Crystal Lake - Beulah

Crystal Lake, the largest lake of this name in Michigan, is located at Beulah, Michigan.   Crystal Lake is adjacent to the southern reaches of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.  Up to and through the American Civil War years Crystal Lake was known as "Cap Lake" due to the frequent whitecaps visible on its surface.  Crystal Lake is surrounded by sandy beaches due to an attempt in 1873 to connect Crystal Lake and Lake Michigan via a channel. The lake level of Crystal Lake was higher than the level of Lake Michigan and when the channel was opened, the water level in Crystal Lake dropped. Although the project was a failure, the lowering of the lake level uncovered sandy beaches, including the current public beach at Beulah.

crystal lake

Crystal Lake measures approximately 2.5 by 8 miles , and has a maximum depth of 165 feet.  At 9,854 acres, it is Michigan's ninth largest inland lake.  The watershed that feeds Crystal Lake is very small, and fertilizer and sewage outflows are minimal, leading to the exceptionally clear and beautiful water that gives this Michigan attraction its current name.

Beulah, Michigan rests on the southeast shore of Crystal Lake about one mile north of on U.S. Highway 31 and about 7 miles east of Lake Michigan. The beach is located on the northwest side of the village on the shores of Crystal Lake. The beach has several hundred feet of sandy shore, a beach house, tennis courts, a playground and parking. Swimming is great at the beach with its sandy bottom and safely marked swimming area. The Cold Creek spills into Crystal Lake adjacent to the beach and provides another avenue for swimming enjoyment. This is another great Michigan back roads getaway.

They know how to have fun in the winter in Beulah whether there is snow or not.

snow horseshoes

Winterfest activities include: frozen fish toss, ice fishing, outhouse sprint, hayride, fireworks, frozen turkey bowling and a rubber duck race in Cold Creek.