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Discover the West Michigan Coast

Along the Lake Michigan Shore

The entire West Michigan coast is comprised of some of the most beautiful scenery along the Lake Michigan shoreline. It’s a fourteen county adventure!

Miles and miles of Lake Michigan beaches makes the West Michigan coast a wonderful playground. The lakeshore towns are picturesque and so much fun to explore.

This page will provide Michigan’s West Coast traveler with a county-by-county overview of all there is to discover along the Lake Michigan shoreline. 

Southwest Michigan Counties

Along the Lake Michigan Shore

Berrien County, Michigan

Entering Michigan from the Indiana border on the south, the first county is Berrien CountySt. Joseph is the county seat and a popular lakeshore destination. Other communities in Berrien County include Benton Harbor, Bridgman, Buchanan, Coloma, New Buffalo, Niles, and Watervliet.

Van Buren County, Michigan

Heading north, the next county is Van Buren County, with Paw Paw as the county seat. Additional Van Buren County communities are Bangor, Gobles, Hartford, and South Haven, which is  the county’s most popular lakeshore destination.

Allegan County, Michigan

Next up is Allegan County. Allegan is the county seat, and other communities include Douglas, Fennville, Holland (shared with Ottawa County), Otsego, Plainwell, Saugatuck, South Haven (partially within Van Buren County), and Wayland.

Central West Michigan Counties

Along the Lake Michigan Shore

Ottawa County, Michigan

Continuing north into central West Michigan, Ottawa County is the next stop along the West Michigan Coast. Ottawa County contains the communities of Coopersville, Ferrysburg, Grand Haven (which is the county seat), Holland, Hudsonville, Zeeland, Allendale, Michigan Village, and Spring Lake. 

Muskegon County, Michigan

Still traveling north, the next county is Muskegon County. Muskegon is the county seat, and other communities include Montague, Muskegon Heights, North Muskegon, Norton Shores, Roosevelt Park, and Whitehall.

Oceana County, Michigan

Once you enter Oceana County, your traveling begins to feel more like an “up north” experience. The traffic begins to drop off, and the scenery becomes more natural with every passing mile. Hart is the county seat of Oceana County, and there are many smaller villages including Mears, Silver Lake, New Era, Pentwater, Rothbury, Shelby, and Walkerville.

Northwest Michigan Counties

Along the Lake Michigan Shore

Mason County, Michigan

Northwest Michigan countryside is filled with hills and forest, along with some stunning Lake Michigan views. Mason County is home to Ludington, Scottville, Custer, Fountain, and Free Soil. Ludington is well-known for the Ludington State Park and the S.S. Badger car ferry.

Manistee County, Michigan

Entering into Manistee County, you will first pass through Manistee, which is the county seat. Other towns include Onekama, Arcadia, Bear Lake, Copemish, Eastlake, and Kaleva. Onekama and Arcadia are both situated on Lake Michigan.

Benzie County, Michigan

Benzie County towns include Frankfort, Benzonia, Beulah (the county seat), Elberta, Honor, Lake Ann, and Thompsonville. Frankfort is right along Lake Michigan.

Leelanau County, Michigan

Leelanau County is well known for the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Communities include Empire, Northport, Suttons Bay, Glen Arbor, Leland, Maple City, and Omena. Leland is also known as “Fish Town” and Suttons Bay is a prime shopping destination on Grand Traverse Bay.

Grand Traverse County, Michigan

Grand Traverse County is the home of Traverse City on Grand Traverse Bay. Other communities include Interlochen, Grawn, Acme, and  Williamsburg.

Northern Michigan Counties

Along the Lake Michigan Shore

Antrim County, Michigan

Heading north along the east side of Grand Traverse Bay, you will enter Antrim County. Antrim County includes the county seat of Bellaire, plus Central Lake, Elk Rapids, Ellsworth, Mancelona, and Torch Lake.

Charlevoix County, Michigan

Getting closer to the tip of the mitt, you will enter Charlevoix County with  Charlevoix as the county seat. Other communities include Boyne City, East Jordan, Boyne Falls, and Walloon Lake.

Emmet County, Michigan

Emmet County is home to Harbor Springs, Petoskey (county seat), Alanson, Mackinaw City, and Pellston.

Discover More Lake Michigan Destinations

South Haven, Michigan

South Haven has always been a port city due to its location on Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Black River.

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago is a bustling, popular city which brings any visitor plenty of sites to see, activities to do, and historical landmarks to explore.

Lake Michigan water

LaPorte County Indiana

LaPorte County, Indiana is adjacent to Michigan. LaPorte County, Indiana is part of the Southern Lake Michigan Circle Tour.

Milwaukee

Wisconsin Coast

The Wisconsin Coast holds some of the most beautiful coastlines along amazing Lake Michigan and beautiful Lake Superior.

Winthrop Harbor

Winthrop Harbor, Illinois

Winthrop Harbor is located on the northern border of Illinois. It is a suburb of Chicago and houses the largest marina on the Great Lakes.

Whiting, Indiana

Whiting is a small town with a lot of personality. Stand on its beach and you’ll get a grand view of Chicago’s skyline.