Things To Do In South Haven, MI
During mid-July we headed to South Haven, the first stop on our road trip around Lake Michigan! We fit in a variety of activities into a 2-day stay. This post will include the activities we did, where we stayed, and what we ate! This post is all about things to do in South Haven, MI.
About South Haven, Michigan
South Haven is a coastal town sitting on the sandy shores of Lake Michigan. The Black River runs through the town which gives South Haven its friendly feel with waterfront inns and dockside restaurants. It’s sandy beaches, hiking and biking trails, and nature preserves make it a great spot if you love being outdoors.
The walkable downtown makes it easy to get around without a car, depending on where you stay. There’s plenty of cute boutiques and restaurants with their small town Midwest charm. A little further out from the town, you’ll find U-pick blueberry farms and nature preserves. All of these activities make it a popular tourist spot in the summer since many stores and restaurants are only open during the warmer months. During our stay we felt like the town had a lively vibe while still offering chances to enjoy quieter moments in nature.
Where Is South Haven?
South Haven is located on the Southwest lower peninsula. It took us approximately 2 hours from Chicago by car.
- Approximately 3 hours from Detroit by car.
- Approximately 1 hour from Grand Rapids by car.
When We Visited
We stayed in South Haven during mid-July. It was busy but we never felt like it was too crowded at any given point. None of the restaurants that we tried had long wait times or there was no wait at all. A and I both enjoy the vibe of a lively beachy Midwest town during the summer.
Where We Stayed
There’s different accommodations in South Haven from rentals, chain hotels, and inns. We wanted to stay close to the town so we could walk to everything and decided on the Old Harbor Inn. We found our room to be updated, clean, and had a nice view facing the Black River!
The staff at the front desk were very kind and gave us recommendations of places to eat and explore. The parking was a little on the trickier side but not too overwhelming. One thing that I really liked about the location of this hotel, was that we could walk down to the pier and out to the South Haven lighthouse. It took about 15 minutes leisurely one-way all the way to the end of the concrete pier.
Things To Do In South Haven, MI
Beaches
North & South Beach
Two popular beaches are North Beach and South Beach. We didn’t swim on this trip, but we did visit the beaches and enjoyed the atmosphere. South Beach seemed to be more popular. We walked to South beach from our hotel both nights to watch the sunset. You have to walk out onto the concrete pier and all the way down to get a look at the South Haven lighthouse. We’ve grown to enjoy checking out the lighthouses at these coastal towns because each one has a unique charm and interesting history.
Pilgrim Haven Natural Area
We stopped at the Pilgrim Haven Natural Area, which has a paved path leading to beach access. We didn’t swim, but we did some rock hunting and enjoyed the lovely view of Lake Michigan.
Shopping & Walkable Downtown
South Haven has a very walkable downtown which is perfect for shopping or a relaxed stroll. The boutique stores offered their midwest charm and if you are hungry at any point, there’s restaurants, cafes, and ice cream shops to find a satisfying bite. Some of my favorite shops were Dimitridon Studios Rock Shop, The Willow Tree Home Decor & Gifts, and The Blueberry Store. We stopped at the Sweet Haven Candy shop to pick up some fudge (which is one of our midwest traditions). Because we stayed right in the town, we spent most of this short trip walking to everything and loved the exercise!
Go Blueberry Picking
Michigan is widely known for being one of the top blueberry producing states! South Haven has nearly 300 blueberry farmers, and makes it the largest area of blueberry production in the world. Every year South Haven holds the National Blueberry Festival which celebrates local growers, holds pie eating contests, offers activities for kids, a 5k race, plenty of vendors, and more. We were there too early to check it out, but hope to go to the festival in the future. Check out this article about some of the varieties of blueberries grown in South Haven!
DeGrandchamp Farms
Once we learned that South Haven is the blueberry capital, we knew we wanted to find a U-Pick farm. The typical blueberry season is July-August and we were there at the perfect time. We choose DeGrandchamp Farms because it was easy to drive to, had a small bakery and store, and good reviews. We didn’t want anything fancy, just the blueberry picking!
I’d recommend wearing rain boots or work boots and bringing a hat and sun protection (I’m all about sun protection). It was hot but we pulled on our boots and head into the field. It was fun to walk in-between the blueberry bushes and pick blueberries right from the source, while also getting to taste them. At the time we went, we got to pick three varieties: bluejoy, spartan, and patriot. They were delicious and lasted long enough to eat them throughout our entire 2-week road trip. This was one of our favorite memories in South Haven.
