This Top Tier Midwest Beach Is A Sunny, Sandy Michigan Delight With Nearby Urban Comforts
Northern Michigan has it all for those who want to enjoy the Midwest in style. Land adventurers have their pick of hiking, biking, and skiing, while culinary enthusiasts can dine at farm-to-table restaurants and sip local wine and beer at vineyards and breweries. Historic towns like this Lake Michigan fishing village with unique shops and restaurants woo visitors with their quaint charm, and the shores of Lake Michigan beckon with majestic views and luxe vacation stays.
Clinch Park Beach is also great for its dynamic draws, and you can head to the Lake Michigan beach to boat, bike, grab a bite to eat, or simply sit in the sun and enjoy the views. It sits on West Arm Grand Traverse Bay and on the edge of Traverse City, which was named by the Wallstreet Journal as one of the 10 Best Places to Go in 2025. It's easy to get to from other states if you're flying in. Cherry Capital Airport (TVC) airport is in the heart of the town and services direct flights from numerous cities such as Chicago, Denver, and Charlotte. Clinch Beach Park spans 1,500 feet of sandy shoreline and is right off Route 31, a mere 10-minute drive from the airport.
It's impossible to be bored at Clinch Park Beach
Make no mistake, Clinch Park Beach gets very crowded in the summer. But that's for good reason. It's less than an hour's drive of the popular Sleeping Bear Dunes and its long shoreline seems to beg beachgoers to bring an umbrella, blanket, or beach chair and sit for hours at the edge of the refreshing water. Kids can make a beeline for the playground and splash pad, and groups can unpack their lunches at the picnic tables or lounge on wooden benches.
Boaters can head to Paddle TC for kayak and paddle board rentals on the western end of the beach right before the Marina. If speed is more your thing, TC Watersports rents pontoons, speedboats, and deck boats, while North Shore Dock & Marine rents tritoons, fishing boats, and provides delivery. The Duncan L. Clinch Marina has a variety of docking packages and more than 100 slips. Launch directly onto the bay from the marina and join the other boaters enjoying the lake away from shore.
If you want to bike to the beach, there are bike racks available. If you're passing through, you'll do so on Tart trail a 10.5-mile long paved corridor connecting you to Traverse City sights. Pedestrian tunnels lead to and from the beach, guiding you to downtown Traverse City. Once in the city, you can sample its myriad restaurants and drinking establishments.
Head into Traverse City to eat and drink
Traverse City makes for a unique beach-lover's shopping paradise, and it's also known for culinary delights. Farm-to-fork restaurants like The Cook's House wows diners with their seasonal ingredients that are nearly all locally sourced, while a daily-changing Italian menu at Trattoria Stella delights guests with unique items such as wild boar and squash blossoms. Head to Lobdell's, a highly rated teaching restaurant with direct views of the bay. Guests have been pleased by eager service from the culinary students there, and marvel over the variety of cuisines.
If wine is more your thing, there are several vineyards and wineries on the Leelanau Peninsula, at the base of which Traverse City sits. Traverse City is considered an underappreciated wine paradise. You can sit on an outdoor patio and gaze at vineyards at Aurora Cellars, which offers tastings of wines such as sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, and pinot noir. Another is Shady Lane Cellars, situated in a 100-year-old fieldstone tasting room and offers German blends.
Traverse City has a Beer Week every November, which is great for sampling its microbreweries. For example, Earthen Ales has a long list of unique lagers and ales, and Suttons Bay Ciders has sweet, off-dry and hopped up ciders. You can sign up to get a chance at sipping all manner of frothy flavors or take the "Buzz Bus" tour that transports you to breweries, wineries and distilleries.