Best marinas in Lake Michigan

T

T28guy

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I would like to get peoples thoughts on the best Marinas on Lake Michigan. Both for amenities and friendlyness. I am based at North Shore in Grand Haven and they are the very BEST!! Would like to visit others that are similar on the big Lake
 
I absolutely love Saugatuck. They may not have marina's that offer the services that North Shore has (although Tower Marina is pretty good), but it's a great place to visit. Charlevoix, Pentwater, Ludington, Leeland... There are just way too many amazing places to visit on the Michigan side of the lake.

If you plan on being in Wisconsin, there are a number of excellent options up and down the coast. I'm in Port Washington, which is a nice town, with a nice marina.
 
South Haven is excellent, New Buffalo is very good, Michigan City is good, Hammond WAS very good, but don't know their status now.
 
The last I heard Hammond marina is to reopen in May of 2008. The Hammond Port Authority has said there will be many new improvements to the facility.
 
I'll need to plug my marina -- North Point in Winthrop Harbor, IL. Right on the IL/Wis State line. Very large, but is always clean and friendly. Bath houses are clean. Everything is well maintained. Set in a forest preserve, so it is nice and quite especially at night. Electric & cable included.
 
Bliss, I believe all parks in IL are called "forest preserves". I've never seen one in IN where I live but we have tons of parks; also, I've never seen a park in IL (unless you consider a cemetery a park!). They must think it lends an air of sophistication! :)
 
I'm sorry, I wasn't clear. I was asking where the forest was at North Point.
As to all parks in IL being called "forest preserves"-Chicago alone has 126 parks. Some I'm sure would meet your definition of a park; some not. Not one of the parks is called a forest preserve. In fact, none has the word forest in it's name.
 
Bliss, it actually is inside a Lake county forest preserve. You must know that, in IL any patch of weeds with a tree is considered a "forest." :) It is also part of the IL state park system.

Technically, each IL county has a "forest" preserve district. They take our tax dollars and buy open space to "preserve" it and reward their political friends with patronage jobs.
 
Harbor Club Sturgeon Bay, Bay Harbor MI, Elk Rapids MI, Albi Dock Fish Creek WI.

Jim
 
Hum, which of the Lake County Forest Preserves is North Point a part of; Van Patten Woods, or --?
 
Frankfort for fuel stops at city marina. Good gas prices. Jacobsons for slips. Leland, for fun. Great sunsets and the Bluebird for food. Charlevois to anchor out in Oyster Bay or Round Lake for the night. Harbor Springs for the charm, good food and BIG boats. Beaver Island to get away from it all and to read a good book. Mackinac Island for the history and unique experience. Cedar for the wooden boat show, boat houses and interesting islands. All of the North Channel in Canada. This is some of the best cruising in the world.
 
I would have mentioned Mackinac Island earlier, but, technically, it is in Lake Huron--not Lake Michigan. :)
 
This is interesting. I surfed around and I THINK I found that the Spring Bluff Forest Preserve is protected by The Nature Conservancy and isn't part of Lake County Forest Preserves. The N.C. is financially huge. It is supposed to be a non-profit charity.
 
Sorry for going off the real subject!
Up the lake in WI is Reef Point Marina in Racine. Too many slips to count. I think in Racine there are over 900. It is right downtown with several restaurants and a couple of places to get boat services. Never a problem getting a slip, even during the boat show last week.
 
Dusable Harbor in Chicago is in the heart of the city. Its located between Columbia yacht club and Navy Pier. The actual amenities as sparse (Mayor Daley is not fond of boaters or Private pilots) but close to everything Chicago has to offer. Millenium Park is a 2 block walk. (off the subject but..how can you bring in a 85 million dollar park 400 million over budget and no one gets indited?) Great restaurants, entertainment and a magnificient skyline.
 
We enjoyed our stay at North Shore August 9-12 (we were the silver go-fast in A12) - a very nice place. We also can recommend Pier33 in St. Joseph, Anchorage Marina in Holland, and Great Lakes Marina in Muskegon. In general, we found the marinas to be nicer, cleaner and less expensive than Chesapeake Bay.
We stopped in Saugatuck for lunch and enjoyed it a lot. A daytime transient slip was $20, but you could also tie up along the wall for $10. Be sure to check out the olive oil store (The "Olive Press"?).
 
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