Petoskey State Park sits on Little Traverse Bay, three miles northeast of Petoskey and six miles south of Harbor Springs. The Michigan DNR describes a mile of sandy Lake Michigan shore, two campgrounds and a small network of trails. People come for the beach and for Petoskey stones. 1

What to see

The day-use beach is the park's center. A buoyed swim area has an accessible walkway to the water and a beach wheelchair you borrow from the concession in the beach house. 1 The Old Baldy Trail is a half-mile loop to the top of Old Baldy Dune; the park puts an observation deck at the summit. The Portage Trail is a one-mile out-and-back through wooded dunes. 1

The Little Traverse Wheelway, a 26-mile paved path between Charlevoix and Harbor Springs, passes the park entrance. The North Western State Trail, just south of the park, connects Petoskey and Mackinac City. 1

A Petoskey stone is fossil colonial coral, Hexagonaria percarinata. Michigan adopted it as the state stone in 1965. The coral lived in the northern Lower Peninsula about 350 million years ago. 23 EGLE says the fossil is found in Traverse Group rock near the city of Petoskey, and that glaciers carried stones across much of the state. 3

Best seasons

The beach is used in open weather. The park says the day-use parking lot typically closes from early November through early spring because of snow and sand drift; that is a typical pattern, not a report of today's gate. Read the park page before you drive. 1 Stone hunting is often better after storms and high waves, when new material washes up. EGLE asks people not to go during a storm or in high surf. 34

How to get there

The DNR address is 2475 M-119 Hwy., Petoskey, Michigan, 49770. 1 A Recreation Passport is required for motor vehicles entering Michigan state parks. 6

Tips

  • On state-owned land the collecting limit is 25 pounds of rock, mineral or invertebrate fossil per person per year, for personal, non-commercial use. Check local rules. Ask before you collect on private land. 345
  • Wet stone shows the hexagon pattern. EGLE suggests walking the surf or splashing dry rocks. 4
  • Pets are allowed on the shoreline south of the buoyed swim beach unless the park posts it closed for piping plovers. Keep them on a 6-foot leash. 1
  • The beach house concession and paddleboard and kayak rentals are listed Memorial Day through Labor Day. Hours belong on the park page. 1

Safety

Little Traverse Bay is Lake Michigan. Currents and waves change. This page does not report today's flags, ice or whether the day-use lot is open. Check the Petoskey State Park page and the DNR beach safety page before you go. 17