Lake michigan beaches

[gerryk]

I am from illinois and not familiar with the beaches in Indiana along Lake Michicpgan. I did see that metal detecting is not allowed on the national dunes beaches. Are there other beaches that are not part of the dunes and if so are any closer to Illinois? Thanks in advance.

 

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[Heatherbelle654]

Hi, first off I've been researching finds on this site and just browsing & reading for some time, and finally registered on here today
I'm in South Bend, IN, NW Indiana area, about 90 minutes from Chicago and 15 minutes from the Michigan state line. St Joseph, MI, is a beach town and the main beach there is Silver Beach. It's considered a park but there is public access which is free just West of Silver beach, and although I do not have a metal detector myself I see people with them every time we go, I've seen them both at Silver Beach park and at the public area park, so I'm assuming it is allowed. It's very nice, wide sandy beach, the park itself gets packed with both families (there is a big playground & concession stand) and younger adults/teens on summer weekends but once you get past the main area it's more open.
There are other Lake MI beach towns within an hour of here- Michigan City, IN, New Buffalo, MI, Benton Harbor, MI are a few I can think of off the top of my head.

 

[gerryk]

Thanks for the info. Are you getting into detecting?

 

[GRiley]

Hi Heather,
First off thanks for joining treasurenet. Not near enough visitors bother. If you really someones post please click the Like button in the post or make a comment. This will encourage more posting and show them their time posting is appreciated. I hope you take up detecting.

I have not been to silver beach but my wife, daughter and grandson have on a day trip twice and they think it's a great beach. They try to get me to go, Now I may change my mind and go detecting.....GRiley

 

[Heatherbelle654]

Thanks for the info. Are you getting into detecting?

I am more of a rock hound- and looking for fossils and arrowheads with my little girl who loves collecting sea shells also. I make jewelry and crafts with stones, I write and paint calligraphy on smooth river rocks & both of my daughters have been fascinated with painting rocks. I'm also really into thrifting/yard sale treasure hunting and vintage/antique collecting and reselling.
BUT- lol- my husband I have both expressed interest in metal detecting, and I'm pretty sure we will get into that before too long.
The name itself is what drew me to this site, because I only half-jokingly refer to myself as a part time treasure hunter

 

[Heatherbelle654]

Hi Heather,
First off thanks for joining treasurenet. Not near enough visitors bother. If you really someones post please click the Like button in the post or make a comment. This will encourage more posting and show them their time posting is appreciated. I hope you take up detecting.

I have not been to silver beach but my wife, daughter and grandson have on a day trip twice and they think it's a great beach. They try to get me to go, Now I may change my mind and go detecting.....GRiley

Thanks GRiley I don't know how to "like" posts on here yet, I'm on a mobile app for my phone, I don't know if that's much different from the actual website or not. So please bear with me while I learn the in's & out's on here I have spent alot of time just reading through posts & viewing all the photos, it is truly a gem to me & I'm so happy to have found it!
And Silver Beach, as well as the little town of St Joe, MI, is beautiful! My husband and I have been going to Silver Beach since our high school dating days, and our family goes to the beach weekly during the summer, and to St Joe itself often also. My tattoo artist has a shop located in the heart of the little "Main Street" area and I'm up there often. There are lots of neat little shops and nice restaurants up there. If you do decide to head to St Joe, you have GOT to check out a store called "State Street Stuff"- they have a little bit of everything , lots of oddball & of the wall "stuff", and the front of the shop is full of all the fun candy from childhood & all kinds of unique and just plain weird candy.
Thanks for the nice welcome & tips
Heather

 

[GRiley]

Heather,
I will have to go to Silver Beach next time the family goes. There's a pizza place around there they also want me to go to.

When a person post, on the bottom right corner of the window is the word Like. You just click on it. Only members have that option in the post window. Another reason I wish more guest would register.

Your treasure hunting probably pays off better. My daughter and a friend has been buying furniture at yard sales and fixing them up for resale. They have done well so far. They made a hundred dollars last week on a sale. It would usually take me much longer to do that. I think mine is more fun though.....GRiley

 

[gerryk]

I will have to hit those beaches. I have been told by a few people about them but i havent had time to get there.


As far as the like thing, i am using the ipad and ipod app and i do not have that option.i can subscribe to a thread via this app but not like it. I wish i could like posts.

 

[GRiley]

hi gerryk,
I had no idea you wouldn't have the Like option. I just assumed the post would look the same on any reader. Thanks for the info.......GRiley

 

[GRiley]

Hi Heather,
After reading gerryk's post, You may not have the Like option at the lower right of the post. Sorry ...........GRiley

 

[rc2125]

South Bend'r here. For the past several years I have heavily hunted the beaches from Michigan City up past St Joe Michigan, and around up into Chicago. Chicago beaches have quite a bit more goodies than ours over here, .....so many more donators over there, and better sand conditions over on that part of the lake too. It's a pia to park at some of the better Chi beaches though, and it always seems like the wind conditions are wrong on days off when I'd like to drive over there, etc.

 

[LadyoftheLake]

Hi, Gerry. Indiana's Lake Michigan beaches are all part of the National Lakeshore, and using metal detectors is illegal on all of them. I've known of tickets issued and detectors confiscated, so it's best to keep driving to Michigan and hit the beaches there.

 

[gerryk]

I kmow for a fact there are at least a couple beaches that are not covered by that ban. There was a manufacturer event in Indiana last year and our club has a beach hunt once a year at one beach. The city of Gary also has a beach but it doesnt get much traffic as its all run down. They put a new parking lot in and had a guard tower up. They also put a new boat launch in so it looks like they are rebuilding that beach.

 

[LadyoftheLake]

You can use a detector on the Gary area beaches (both the rundown Lake St. beach and possibly Marquette Park, which is a little safer), and possibly on the Michigan City and New Buffalo beaches -- the best beaches, though, are closed to detecting (those are the National Lakeshore beaches, from West Beach to just west of Michigan City). The National Lakeshore is trying to acquire the entire shoreline, though, so it pays to check to make sure that the town whose beach you want to visit hasn't ceded its beach to the National Parks Service -- this happened not long ago to Porter's beach. The beaches in Gary are loaded with slag, so are somewhat frustrating to use a detector on. Michigan City and New Buffalo would be the best bet, if they allow detecting -- just definitely avoid the area between east Gary/Miller and Michigan City.

 

[gerryk]

I could not find Miller beach. I asked a few municipal employees where Miller beach was and they didnt know.