Good Harbor Beach (CR 651)

Good Harbor Beach (CR 651) is a broad, west-facing Lake Michigan beach at the end of County Road 651, north of Glen Arbor. It’s a worthwhile stop for a swim, a carry-in paddle, or a sunset over Good Harbor Bay. The water is about 125 feet from parking across soft sand. A lot and roadside spaces serve the access, and parking can fill on busy days. There are picnic tables and a vault toilet, but no food service is listed, so bring a picnic if you’re staying. The beach is identified as wheelchair accessible, though the final stretch is soft sand; factor that in if you need a firm route to the water.

The open shore faces west. Pyramid Point rises to the west, with the Whaleback and North Manitou Island to the north; on a clear day, you may also see the Fox Islands. For a photo, use the curve of shoreline in the foreground and look west near sunset.

Good Harbor grew as a small settlement around a sawmill and dock in the mid-1870s. As timber ran low, the mill and about a million feet of lumber burned in 1905. It wasn’t rebuilt, and the post office closed in 1907. In 1924, John Peters bought most of the remaining buildings and dismantled them for lumber. The shoreline pilings are the only trace of the village.

Glacial moraines shaped Good Harbor and the nearby lakes. Waves later cut into those deposits, while wind and water moved lighter sand onto higher ground to form dunes. The beach and dunes belong to the same changing shoreline.