Beaches

Location: Lake Michigan Shore

The first Saugatuck beach opened in the late 1890s near the old Lighthouse area (north) and had a ’beach house’ (locally known as ’Bird’s Bath House’) built in 1897. It had 12 dressing rooms (later expanded to 70) and a refreshment stand. Boat taxis carried bathers from the village to the beach. Nude bathing on adjacent beach in the 1890s appears to have been popular among some but raised concern among others. The Cove Beach was located inland along the old harbor shore near where the new harbor cut was made in 1906. Bathers were brought by beach taxis and found it easy to climb the dunes to Lake Michigan beach.

The Oval Beach opened in 1936 with the building of a new road from Perryman Street (now known as Oval Beach Road)—eventually with refreshment house and its famous ’oval’ parking lot. By the 1940s and 50s it had helped usher in a craze for beach life.

The Douglas Beach was established in about 1900 with a beach house (19 changing rooms and a snack bar) that was opened in 1908. Reserved for residents of Douglas.

Pier Cove Beach, part of the cottage community summer life. Now a public beach.

The “Basin” beach was located at the new harbor basin—and is still a favorite spot for boating and beach activity.