8 Fun MICHIGAN BEACH Finds

Plus Tips for the Great Lakes State Rockhounding

- SARA JORDAN-HEINTZ

Home to the nation's longest freshwater coastline (3,288 linear miles), Michigan is surrounded by four of the five Great Lakes (Superior, Michigan, Huron and Erie) making hunting for beach finds a rockhound's dream. Michigan's coasts are varied with sandy beaches and dunes, wetlands and rocky cliffs and bluffs. There's always something new to see.

Peter Rose is a geologist with Minerals Management for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. He noted the state owns approximately six million acres of mineral rights. "We're responsible for providing access to those areas for leasing and development and monitoring those activities," he said.

Removing anything from a national park is illegal, but most Michigan State Parks allow rockhounding and beachcombing. "There is a state law that limits the collection of common variety rocks, stones, minerals and invertebrate fossils to 25 pounds per person per year," said Rose.

Here are eight beach finds common to Michigan's varied beaches.

1. BEACH GLASS

Beach glass comes from discarded glass fragments and is highly collectible.

Mother Nature's hand smoothes it and often creates a frosted look. Although glass can be found on most beaches, glass found in freshwater is called beach glass whereas the term sea glass is applied to glass shaped by salt water.

"From my experience, beach glass from Lake Michigan has more frost, due to the large in size rocks and massive amounts of them that naturally tumble (the glass) around, making it frosty and smooth,” said Elisa Garfinkel, who makes color-changing mood stones from this variety of glass.

Beach glass is beautiful and can be decades old or more recent in vintage.