Our guide to 12 Lake Michigan beaches: Swimming, accessibility and bonus adventures.

To you, what's a comfortable day at a Lake Michigan beach? Lots of beach amenities or an intimate scene? Some added hiking, camping or paddling?

Today’s column looks at our local beaches this summer, from south to north.

Several make provisions for people with limited mobility. They place beach mats onto which you can roll wheelchairs. Some sites have beach wheelchairs that you can use for free, with wide wheels that roll over sand but that someone else must push.

Holiday weekend: Events on Memorial Day honor those who died while serving in U.S. military

Lake Michigan beaches are relatively wide this year. Here in May, the water is reportedly two inches lower than one year ago. But the water temperature was a nearly hypothermic 50 degrees or so May 22, so swimmers might wait until after the Memorial Day crush for sunny heat to warm up the lake.

Swimmers should take heed where the lifeguards are or aren’t. Look for beach warning flags. Check for beach hazards at weather.gov/greatlakes/beachhazards. Rip currents claim lives each summer, including the “good swimmers.”

Most beaches don’t allow glass containers, alcohol or pets. Avoiding crowds? Come on weekdays.

From Michigan City to Gary: Indiana Dunes National Park

The national park boasts several beaches scattered between Mount Baldy at Michigan City and the Marquette Park area in Gary, along with camping. Mount Baldy requires a hike through woods, but don’t expect any amenities there. Some beaches are small access points to the water. The Lake View Beach and its accessible picnic shelters are just one mile down a paved path from the South Shore rail station at Beverly Shores

(Around the corner from Lake View, I discovered a truck with brick-oven pizza last summer.)

The only national park beach with lifeguards is West Beach near Gary.

Check on beach conditions by calling the visitor center at 219-395-1882 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. CDT daily from May 27 through Labor Day weekend.

If the weather is nice, there will be a crush of traffic at the park’s beaches on Memorial Day weekend — lots of cars from Illinois. To check on parking, try this new tracking site that goes live this weekend: congestionmonitor.com/INDU.

For a lot more details, link to the park’s summer guide in this column online.

Chesterton: Indiana Dunes State Park

This state park in Chesterton, with camping and hiking, is separate though nestled inside of the national park. The beach's historical pavilion building has a restaurant serving lunch, dinner and cocktails with seating indoors, outside on the beach and in a rooftop lounge.

The lake is open for swimming only when lifeguards are on duty: generally 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. CDT weekdays and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. CDT weekends. For conditions, call 219-926-1390.

∎ Accessibility: Mats lead almost to the water’s edge.

Michigan City: Washington Park beach

This Michigan City beach, with an iconic pier and lighthouse, is also next to a marina and boat ramp onto Trail Creek, as well as the Washington Park Zoo. There’s a pavilion and restrooms. Lifeguards will be posted from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. CDT Mondays through Fridays and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. CDT Saturdays and Sundays from May 27 through Labor Day.

∎ Accessibility: There are about four mats on the beach. Reserve beach wheelchairs at 219-873-1506 or check with a park attendant when you enter the park.

New Buffalo beach

This popular city beach gained a newly built boardwalk with steps over the dunes last year. This May, on a handicapped-accessible portion, the city dedicated the final piece: an artfully designed and crafted wooden bench, made by Elkhart cabinetry and furniture maker Eric Trowbridge.

Lifeguards will be on duty this summer from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays.

∎ Accessibility: A handicapped-accessible boardwalk goes from the concession stand halfway to the water.

From Warren Dunes to Union Pier: Chikaming Township beaches

Chikaming Township has seven small beaches between Warren Dunes and Union Pier. More intimate? Yes. Secluded? Well, figure on having some company, especially as summer draws out-of-towners. Don’t be alarmed by the “private property” signs or even a security guard along their borders, where residences begin — if you walk beyond there, you must stay at the water’s edge.

None have lifeguards or restrooms.

The biggest is Cherry Beach, on Cherry Beach Road in Harbert, with 657 feet of shoreline. But the key thing is that it has the most parking: 28 spots. The others, known as “road-end beaches,” have scarce parking. Townline Beach has 15 spots. Harbert Beach has about six. You’re best off coming on weekdays if you want to park. Or figure on walking or biking into the beaches.  Except for Berrien Beach, all of them involve walking down a set of stairs. Pier Beach has stairs, but it lacks any beach.

