Beach Days on East Bay: Tamarack Lodge and Beyond

A private beach, a short walk from your door

The reason most families choose Tamarack Lodge is the water. The property has private frontage on East Grand Traverse Bay, which the lodge calls East Bay, and the lodge describes its beach as one of the area's largest private sandy beaches. It belongs to registered guests, which means you are sharing sand with other people staying at the lodge rather than a full public crowd.

If you book a Lakeview Walkout Room, the beach is practically at your doorstep, since the room opens onto a private lakefront patio on the ground floor. Even from a balcony room or a suite you are only a short walk away. That matters with children, because a beach you can see from the room is a beach where a forgotten sandal or a nap-time exit is a two-minute errand.

What the lodge sets out for you

You do not need to haul gear from home. The lodge provides complimentary beach chairs, tables, chaise lounges, umbrellas and towels, all on a first-come basis. On a busy summer weekend, that means heading down early if you want your preferred spot, and leaving something to mark it if you step away for lunch.

• Beach chairs, tables and chaise lounges
• Umbrellas for the hot part of the afternoon
• Towels, so you are not carrying room linens down
• Beachfront firepits for evenings
• Outdoor grills for dinner on the shore

Pack the things the lodge does not mention: sunscreen, a hat, a cooler for drinks and snacks, and toys if you have small kids. Water shoes can be handy too. And if you were planning to bring the dog, know that the lodge is 100% pet-free.

Shallow water and small swimmers

Guest Rylie came with her family and put the best point about this beach in a sentence: "The water was shallow very far out so they could enjoy running around!" That is a parent's review, and a useful one. A beach where kids can wade a long way before the water gets deep gives them freedom without every minute feeling like a rescue drill.

It is still your job to watch them, though. There is no lifeguard at the beach or the pool at Tamarack Lodge, and that means an adult needs to be within reach of any child in the water. Set a rule at the start of the trip, like a grown-up always on the sand with eyes on the swimmers, and keep to it. Shallow is not the same thing as safe, and conditions on a bay can change with the wind.

Firepits, grills and the sunset

A beach day does not end when the sun drops. The beachfront firepits face sunsets over East Bay, and the outdoor grills give you a way to cook dinner at the water's edge. Guest Elisa called the firepit and seating relaxing in the evening, and mentioned a family of ducks that would walk right up to you, a small detail that tells you how easygoing the grounds feel.

For the best sunset view from a room, look at the Lakeview One Bedroom Corner Suite, which has a west-facing shoreline and panoramic bay views. You do not need it to catch the show, though. The firepits face the sunset and are there for every registered guest, so you can see the same sky from the sand.

When you want a different beach

Sooner or later, a longer stay calls for variety. The lodge's attractions list names four beaches nearby: Clinch Park Beach, Bryant Park, Sunset Park and Haserot Beach. Each is a different setting from your own private frontage, and a morning at one of them before returning to the lodge for the afternoon is an easy way to mix things up.

Check the current conditions, rules and facilities for any public beach before you go, since those are managed by their own operators and change. If you would rather be on the water than beside it, remember that the lodge has no boat launch and no trailer or jet ski parking, and recommends TC Watersports for time on the bay.

Planning the trip

Check-in at Tamarack Lodge is at 4 PM and check-out is at 10:30 AM, which leaves you a full beach morning on departure day if you pack the night before. Ask the reservations team at (231) 938-9744 about Lakeview Walkout availability if you want the beach close, and about the Lakefront Romance Package if the trip is for two. Bring the sunscreen, claim your chairs early, and let East Bay do the work.