Ludington State Park

A punchy, hollow beach break on Lake Michigan's eastern shoreline, Ludington State Park delivers fast, ledgey peaks that can humble experienced surfers and genuinely injure underprepared ones. NW and W swells funnel in cleanly, with the spot working from 2ft up to 8ft-plus and reading best on W to NW wind swell generated across the lake's fetch. All tides are rideable, but sand shifts seasonally and the inside is shallow enough that wipeouts regularly end at the bottom. Weekdays offer a thin, focused local crew who surf at a high level, weekends draw campers and summer warriors who get picked off by the shore pound. Bottom: sand. Season: winter through spring. Consistency: low in summer, solid October through April. That submerged rock on the inside near the chair tower is only exposed at low tide but is a real hazard when surfing the left, so scope the inside before you paddle out.