Lake Harbor Park — Attraction in Norton Shores

Just one of my favorite places in the world...

Some friends brought me here 20 or so years ago and I thought it was such a cool place. I've always been used to huge public beaches with tons of people, or rocky private beaches on the east side. This beach/park is better than either. A big lake beach with very few people.

A nice 10-15min walk from the parking lot to the actual beach is a nice lead up and cool down. There are pavilions and other public park services right next to the parking area. There is a paved path that goes East around the northwest side of Mona Lake. That path also continues West, traveling through the woods before meeting the boardwalk which goes by the canal to the beach There is also a stairway leading up to the bluffs.

It's so beautiful from the up there. I proposed to my wife there over a decade ago since it was our favorite spot. Still hasn't lost any of the magic. In fact, they've added a little bit here and there over the years. Fair warning, though, that if you are expecting large swaths of sandy goodness, like Grand Haven, you will be disappointed. In fact, in recent years with higher water levels, the beach has been known to disappear entirely at times. So you may be in for a hike along the beach to find an open spot during really busy days. You'll know what you're in for if the parking is full.

Additional bathroom facilities (port-a-johns) have been added along the path, but there is nothing close to the beach anymore.

Overall, it's one of those out of the way secrets of Michigan. Not much else can compare. When I think of "the Lake", this is...

Not a lot of people on this sunny, warm, gentle breeze rush hour weekend visit! And ample parking, ease of ingress and egress and since the view wouldn’t afford one some sense of privacy and wilderness and with ease of accessibility if it didn’t take some effort and time: there’s what I approximate as a three city block distance from the parking lot through a wooded path with slight up’s and downs adjacent to the canal a harbor and is mostly a mild incline to the paths reaches the peak - which is also the bottom of the miles long three story tall sand dune just off the short of LM. So, your first view comes with a more than a little tease, but delivers way beyond it - you’ll have the water’s sunset horizon east and north while nestled softly but firmly at the base of the dunes at a goldy-lox distance...

This place is BEAUTIFUL! I immensely enjoyed my time here and would highly recommend anyone who’s is considering the possibility of come if here!

You will have the opportunity for some amazing pictures around sunset as the beach faces west out into the lake and thus the sun sets that way.

The trails from the parking lot to the beach are a bit long but not too bad. And the views are breathtakingly!

If you're looking for landscape photo ideas, there is plenty of driftwood and also the shape of the beach forms an arch which is great for leading lines in images. The water also moves quickly so it’s easier to drag your shutter speed to blur the water without being too...