Agate Beach, Grand Marais
Grand Marais, Michigan
lake superior agatesunakitejasperbanded chertbasalt with quartz veins
Public land, rules apply · Free
Agate Beach, Grand Marais
Burt Township's Agate Beach sits where Lake Superior stacks basalt gravel along the shore east of the Grand Sable dunes, and the agates are the banded red-brown Lake Superior kind, usually thumbnail-sized. Search the wet zone at the waterline with the sun low behind you — an agate holds a waxy shine that ordinary beach basalt never does. Mind the boundary in the other direction: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore begins immediately west of Grand Marais, and inside it taking anything becomes a federal violation.
The card catalog
| What you can find | lake superior agates, unakite, jasper, banded chert, basalt with quartz veins |
|---|---|
| Access | Public land, rules apply — Free |
| Fees | Free public township beach with parking and a boardwalk — no permit and no entry fee. Burt Township publishes the access rather than collecting rules; what governs how much you carry off is Michigan's statewide cap of 25 pounds of rock, mineral, or invertebrate fossil per person per year from state-owned land and Great Lakes bottomlands. |
| Season & hours | Practical from ice-out through late fall; spring melt and post-storm days turn over the freshest gravel. Winter access is a matter of ice, snow, and how much you want it. |
| Kids | Family-friendly — Flat beach walking with a boardwalk for viewing, and the hunting itself is pure surface picking — no tools, no digging. Lake Superior is bitterly cold even in August, so treat the water as scenery. |
| Official source | Burt Township, Michigan (official) |
| Last checked | Checked against its source August 16, 2026 |
Hours, fees, and access rules change. Verify with the operator or land agency before you go.
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Before you go
What does Agate Beach, Grand Marais cost?
Free public township beach with parking and a boardwalk — no permit and no entry fee. Burt Township publishes the access rather than collecting rules; what governs how much you carry off is Michigan's statewide cap of 25 pounds of rock, mineral, or invertebrate fossil per person per year from state-owned land and Great Lakes bottomlands. Hours, fees, and access rules change. Verify with the operator or land agency before you go.
When is Agate Beach, Grand Marais open?
Practical from ice-out through late fall; spring melt and post-storm days turn over the freshest gravel. Winter access is a matter of ice, snow, and how much you want it. Hours, fees, and access rules change. Verify with the operator or land agency before you go.
Is Agate Beach, Grand Marais good for kids?
Yes — Agate Beach, Grand Marais works for families. Flat beach walking with a boardwalk for viewing, and the hunting itself is pure surface picking — no tools, no digging. Lake Superior is bitterly cold even in August, so treat the water as scenery.