Agate Beach at Stanton Park Campground
I first discovered Stanton Park on the map while planning our route home from the Keweenaw Peninsula. I was zooming in and out of what looked like interesting locations to stop at on the way home, and at some point, I saw a little beach called Agate Beach on the northern end of Misery Bay. Although Kira and I have not been hounding rocks for that long, we have jumped into the hobby head first and have visited many beaches around Michigan. Although we didn’t visit Agate Beach on that trip, while camping in Ontonagon a few months later, we could not help but pay a visit to search for our first proper agates. Located about 10 miles off M26, the beach is about 15 minutes outside Toivola, making it a short trip from Houghton or Ontonagon. Agate Beach is only a part of Stanton Park, which also offers a campground with a playground. The campground was packed when we visited and had pit toilets and porta-potties. The playground was relatively small, but kids were playing on it when we were there. Access to the beach is the main attraction here, offering a gateway to miles of rocky shores on Misery Bay. Although we did not find any agates, we found many pretty stones and some unakite, which is one of my favorites. I want to camp at Stanton Park someday and will return to Agate Beach in spring when the rocks are fresh!
