Warren Dunes State Park
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Reviews
Visitors find Warren Dunes State Park's dog beach to be a spacious, clean, and scenic area for their canine companions, though some note the strict leash requirements can be frustrating. They report the beach is generally well-maintained, with ample parking and amenities, though the hot sand can be difficult for dogs' paws.
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- HeatherMay 24, 2024Dog Beach
The dog beach is just a short walk from the parking lot at Weko Beach. Note: The dogs cannot be on Weko Beach. The day we were there, eight dogs were on the dog beach. Seven were properly leashed. The one that was not ruined the day for us because his owner was playing ball with him and our dog went nuts wanting to join in. Sure, I wish they could all be off leash and having fun but that’s not the policy here. It was a bummer that our visit was short after paying $15 to park. Otherwise nice and clean. Steep dune to hike down to the beach. Dog poo bags available.
- LynnAug 4, 2023Best dog beach
We took the advice to park at Weko and walk to the dog beach at Warren Dunes. It was well marked and quick to get to. We had the best day with the dogs. Thank you for the great advice on here!
- OliviaAug 1, 2023Amazing dog beach!
loved it! safe and clean! will be back!
- SandradeeJul 3, 2023Best Dog Friendly Beach!
Warren Dunes State Park has a separate area for families enjoying the beach with their dogs. It's absolutely perfect! The beach is clean, the sand is soft, the water is clear, and this area is not as crowded as the other areas, including Weko Beach.
Park at Weko Beach parking lot, parking is $15 at the kiosk (worth it!). There is a boardwalk and signs to the left of the Weko Beachhouse to follow and direct you to the dog beach area. It's a short walk down the boardwalk and over a small dune. This area is quiet and not as busy as the surrounding beach area. Please clean up after your dog! - SamJun 20, 2023Easy parking, strict rules
Can’t say I’m a fan of a leashed dog beach…my dog was so confused why she wasn’t allowed to run like normal dog beaches. If you go on a prime day, there will be rangers patrolling the beach on ATVs checking cans (no alcohol allowed) and enforcing rules.
I was very surprised by the amount of people posting up in the blazing hot sun with leashed dogs without even letting them in the water. There were a lot of barking, frustrated dogs around the ones who got to swim.
All in all a pretty bad beach experience. Don’t go if it’s busy. Too bad the area doesn’t have a safe fenced off leash space.
The overall beach also lacks picnic tables (aside from a couple for the use of the food stands) and dogs in the other areas are strictly prohibited, so there’s nowhere to eat with a dog unless you bring food into the dog area (terrible practice).
- AlexandraMay 7, 2023Beautiful quiet beach!
This is the nicest quiet beach to bring your dog. It’s $11 for a day pass (cash only), there is tons of parking, and the parking lot is right next to the beach so it’s not a huge hike to get to the water. Easy to get away from the crowds if you just walk a little down the coast. Only downside is that dogs are required to be on a leash at all times which stinks when your pup wants to run free in the water but we brought a 30 ft leash that gave him some room to run and no-one complained! Definitely recommend this somewhat hidden gem as a nice place to bring your dog for some fun in the sun!
- ColleenAug 14, 2022Great spot to hike or hang with the pups!
We pit stopped at the Warren Dunes on our way to South Haven from Chicago. They have designated area at the beach and the dunes for dogs. Our kids and pup had the best time! Everyone came home sandy. 🐾
- MichelleJul 8, 2022Dog Beach
The dog beach has a lot of space to mingle with other dogs or spread out by yourself. We splashed in the water and dig in the sand!
- SandyJul 3, 2022Great fun for the dogs!
We loved Warren Dunes before and love it even more for being so dog friendly now! They have a large section of beach that is open for dogs - plenty of sand and water for our pups to enjoy. And the other dog owners we saw were being responsible with their dogs so no mishaps occurred. This beach does get
really busy on a summer weekend, so arrive early. - AveryJul 1, 2022A Barkin’ Good Time
What a wonderful experience we had today. The water is so clear. Not to mention, there are miles of pup-friendly beaches and plenty of good sticks for fetchin’. The trails are also plentiful with a lot of vertical climb to tire out the pups. The trails were the perfect change of scenery from the beach. Definitely worth the stop and the entrance fee!
- BetsyJun 11, 2022Outstanding Dog Beach Experience
We heard about this beach while traveling in the area with our dogs. So very pleased with the experience and how huge and pristine the dog beach area was. Our dogs are tired after a long walk and climbing the sand dunes. We are too!
- BeckJul 10, 2021Best $9 ever.
Definitely a gem! The people are really nice too. Only small inconvenience is it can be a bit of a walk to find a spot to set up, but it’s definitely worth it!
- ClairAug 29, 2020Fantastic open beach
Great long stretch of beach and crystal clear water with sandy beach. Dogs had to be on leashes and everyone very respectful. Big parking lot - follow the signs to the end where it says “Dog Path”
- BreannaJul 20, 2020Great Dog Beach!!
