquette still has a ton of beach area to use at the main site, so it is largely unaffected by...