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Beach

Esch Road/Otter Creek

Michigan

About

Esch Road/Otter Creek is a beach within Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan, about 3.6 miles from the town of Empire. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Frankfort show July highs around 77°F with lows near 60°F, while winter brings highs in the 20s and regular snow days. The closest trail is the Otter Creek Loop (Platte Plains), about 0.7 miles away, and the Treat Farm Trail is about 1.7 miles off. For an overnight stay, Platte River Campground sits about 4 miles away, and the Platte River offers fishing about 5.7 miles away.

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Location

Esch Road/Otter Creek

Michigan

Data: US EPA BEACON (Beach Advisory and Closing Online Notification). Source metadata

Facts about this place

When to go

Best time to go: May–Sep. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 64–77°F and lows of 45–60°F.

Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Frankfort 2ne, MI weather station, 10 mi away. High / low in °F, and days with snow.

  1. Jan29° high19° low14 days with snow
  2. Feb31° high19° low10 days with snow
  3. Mar40° high25° low6 days with snow
  4. Apr52° high35° low2 days with snow
  5. May64° high45° low
  6. Jun73° high55° low
  7. Jul77° high60° low
  8. Aug76° high60° low
  9. Sep69° high54° low
  10. Oct56° high43° low1 days with snow
  11. Nov44° high33° low5 days with snow
  12. Dec34° high24° low11 days with snow

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020

Where it is

Nearest town
Empire, Michigan · 3.6 mi

Source: NPS Land Resources boundaries; USGS GNIS populated places

Conditions

Active alerts for Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore as of Oct 9, 2026:

Source: NPS Alerts API

Nearby

Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)

    Esch Road/Otter Creek — Beach in Michigan | Roamze