Oval Beach

About Oval Beach

One of the most celebrated beaches in the world — and that's not hyperbole. Condé Nast Traveler ranked it among the Top 25 Beaches in the World, National Geographic Traveler named it one of the top freshwater beaches in the USA, MTV put it in their Top 5, and Tripadvisor gave it a 2025 Travelers' Choice Award. The wide, sugar-sand shoreline sweeps along Lake Michigan with towering coastal dunes as a backdrop, and the sunsets here are genuinely extraordinary. Summer is peak season: swimming, floating, kite surfing, dune climbing, and long shoreline walks. Getting there is half the fun — you can drive and park ($15/car, Memorial Day through Labor Day), or take the Saugatuck Chain Ferry (the last hand-cranked chain ferry in the United States, $3 per person) across the Kalamazoo River and walk a half mile down Perryman Street. For an even more scenic approach, climb the 303 stairs to the top of Mt. Baldhead and follow the winding paths down to the beach. Open year-round; free entry from Labor Day to Memorial Day. No dogs allowed on the beach. Located at Perryman Street & Oval Beach Drive, Saugatuck.