The 10 Can't-Miss Towns In The Great Lakes
In Munising, Michigan, boats leave the town dock for sandstone cliffs streaked with bright mineral colors above Lake Superior. Small towns like it line the shores of all five Great Lakes. Many are built around lighthouses, ferry docks, and long sandy beaches. Some face sculpted rock, and others look out on wooded islands or busy harbors. Two stand on each lake, so there is one close to almost any shoreline.
Munising, Michigan
Munising, on Michigan's Upper Peninsula, is the gateway to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, where sandstone cliffs streaked with orange, green, and blue mineral stains rise straight out of Lake Superior. Boat cruises from the town dock follow the cliffs past sea caves and rock arches, while kayakers paddle in close on calm days. Munising Falls, a short walk from the edge of town, drops over a curved sandstone ledge. Glass-bottom boat tours also pass over 19th-century shipwrecks preserved in the cold, clear water of the bay.
Two Harbors, Minnesota
Two Harbors grew up as an iron ore port, and giant ore docks still reach into Agate Bay, where lake freighters load up just offshore. The Two Harbors Lighthouse, built in 1892, is the oldest operating lighthouse on Minnesota's North Shore, and visitors can tour it or even stay overnight in its keeper's quarters. A short drive northeast, Gooseberry Falls State Park offers a series of waterfalls tumbling toward the lake. Farther up the shore, Split Rock Lighthouse stands on a cliff above Lake Superior.
Petoskey, Michigan
Petoskey overlooks Little Traverse Bay on Lake Michigan, and it gives its name to the Petoskey stone, a fossilized coral that is Michigan's official state stone. Visitors comb the beaches at Petoskey State Park and the waterfront for the stones, which show a honeycomb pattern when wet. The Gaslight District downtown is lined with historic shops and restaurants, and Ernest Hemingway spent many of his boyhood summers nearby. The Bear River Valley Recreation Area offers trails along a rushing river right in town.
Grand Haven, Michigan
Grand Haven's red pier lighthouses, connected by a long catwalk, are among the most photographed on Lake Michigan. A waterfront boardwalk runs along the Grand River between downtown and the beach, a wide stretch of sand that fills with swimmers in summer. On summer evenings, the Grand Haven Musical Fountain puts on a free show of water, light, and music across the river. Each August, the town, known as Coast Guard City, USA, celebrates with the Grand Haven Coast Guard Festival.
Port Austin, Michigan
Port Austin sits at the very tip of Michigan's Thumb, where Lake Huron surrounds the land on three sides. Its most famous sight, Turnip Rock, is a mushroom-shaped rock pillar that can only be reached by water, usually on a kayak trip from town. Port Crescent State Park, just west, has sand dunes and a long beach along the lake. Back in the village, a Saturday farmers market and small shops make for an easy afternoon, and the sunsets over the water are among the best on the lake.
Goderich, Ontario
Goderich, on the eastern shore of Lake Huron in Ontario, is built around an unusual town center, an eight-sided square with the county courthouse in the middle and shops radiating outward. The Huron Historic Gaol, a 19th-century octagonal jail, offers tours of its cells and the jailer's house. Goderich sits above one of the largest salt mines in the world, which runs far beneath the lake. Along the waterfront, a boardwalk and long beach offer some of the best sunset views on the Great Lakes.
Marblehead, Ohio
Marblehead, on a rocky peninsula along Ohio's Lake Erie shore, is home to the Marblehead Lighthouse, which has guided ships since 1822 and is the oldest lighthouse in continuous operation on the Great Lakes. Next door, the historic summer community of Lakeside, founded as a Chautauqua retreat, offers lectures, concerts, and a lakefront dock. Ferries leave from Marblehead for Kelleys Island, where visitors can see the Glacial Grooves, deep scratches carved into the bedrock by Ice Age glaciers. The roller coasters of Cedar Point are visible across the bay.
Port Stanley, Ontario
Port Stanley, on Lake Erie's north shore, combines a working fishing harbor with one of Ontario's best-known beaches. Main Beach stretches along the lake beside the harbor, where fishing tugs still bring in yellow perch and pickerel. The Port Stanley Terminal Rail offers rides on a restored railway line through the countryside, and the Port Stanley Festival Theatre stages plays each summer. A lift bridge over Kettle Creek raises to let boats pass between the harbor and the lake.
Oswego, New York
Oswego sits where the Oswego River meets Lake Ontario in New York, and its history is unusually deep for a small city. Fort Ontario State Historic Site preserves a star-shaped fort that dates to the 1700s, and during World War II, it served as the only emergency shelter in the United States for refugees fleeing the Holocaust, a story told at the Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee Shelter Museum. The H. Lee White Maritime Museum explores the city's shipping past, and the riverwalk leads toward the lake and the Oswego West Pierhead Lighthouse.
Cobourg, Ontario
Cobourg, on the north shore of Lake Ontario, is known for Victoria Beach, a wide stretch of sand right beside downtown that has earned Blue Flag status for clean water and good management. The town's centerpiece is Victoria Hall, a grand 1860 town hall with a clock tower and an art gallery inside. The harbor and marina sit beside the beach, and summer brings festivals and concerts to the waterfront. Downtown's King Street is lined with heritage buildings, cafes, and shops.
Five Lakes, Ten Towns
Whether it is the painted cliffs of Lake Superior or the sandy beaches of Lake Ontario, these towns show off the variety of the Great Lakes. Each pairs a walkable center with something worth the trip, whether that is a lighthouse, a fort, a rock formation, or a perfect sunset. Pick a lake, follow the shoreline, and let these 10 towns set the course.
