Visitors will love exploring the dunes and lush forest, which have stunning views of Lake Michigan. In the Park, visitors can enjoy biking and hiking trails, swimming, kayaking, and canoeing, scuba diving and hunting.
Why do people visit Lake Michigan?
Discover the beauty that thousands of generations of visitors have found along the shores of Lake Michigan. Whether you’re planning a relaxing beach vacation, taking a Lake Michigan lighthouse tour, sport fishing or seeking a fun beach town for quick getaway, Lake Michigan has something for you.
Why is Lake Michigan so special?
Lake Michigan has the longest stretch from north to south of all the Great Lakes, giving it a very diverse climate, which allows for a wide variety of plant and animal species. The lake boasts a variety of natural habitats, including tallgrass prairies, wide savannas, and the world’s largest freshwater sand dunes.
Is Lake Michigan worth visiting?
Driving up from Chicago – the perfect city pit stop before or after your road trip – Lake Michigan stretches for 307 miles and the towns, cities, islands and nature on its shores offer a huge range of experiences, food and drink.
Why would you want to visit the Great Lakes?
Sometimes called the ‘inland seas,’ the Great Lakes are known for their ocean-like characteristics – strong winds and currents, rolling waves, and distant horizons – and are home to remarkable national parks, wildlife preserves, pristine waters, beautiful beaches, and countless outdoorsy activities.
Is Lake Michigan safe to swim in?
Always use caution and never swim alone. A Moderate Swim Risk implies that breaking waves and currents are expected at the beach. Stay away from dangerous areas like piers, breakwalls, and river outlets at these times.
Is Lake Michigan used for drinking water?
Lake Michigan, by volume, is the second largest Great Lake and the only one located totally within the United States. It serves as a source of drinking water, as a place for swimming and fishing, and as a scenic wonderland. Water from Lake Michigan enters the intake crib at depths of 20 to 30 feet.
What are 5 facts about Lake Michigan?
Lake Michigan is the second largest of the five Great Lakes by water volume. Lake Michigan is the seventh largest lake in the world by water volume. The surface of Lake Michigan covers 22,300 square miles. Lake Michigan is the third largest of the five Great Lakes by surface area.
Which Great Lake is the cleanest?
Lake Superior
Watershed’s surface: 209,000 square kms. Lake Superior is the largest, cleanest, and wildest of all the Great Lakes.
Is Lake Michigan clean?
Lake Michigan has become dramatically clearer in last 20 years — but at a steep cost. Decades ago, Lake Michigan teemed with nutrients and green algae, casting a brownish-green hue that resembled the mouth of an inland river rather than a vast, open-water lake.
Which is the prettiest Great Lake?
Lake Huron, the second-largest of the Great Lakes, tops the list for its pristine turquoise waters, unparalleled shoreline sunrises, numerous lakeside parks, gorgeous beaches, and historic lighthouses. French explorers proclaimed it La Mer Douce, “the freshwater sea.” What’s more, Lake Huron is home to 30,000 islands!
How deep is Lake Michigan?
Approximately 118 miles wide and 307 miles long, Lake Michigan has more than 1,600 miles of shoreline. Averaging 279 feet in depth, the lake reaches 925 feet at its deepest point.
Are there beaches on Lake Michigan?
Each town has its own vibe and unique attractions, but all boast pristine miles of sugar-sand beaches and spectacular sunsets along Lake Michigan. Michigan is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the country.
Why are the Great Lakes so famous?
The Great Lakes are important sources of drinking water, irrigation, transportation, and recreation opportunities such as fishing, hunting, boating, and wildlife watching. The Great Lakes are a critical component of the regional economy on both sides of the border.
What are 3 facts about the Great Lakes?
The Great Lakes contain some 35,000 islands. The largest is Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron, Ontario. At 66 km2 (1,068 mi2), it is the largest lake island in the world. The island itself has over 100 lakes, some of which contains islands of their own.
Why is Lake Michigan the deadliest lake?
The reason Lake Michigan has the most drownings among the Great Lakes is a combination of wind direction and tourism, said Jamie Racklyeft, the executive director of the Great Lakes Water Safety Consortium in Ann Arbor. The organization teaches people about water safety to decrease drownings.
Why you shouldn’t swim in Lake Michigan?
High Waves Can Knock Swimmers Down And Cause Stronger Rip Currents. In addition to dangerous currents, the strong winds around Lake Michigan can create deadly waves, possibly reaching up to 23 feet tall.
Is Lake Michigan toxic?
According to an analysis by the Chicago Tribune, the Oak Creek plant is the largest source of toxic metals being discharged into Lake Michigan, dumping more than 2,000 pounds of potentially brain-damaging toxic metals into the water last year.
Has anyone swam across Lake Michigan?
It took six swimmers, seven crew members, 54 miles and 21 hours, but the “Epic Swim 2020” is complete. The group of swimmers, led by Jon Ornée, of Holland, swam a relay across Lake Michigan from Two Rivers, Wisconsin, to Ludington.
How polluted is Lake Michigan?
Despite this, Lake Michigan is the most polluted of the Great Lakes, according to estimates by the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Last year, nearly 22 million pounds of plastic were dumped into the Great Lakes — over half of which were dumped into Lake Michigan — according to estimates by RIT.
Who gets their water from Lake Michigan?
Illinois residents
More than 6 ½ million Illinois residents get their drinking water from Lake Michigan. As northeastern Illinois’ supply of groundwater shrinks, more municipalities are considering joining that number.