Agate Beaches Keweenaw Peninsula, MI |
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Rating |
Excellent |
Age |
2 and up |
Lockers |
Not Available |
Restrooms |
Depends on the beach |
Food |
Picnic | Closest Coffee |
Bring your own |
Recommendation |
This is an activity that could provide hours of fun for the family. Beaches and rocks--what more could you ask for? |
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Review: by Mom
I could hunt rocks all day. Their endless variety and beauty is fascinating to me. The rocky shore of the Keweenaw Peninsula is home to some of the best agate finding beaches in the world. The beaches are full of lake-tumbeled stones that are unique to the area. The red, green, and yellow stones are everywhere. But you must have patience if you want to bag the rarer agates and greenstone gems.
The west side of the peninsula has many beaches that are open to the public. If you are lucky enough to find a local that will give you some tips, you should have a fairly productive day of rock hunting. Unfortunately, some of the historically best beaches have become private property in the last couple of decades.
The best time to find agates is early morning after a storm has churned up Lake Superior. This is when the professionals are out. If you are not lucky enough to be there after a storm, the pickings will be thinner. There are not many agates, and only serious hunters find the big ones.
Even more rare is the Lake Superior Greenstone (chlorastrolite). This beautiful greenish-blue rock is the state gem of Michigan. The specimens you can find are very small, and are usually down below the other larger rocks. You will have to dig for these.
Our favorite beaches were at Eagle River, McLain State Park, and Copper Harbor.
Eagle River was my favorite because the beach also has the river flowing into it. The river water is so much warmer than that in the lake that it allows you an opportunity to wade. The winding river mouth also makes some shallow pools that allow for some easy rockhunting. The Eagle River beach is interesting in that you have the red stones and agates at the beach which have been tumbled by Lake Superior, but you also have the rougher rocks that come from the mountains by the river. There is a chance to find some small samples of copper here.
McLain State Park has a nice beach. There is a nice sandy area behind the strip of rocks to hang out on. When we were there it was unseasonably warm. The 90 degree temperatures coaxed some hearty local children into the lake, but not ours. They've been spoiled by the near-70 degree temps of Lake Michigan, and the numbing waters of Superior weren't as appealing. The rocks here were great, but we went here before going to the A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum, so we were really hunting blind. We came home, though, with a lot of "pretty" rocks. (Make sure you stop in the Mineral Museum for some tips about hunting gems locally. I recommend buying one of the books.)
Copper Harbor is the nothernmost town in Michigan. It is small, isolated, and pretty wild. Just west of town there is a public beach. This beach had the greatest amount of rocks. You could dig down a foot and not find any sand. It is a beautiful location, and worth a few hours of rock hunting if you are in the area. A good time can also be had driving along Brockway Mountain Drive. The scenery is amazing.
Other Reviews:
Sam: I, like Mom, can spend a lot of time doing this. Wear water shoes because the rocks can really be painful on your feet.
Will: Our Grandpa Bob helped design the wooden arch bridge that is in Eagle River. If you want to see a beautiful bridge, by a beautiful waterfall, by a beautiful beach, by a beautiful lake, stop and take a look.
Dad: Lake Superior is heart-stoppingly cold, always. Even wading can be painful. Try if you dare.
