The beach stretches for nearly a mile along Little Traverse Bay, its sandy shoreline punctuated by rounded stones that demand close inspection. You're searching for the hexagonal patterns of Petoskey stones—ancient Hexagonaria coral colonies that reveal their honeycomb structure when wet or polished. The hunt becomes a treasure quest that keeps children occupied for hours, crouched at the waterline with handfuls of promising candidates.
“This is the prime hunting ground for Petoskey stones, Michigan's official state fossil found nowhere else on Earth.”
Credit: FlickrNW Petoskey MI 1908 MOTOR LAUNCH pleasure boat LOLA off shore on Little Traverse Bay. The H. O. Rose Lime Works on the beach below the and the Arlington Hotel are featured with the City on the right2
The swimming here favors families with young children: Lake Michigan's shelf extends gradually, keeping depths manageable for fifty feet or more. Summer water temperatures climb into the low seventies, though spring and fall swimmers will need neoprene. Behind the beach, forested dunes rise sharply, laced with trails that reward the climb with views across the bay toward Harbor Springs. Picnic shelters nestle among the pines, and the two-hundred-plus campsites fill quickly on summer weekends.
You'll find bathhouses, grills, and playground equipment—the infrastructure that transforms a pretty beach into a viable day trip with restless kids. Winter visitors cross-country ski the trails or walk the frozen shoreline, searching for stones against snow. The park sits two miles north of downtown Petoskey, convenient enough for ice cream runs yet removed from the traffic of US-31. Pack a mesh bag for your stone collection and leave the beach rake at home; Michigan law permits hand collection only.