Sawyer: Warren Dunes State Park

Warren Dunes in Sawyer boasts a huge parking lot, a tipoff that people can pack the large beach but also crawl over the massive dunes. Intimate? Nope. But there is tons of hiking. Beyond the beach, don’t forget trails through shaded, wooded hills with native flora; access that from a parking area on Floral Lane, off of Red Arrow Highway and north of the main entrance.

Explorer Guide/retired teacher Mike Latus returns this summer to show you wildflowers, birds and beach treasures, to tell stories and to let you peer through telescopes. His programs run Tuesdays through Saturdays, from just after the Memorial Day holiday through Labor Day. The park website will post the weekly schedules.

The park has restrooms, bathhouses and a campground. Third Coast Paddling rents kayaks and paddleboards starting May 27.

No lifeguards.

∎ Accessibility: Beach mats will go in by mid-June on either side of building No. 2. Two beach wheelchairs are available, too. Check them out at the ranger station, which opens from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily starting Memorial Day weekend. This summer, the park will also get a motorized scooter that rolls over sand.

Bridgman: Weko Beach

“Taps” is played on trumpet every night at sunset at this city beach in Bridgman through Labor Day. Kayaks and paddleboards are rented for use on Lake Michigan when there’s a green flag for swimming, available when the beach house is open. There’s a campground. No lifeguards.

Starting May 27, a free bus will make loops between the beach and Bridgman businesses every 20 minutes, to avoid beach parking, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Pets aren’t permitted on Weko’s sand, but you can walk your pooch a short way along the boardwalk to the south and connect with three miles of pet-permitted beach at Warren Dunes.

∎ Accessibility: Two mats take you 20 feet shy of the water. Sand wheelchairs can be checked out at the beach house, open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends through June 4, then daily starting June 10, except for rainy days.

Paddling in 2023: Canoe and kayak rentals return to Baugo Creek in time for Memorial Day weekend

St. Joseph: Lions Park beach

This city beach in St. Joseph, a few blocks south of Silver Beach, has restrooms, picnic pavilions and a playground, but the amount of sand is “marginal” because of erosion. No lifeguards.

St. Joseph: Silver Beach County Park

Never been to this St. Joseph hotspot? It can get crowded, not just because of the full amenities like the playground and volleyball courts. You’ll find the Silver Beach Carousel and Curious Kids Museum & Discovery Zone a block away, catty corner from Silver Beach Pizza. And that's near a large splash fountain.

Third Coast Paddling rents kayaks and paddleboards starting May 27.

Downtown St. Joe and multiple eateries are perched on a bluff with benches and wide views of the beach complex.

The outdoor John E.N. Howard Bandshell, 550 Port St., with a glimpse of the St. Joe River, hosts a series of free concerts at 7 p.m. each Friday from July 14 to Sept. 1.

Lifeguards are scheduled from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily, when possible, from early June through mid-August.

∎ Accessibility: Paved walkways gain access to the cluster of beach buildings and restrooms near the parking lot, and a path leads along a small dune and a large pavilion toward the pier. Beach wheelchairs can be checked out at the beach house, next to the restroom buildings.

St. Joseph: Tiscornia Beach

Just on the north side of the St. Joseph pier, this city park is much simpler than Silver Beach, with restrooms and a picnic pavilion. No lifeguards.

∎ Accessibility: Beach mats will be placed in early summer.

Benton Harbor: Jean Klock Park

This Benton Harbor city park has parking, restrooms/bathhouses, pavilions and a short trail up a dune overlook. Trails also link into the Harbor Shores Golf Course and scenic neighborhoods. No lifeguards.

∎ Accessibility: I took my parents here once when Dad was using a walker. We took a few steps along the concrete walkway at the parking lot’s edge, sat on a bench and watched the water and beach activity.

Benton Harbor: Rocky Gap County Park

This unassuming beach, on Rocky Gap Road off of Michigan 63 in Benton Harbor, has 1,100 feet of beach, a picnic shelter and overlook deck. There are vault toilets and no running water. Parking is free. No lifeguards.

Find columnist Joseph Dits on Facebook at SBTOutdoorAdventures or 574-235-6158 or jdits@sbtinfo.com.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Michiana beaches offer sand, water, accessibility, paddling and more