Esch Beach

Once a hidden gem known only to locals, this seemingly remote beach has recently sparked interest with seasonal tourists seeking an alternative, less traveled lakeside destination. Well, you found it. Sitting between the stretch of beach between Empire and Platte river, on the old site of the long disappeared ghost town of Aral, Esch Beach is magically remote, yet reasonably accessible. Otter Creek slices through the constantly evolving shoreline of Lake Michigan, and each visit to this unique location will prove to be different than the previous, as the mouth of the creek will shift, change, and reshape the beach front throughout the spring and summer months. When you visit, remember that you are a visitor. Cherish the space. Leave only footprints.
5 7 years ago (19-02-2018)

No longer a nude beach. Still it has other great natural sights. Good place for pictures and swimming, both for you and your dog.
5 7 years ago (27-05-2018)

Best Bea h in the world! Don't go you won't like it.
5 7 years ago (28-05-2018)

Awesome spot for everything!! Beach was very clean and free of debris. Plenty of hiking trails all around. Like birds? Then a short walk down the Beach while studying the tree line will reveal many different species of birds including Bald Eagles and many other birds of prey. Want to find Petoskey stones? If you look there are plenty to be found, in fact I’ve walked many beaches along Lake Michigan looking for these stones and by just volume this Beach has to be one of the best locations to find one. Not that I’m suggesting this but if you had the time and good at finding them you could easily fill a small bucket. Personally I would strongly discourage against this so that way future generations get to share the same joy in finding this unique Michigan treasure as we did. With that said most of the stones I came across weren’t the best cosmetic looking stones but they can be filed down and polished to look the same as any other. My only complaint and the reason for my 4 stars is since it’s considered part of the Sleeping Bear National forest and it costs to park here it should have a much better parking conditions then it currently has. I can only imagine that during the summer months parking being a nightmare here. All in all this is a must place to visit and spent a day enjoying.
4 8 years ago (18-10-2017)

My favorite local beach. Unfortunately it is getting more popular with tourists who flock to Sleeping Bear Dunes. Great place to take my dogs off season; fall, winter and spring. You do need a National Lakeshore pass to park here.
5 8 years ago (20-11-2017)