Go See It
Bete Grise: Go See It
A long white sand Lake Superior beach said to sing underfoot, with a private 1895 lighthouse at the Mendota canal.
The facts
- Drive
- 2 hr 44 min from Marquette
- Cost
- No fee listed
- Season
- Year round
- Hours
- Open year round for non-motorized day use
Address
Gay-Lac La Belle Road, Lac La Belle, MI 49950 (Bete Grise Preserve parking, past Point Isabelle)
DirectionsMore detail
- From Marquette
- 139 mi via US-41 N
- Season
- Spring, late summer and early fall best (fewer biting insects)
- From the Bridge
- 5 hr 26 min (302 mi) via US-41 N
Bete Grise is a long curve of white sand on the Keweenaw, inside a preserve of approximately 5,000 acres owned by the Houghton Keweenaw Conservation District. Local legend says the sand sings when you press it.
Before you go
- No fires, no overnight use, no hunting or trapping, no cutting trees or vegetation.
- Pets not permitted on The Nature Conservancy's preserve (walk north along the beach to reach it).
- Mendota Lighthouse is private; grounds, dwelling and tower closed.
- Coming from Gay. if you reach Lac La Belle, you have gone too far.
Sources
- Houghton Keweenaw Conservation District - Preserves Read September 28, 2026
- The Nature Conservancy - Bete Grise Wetlands Preserve Read September 28, 2026
- Keweenaw Land Trust - Bete Grise South Preserve Read September 28, 2026
- Keweenaw Land Trust - Driving Directions PDF Read September 28, 2026
- U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office - Mendota Lighthouse Read September 28, 2026
- Mendota Lighthouse - History Read September 28, 2026
- Lighthouse Friends - Mendota (Bete Grise) Read September 28, 2026
- Google Maps - route from Marquette Read September 28, 2026
- Google Maps - route from Mackinac Bridge Read September 28, 2026
Verified September 28, 2026