Oval Beach In The Fall: Your Complete Guide
- Updated: 04/12/2024
- Janice
With its sweeping dunes, golden sands, and crisp, refreshing air, spending time on the award-winning Oval Beach on the eastern shores of Lake Michigan is a must-visit when staying in the charming riverside town of Saugatuck, Michigan, in the fall. In this guide, I share why to visit, how to get there, and things you should know before you go, giving you all the information you need to make the most out of your shore time.
Table Of Contents
Five Reasons To Go In The Fall
Here are five reasons why visiting Oval Beach in the fall makes for a great thing to do:
1. It’s free. After Labor Day, there is no fee or pass required to access Oval Beach. All beachgoers can visit for free.
2. More space, smaller crowds. In fall, the crowds are gone. Fewer people mean more available parking spaces and more space on the beach—both at a premium in the more congested summer months.
3. Nice weather. The weather in fall can often be beautiful and summer-like. In previous years, our kids have been in theirs swimsuits and swimming in Lake Michigan as late as the first or second weekend in October. And when the weather is less than perfect, a sweatshirt, rolled-up pants, and bare feet are all you need to still appreciate a visit.
4. It’s quiet. In fall, due to smaller crowds, it is more peaceful. Instead of hearing lots of noise from your beach towel neighbors, you are more likely to enjoy the sounds of the surf—if it is up—and the birds.
5. No snack negotiations. The Oval Beach concession stand is closed in the fall. For some visitors, this might be a minus. Though for me, it is a plus. No concession stand means my kids have no choice but to eat the snacks I brought or wait until we get back to town to eat something better. Early dinner to avoid the crowds at the Southerner? Absolutely.
Quick Facts
Here are some quick facts to help you plan your visit.
- Location: 690 Perryman Street, Saugatuck, MI, 49453
- Cost: Free after Labor Day ($10 day pass/vehicle in summer).
- Parking: Available and ample. Turn north at the end of Perryman Street to find the largest surface lots.
- Restrooms: Flush toilet stalls open and accessible until 7 PM.
- Playground: There is one sad looking swing set. Your kids will have more fun on the beach.
- Concessions: Closed for season after Labor Day. Bring your own snacks and refreshments.
- Dogs: Not permitted.
- Alcohol: Not permitted.
- Lifeguards: Not present.
- Hiking Trails: Explore the 2.5-miles of sandy dune trails in the Saugatuck Natural Harbor Area beginning at the north end of the parking lot.
How To Get There
Some first-time visitors to Saugatuck might be surprised to discover the town is not right on Lake Michigan. Separated from Lake Michigan and Oval Beach by a dune headland and the Kalamazoo River, visitors staying Saugatuck will need to take a slightly roundabout route to get there. Here are the best ways.
Driving. Driving is the best way to access Oval Beach from Saugatuck. Expect about a 10-minute drive south of town and around Kalamazoo Lake to Perryman Street. Follow this curving wooded road as it climbs the dunes to exit directly to the Oval Beach parking lots.
Bus. Visitors without cars can take the Interurban bus—the demand response public bus system for the area, for a $1 fare. Call when you need a pickup or schedule one in advance. Check out the website for more information.
Bike. Traffic along Saugatuck and neighboring Douglas roads tends to be light, especially in the fall months. Bikes can take advantage of this by following the same street route to Oval Beach as cars.
Though, a special note for bikers, expect to work your gears to climb the dune that leads to the beach. And be sure to employ caution —drivers on these roads could be first-time visitors uncertain of where to go.
In the summer, visitors can walk to Oval Beach by crossing the Kalamazoo River via the summer-only historic Saugatuck Chain Ferry. Walkers follow Perryman street to the beach. And the more ambitious head north to climb Mt. Baldhead to follow the Mt. Baldhead Park Trail west to Oval Beach.
Things To Know Before You Go
Food + Drinks. In the fall, the concession stand is no longer open. So, plan to bring food and drinks with you if you think you will need them. Also, keep the alcohol at home when planning a visit—it is not permitted on Oval Beach.
Parking. As mentioned above—parking at Oval Beach, in the lots at the end and to the right of Perryman Street, is free after Labor Day, and spots are typically available most times throughout the day. In the summer, parking can fill quickly and cost $10 cash/credit per day for visitors without a season pass.