We just came here on a mini vacation, 3 hours from Indy! I really enjoyed this beach, my boys loved seeing other dogs, this was the first time theyve been around hundreds of people but it was such beautiful water, everyone was friendly, the sand was insanely hot, burning my feet. I had to run back to my suv to put on sneakers and we had to carry our boys to the beach and they are heavy ! overall great experience. if you do not live in Michigan, it is $9 to enter beach.
- Catherine s.Jul 17, 2020Go Early!!
Fabulous spot. Went at 8:30 am. perfect. Beautiful spot.
- MariaJul 15, 2020Awesome dog beach!!!
We drove 3 hours to get here and it was worth it. The dog beach is amazing and very sandy at the beach part. Everyone did a good job handling their dogs and it was a fun experience. My only warning is the sand gets insanely hot on the walk back after blazing in the sun all day and on the trails on the dunes. On the walk back, we had to sprint through soft sand because my dog’s paws were burning. Next time I’m going to bring those dog shoe things so he can safely walk back.
- AshleighJul 11, 2020Great Experience
Took our dogs here for vacation. Was a lot of fun everyone was respectful. The park was nicely maintained, tons of parking and a great time. $9 was worth every second of it.
- RobynJun 28, 2020Great Pit Stop
We brought our puppies for their first experience on a beach and it went great. There is a large area for people with dogs and everyone we encountered had their dogs on leashes and were very considerate. We were only there for an hour but definitely worth the $9 to get in. I would recommend it to other dog owners.
- DawnAug 13, 2019Nice Beach
Beautiful beach with lots of space for dogs to run. The leashes hinder the fun a bit, but I prefer to be safe as you never know how two dogs will interact regardless of how “friendly” they are
- AlexisAug 7, 2019Lots of space
A little busy but plenty of space to roam. Easy walk to the lake
- DetraJul 23, 2019Great Beach For The Pups
It was a good place o take the doggies. Well worth the 9.00 to get in. They had food trucks an port a potty’s when we went. Looks like they are building some bathrooms. People were friendly. Must keep pet on a leash at all times.
- AmyJul 22, 2019Beautiful Beach - Watch For DNR!
I have two Goldens who love the water but hard to find dog friendly places on Lake Michigan. I was super excited to visit this 2 miles of dog friendly shoreline. The beach is as fantastic as the reviews say. We walked about a mile down the beach to avoid heavy weekend crowds. We had a blast until DNR came plowing down the beach in their 4 wheeler and got cited for not having 1 of my 2 dogs on a leash (I had taken it off because the sand jammed the leash spring and wouldn’t close). While I am a law abiding citizen, I felt a warning would’ve sufficed since my dogs are well behaved, we were hundreds of yards from any people and all the dogs cared about was their tennis balls and the water. My dog was actually sitting next to my chair when he pulled up. AND he said he expected me to hold onto the leash even when they were swimming which I feel is ridiculous Anyways, beautiful place but make sure you have your dogs leash in hand at all times 🙄
- ChayaJul 6, 2019Great Time
So many dogs and so many friendly dog owners! The water temp was perfect and the water is so clear you can see the bottom. The sand towards the end of the day was dangerously hot for the dogs
- RonSep 30, 2018Wow! Our Dog Loved It!
This is a good sized dog beach that is only a very short walk from the parking lot. It's clean and free of debris - no garbage on the beach and hardly any driftwood - so your dog will have fun and be safe too. Very nice!
- KelliAug 5, 2018Dog Friendly Beach
This is a generous stretch of beach where people and dogs can have fun together. Lake Michigan is clear and beautiful and just perfect for play.
The only thing I would warn visitors about is the that the path to the dog area is long, unshaded, and the sand is deep. The hot sand was very rough on our dog's feet and the sand is too deep to pull a wagon through. We visited the beach less often than we wanted to simply because we had no means to get our dog to the waterfront without damage to her paws.
- KristinaJul 28, 2018Pretty cool!
An awesome beach for dogs. The people and the dogs were fun and friendly. I would recommend bringing an umbrella or small tent for shade. Our retriever had a great time. It was really nice to be among dog lovers. It's very liberating to be able to have your dog on the beach and not feel like you are sneaking or breaking the rules. It was a short walk to the beach and very easy to find with all the signage.
- KariJul 6, 2018Loved it
We went for the day of July 4th and it was HOT for our pups first beach visit. We were amazed how CLEAR the water was! It was awesome!! The beach was clean, the sand was soft, we loved it! Lots of friendly people & dogs
- BeverlyMore than a year agoBeautiful shoreline
We took our puppy here for his first visit to the beach. It was too hot to do any hiking, but the dunes and the beach were gorgeous. I was in the water up to my chin and could see clear down to my feet. There is about a foot and a half of rocks at the shoreline leading into the water, making it a little painful to walk into the water, but totally worth it. My puppy hated the water, but there were lots of other dogs to get him socialized.
- LauraMore than a year agoNice beach!
We visited this beach last year and enjoyed it a lot. The beach was crowded, which our puppy, Zoey, enjoyed, because she loves meeting other dogs. However she was still young, so the waves scared her, but overall she had a good time. We hope to go back again this year. This time she might enjoy the water! :)
Location
Traveler Photos
We dug up 25 pictures of dogs at Warren Dunes State Park.
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