Nature Preserves
Pilgrim Haven Natural Area
We visited the Pilgrim Haven Natural Area, which is a great spot to hike shorter trails at an incline. We hiked up a short elevated trail to get to the Vesper Hill Vista Point and looked out over the sparkly blue view of Lake Michigan. If you’ve read my previous travel guides about Traverse City or Saugatuck, you’ll know A and I love to go rock hunting! This area came up the most during my research for finding the best rock hunting spots. We did get to find a few small interesting looking rocks!
Van Buren State Park
Visiting this state park was high on our list, but sadly we did not have enough time to fit it in. It’s a place I’d like to check out if we ever make it back to South Haven! This state park offers campgrounds, beaches, rock hunting, biking, hiking, picnic area, playground, and restrooms. Based on the images I’ve seen, the view of Lake Michigan looks stunning from this location!
Kal-Haven Trail State Park
Perfect for walking or biking and enjoying the beauty of nature! You can read the historical plaques that share the cultural history of the South Haven area!
Watch A Sunset
The sunset’s on the Michigan side of the lake are beautiful (I’m from the Illinois side). The last time we were in Michigan, we were in awe of the sunsets so we planned to watch them every night of this trip. Sitting on the pier on a hot summer night really embodies the height of summer in the midwest kind of feeling that I love. We walked down to the South Haven lighthouse from our hotel on both nights of our stay. It was crowded and people starting to line up on the pier well before the sunset. Both nights offered such lovely sunsets that never really translate well in photos.
Michigan Maritime Museum
One highly rated suggestion was to visit the Michigan Maritime Museum. They offer both permanent and changing exhibits as well as a fleet of replica vessels for visitors to experience. They offer different types of sailing experiences both during the day and at night. This is a great stop for families, those who love learning about maritime history, or if you’re looking for a new experience.
Get Ice Cream After Dinner
Kilwins Ice Cream
If you enjoy dessert after dinner (raising my hand), get some ice cream and go for a leisurely stroll. After we watched a sunset we weren’t quite ready for bed so we walked around the town looking for dessert. Kilwins is a franchise and has many locations located in Michigan. It was only a 4-minute walk from the hotel, which was perfect for eating and strolling around town on a warm summer night.
Bakeries & Cafés
Given my obsession with baking (the other half of my blog), I’ve dedicate a section of my travel guides to the bakeries and cafes that we try.
Cafe Julia
This was a lovely laid-back cafe that serves breakfast and lunch, plus pastries and coffee. They had live music outside and lots of space to sit under umbrellas. A cafe is a great choice for when you’re hungry but don’t want a whole dining experience. This was one of my favorite spots on this trip.
Bunde’s Bakery Cafe
A charming bakery that offers pastries, breakfast sandwiches, and coffee and tea options. There was a long line but we didn’t have to wait too long. This cafe is smaller and doesn’t have much seating space but we managed to get a table outside. We both enjoyed the croissant breakfast sandwich and shared a tasty bran muffin.
Water’s Edge Coffee
A friendly coffee shop that had a decent latte and London fog latte! The atmosphere was lively and although we didn’t sit down to sip, we would recommend it if you’re looking for something lowkey.
Restaurants & Breweries To Try
Su Casa Restaurante
Once we made it to the hotel, we didn’t feel like driving to find a restaurant. Conveniently, just steps from the hotel was Su Casa Restaurante. We had decent tacos and drinks and we were seated ASAP (which was great because we were starving).
Harbor Light Brewery
Harbor Light Brewery had a relaxed atmosphere, tasty beer, friendly staff, and lots of space. We shared a flight and also got to try a delicious tart cherry cider.
Three Blondes Brewing
Our favorite food of the trip, Three Blondes Brewing was a great stop. The food was delicious and the beer selections were unique which was a nice change! We tried a pickle beer and a sour strawberry ale and both were good. A and I always share a flight because we are more interested in trying new flavors without getting overwhelmed. The restaurant was family friendly, a bit loud, but had that laidback Midwestern brewery vibe that we’ve come to enjoy.
Other Mentions
We didn’t get to try these restaurants but are highly rated from reviews and suggestions from the locals I asked.
Clementine’s
A popular spot famous for it’s welcoming hometown feeling, variety of menu choices, and it’s iconic building right on the corner of the downtown area.
Admiral Jack’s Bar & Grill
If you’re looking for something different, this bar & grill sits on the Black River and you can dine while watching the boats pass by!
We had a great time in South Haven and felt like a weekend was the perfect amount of time to explore. This was the first stop on our Lake Michigan Circle Tour road trip, check back for more!