Sign up for my monthly Discovery Newsletter & get a free Trip Budget Calculator!
Other Conveniences. Come autumn, although the concession stand is closed, restrooms, outdoor showers to rinse sandy feet and bodies, and swings remain open until 7 PM daily.
Family Safety Tips
In calm weather, the waves at Oval Beach can be gentle and a pleasure for families to play in. Even at the beginning of October, we have been lucky enough to have warm temps, making it worth getting wet.
Not having grown up in the Upper Midwest, I am a big chicken with goose-bumps when it comes to enjoying the—ahem—refreshing Great Lakes water anytime. However, my kids born and raised in Chicago think the water is perfect for swimming. At Oval Beach, the lake entry is relatively shallow some distance from shore, gradually dropping off more steeply.
However, caution is needed whenever kids are swimming. Lake Michigan, similar to any other large body of water, especially in poor weather, can have unpredictable water conditions, rough waves, and be subject to rip currents.
Lake Michigan, similar to any other large body of water, especially in poor weather, can have unpredictable water conditions, rough waves, and be subject to rip currents.
With no lifeguards on duty in any season, visitors to Oval Beach should heed warnings. In addition to paying attention to weather forecasts, beachgoers should check out the link to current swimming conditions as well as helpful swimming tips on Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources website or check out this helpful information page on the Saugatuck City website.
Leave The Dogs At Home
Canine companions are sadly not permitted on Oval Beach. As an alternative, consider visiting the stunning and very dog-friendly Saugatuck Dunes State Park beach instead. View highlights from our visit there with our pup in the video below.
Related Reading
For families traveling to Saugatuck, Michigan, check out my related articles below to help you get the information you need to plan your best visit.
Or view my Michigan book list, including guidebooks, biographies, histories, and fiction set in place—that covers the Mitten State on Bookshop.org.
To gather more information for an Oval Beach visit, check out the Saugatuck/Douglas Visitors Bureau website for additional Oval Beach information.
Additional Trip Planning Resources
To further help you with travel planning, I share my go-to resources for every trip below.
Google Flights. My first research stop for affordable flights for every trip. Learn why here.
Google Hotels. Use its “Where to stay” button to discover the best neighborhoods to base your visit.
Booking.com. For hotel and rental bookings, I appreciate its flexible cancellation, candid user reviews, discounts, loyalty program, and easy-to-use interface.
Viator, Get Your Guide, & Airbnb Experiences. Quickly find and book highly-rated tours and activities on these sites.
Google Travel Things to Do & Google Maps. Find more things to do in your destination on Google Travel, then record where you want to visit on a custom Google Maps list.
AllTrails. Love to hike? Me too. I religiously use AllTrails to discover hiking and biking trails and download its offline maps to manage my hikes.
Guide Along. 5-star self-guided audio tours that are GPS-compatible for US road trips and national parks. We loved the Glacier National Park tour.
Insure My Trip. I never travel internationally without trip insurance. Learn why here. My preferred place to shop and compare policies is InsureMyTrip.com.
Plus, check out the 15 travel apps I use on trips, my preferred guidebooks, and my free customizable travel itinerary template, downloadable in four file formats.
About the author: Janice Moskoff is a travel writer and blogger who loves hiking, exploring the world, and reading. She writes to inspire travel-loving families, adult friends, and couples on her blog, Gather and Go Travel. Check out her bio, learn how she became a blogger, and discover how to work with her. Sign up for her monthly Discovery Newsletter to get her latest travel recommendations and how-to’s.
Love to travel? Sign up for my monthly Gather & Go Travel Discovery Newsletter and get a free trip budget calculator.
Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the links on this page may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. I only recommend products and companies I use. And the income goes to keeping the site community-supported and ads minimal.
Welcome to Gather and Go Travel, a blog inspiring families, adult friends, and couples to explore US and international destinations and to get outdoors. I am Janice, an experienced traveler to over 50 countries and a travel writer, book lover, and blogger. Learn more about me, read our story, and how to work with me.
Instagram...
love this info?
And receive our FREE Budget Trip Calculator.
