Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore - Platte River Point

Located at the mouth of the Platte River, Platte River Point Beach - also known as Platte Beach and Platte Point Beach - is a popular, large, and scenic beach with light brown sand and a nearby forest and grassy areas. This beach is situated along the shores of Lake Michigan and it is a part of a national park named Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Sand dune fields are present around Platte River Point Beach. The northern parts of the beach are sandier than its southern parts, which have more gravel. Sleeping Bear Dunes Beach has been named the 7th Best Beach in the Top 50 Beaches in the United States list in 2022 by Randall Kaplan, the world's foremost beach expert who is known as "Mr. Beach.” The beach also becomes wider during summers as small nearshore sandbars move towards the coastline and eventually join the beach - this sand is washed away by storms in autumn, making the beach narrower again. 

Although Platte River Point Beach does not have lifeguards, it has many other amenities including restrooms, drinking water facilities, nearby barbecue areas, a boat ramp, and a nearby grassy area with benches. Pets are not allowed in Platte River Point Beach.

Platte River Point Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, wildlife watching, hiking, picnicking, fishing, swimming, paddleboarding, windsurfing, kitesurfing, surf-skiing, jet-skiing, inner-tubing, boating, kayaking, and canoeing. The Platte River present near the beach has a fast current, which makes it an ideal spot for inner tubing. Kayakers and canoers also launch their canoes and kayaks from this beach in order to explore the Platte River and the shoreline around Lake Michigan. The water near Platte River Point Beach also seasonally offers thrilling waves, which makes it ideal for kitesurfers. However, if you are planning to enter the water near Platte River Point Beach, we recommend being careful as the water here has unpredictable rip currents and rogue waves. The water here is also known to occasionally have high levels of microbial contamination. 

If you are planning to launch your kayak/canoe/boat from the boat ramp in Platte River Point Beach, please note that you can only launch small watercraft from this ramp. Depending on the time of the year, you can view many kinds of birds around the water near Platte Point River Beach including killdeers, spotted sandpipers, and Caspian terns. The beach is also used as a seasonal nesting spot by endangered plover birds. The beach also offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of Lake Michigan, Empire Bluffs, and the nearby Sleeping Bear Point. Platte River Point Beach also offers a fun oceanfront bonfire session - if you are planning a bonfire on Platte River Point Beach, we recommend visiting the beach’s webpage at the National Park Service’s website for more information regarding the local bonfire rules. If you are planning to fish in the water near Platte River Point Beach, we recommend following the local fishing regulations

Getting to Platte River Point Beach is easy - the beach is located near the northern end of Lake Michigan Road and it is easily accessible from Michigan 22. There are three parking lots near the beach - one of the lots is owned by a civil township named Lake Township and the other two lots are managed by the National Park Service. In order to park at the National Park Service-owned lots, you need to purchase a Park Pass - you can visit Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore’s webpage on the National Park Service’s website for more useful information regarding the pass purchase details. If you are parking at the Lake Township-owned parking lot, you need to pay a fee for doing so. It is important to note that an endangered plant named Pitcher's thistle grows around the beach - this plant blooms only once in seven years and we recommend being careful while walking around the beach to avoid trampling it. In addition, the area around the beach is also known to have poison ivy, which can cause an irritating rash if it comes into contact with the skin.

The sand here has many kinds of minerals - as an interesting fact, the beach here also has traces of dark-colored sand, which occurs due to the presence of magnetite being present here. 

There are many attractions near Platte River Point Beach within a 25-minute drive. Robert H. Manning Memorial Lighthouse is a lighthouse which was built in honor of longtime Empire resident Robert H. Manning - Manning was an avid fisherman and long-time local resident, and wished to see a lighthouse built for fisherman in the village of Empire. This lighthouse was modeled after the lighthouse in Point Betsie and it offers amazing Instagram-worthy photos. Benzie Area Historical Society and Museum has interesting exhibits which offer a unique insight into the vibrant history of Northern Michigan and Benzie County. If you are looking for another attraction near Platte River Point, Frankfort Mineral Springs Park is a waterfront park which offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of Lake Michigan. The park also has a mineral water spring, which has been popular with visitors since the 19th century.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Platte River Point Beach within a 30-minute drive.  La Bécasse is an upscale restaurant which offers amazing French dishes - in addition, the restaurant also offers amazing Creole dishes, poultry dishes, and seafood. Jim’s Joint BBQ offers a variety of amazing barbecued dishes, along with excellent sandwiches, salads, chili, and nachos. The Cherry Hut offers outstanding sandwiches, salads, poultry dishes, seafood, and soup - the restaurant is also famous for its amazing cherry-flavored desserts including its famous cherry pie. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Platte River Point, Papa J’s Pizzeria & Diner offers amazing dishes for lunch, breakfast, and dinner including eggs, sandwiches, meatloaf, pizzas, and seafood. 

If you are looking for a hotel near Platte River Point Beach, there are many great nearby options within a 35-minute drive. If you are looking for an upscale hotel, the Inn at Black Star Farms is an hour’s drive away- this hotel was listed as the Best Wine Country Hotel  by USA Today 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards in 2020. This hotel offers many amenities including a restaurant with a fireplace, a terrace, a sauna, a library, cooking classes, and complimentary hot breakfast, wine tasting sessions, and evening wine and snacks. As another upscale option, the 4-Star The Homestead offers many amenities including multiple restaurants and bars, a spa, a salon, two pools, a fitness center, a kids’ camp, a family entertainment program, and multiple sports facilities including a golf facility and facilities for winter sports. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Hotel Frankfort & Restaurant that offers many amenities including a restaurant, and a lounge with fireplace. The hotel also offers many activities for a fee including wine-tasting tours, bike tours, and fishing trips. As another moderately priced option, the 2.5-Stat Harbor Lights Resort offers many amenities including a pool, a hot tub, and self service laundry facilities. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Platte River Point, the modestly priced Honor Motel is located conveniently close to some of the major restaurants and attractions in northern Michigan.