Peterson Park
When we first got into rock hunting, Peterson Park was my golden standard for rock beaches. On our maiden voyage to the Leelanau Peninsula, we ended up at Peterson Park probably 5 times to walk the beach looking for Petoskey Stones and other unique rocks and fossils. We were quite unprepared, but we didn’t care. The fall color was peaking, the scenery was beautiful, and our coat pockets were full of rocks.
From the parking area, you are greeted with a beautiful view of Lake Michigan, and there’s a viewing platform that is perfect for sunset. The stairs down to the water are well-maintained but a bit steep. Once you reach the bottom, there are rocks quite literally everywhere. The park offers under a quarter mile of shoreline, but it gives you access to miles of rocky coastline to walk and rock hunt. In Michigan, you are legally allowed to walk within the high water line, and pretty much any property owner on the Great Lakes knows this, even if they tell you otherwise.
We walked for hours at Peterson Park, and due to the colder weather, were the only ones there. We found tons of Petoskey Stones, some jasper, some slag, and many other pretty stones. Peterson Park might not be as popular as Van’s Beach, but I’d choose Peterson over Van’s any day of the week; this place is a rock hunting paradise.
