Sleeping Bear Dunes Beach with kids today

Empire, Michigan

Updated 7:03 AM EDT

79/ 100
Fine with close supervision Surf calmness is 0.7 ft — but water temperature at 68°F is what holds it back.

What decides a families with kids score

Weather & UV · Open-Meteo Waves · Open-Meteo Marine Water temp · NOAA GLERL (daily) Air quality · AirNow

Before you swim

Swim near a staffed lifeguard tower, and check the National Weather Service surf-zone forecast for the official rip-current outlook — we report conditions, we don't forecast rip currents.

Better nearby for families with kids

Sleeping Bear Dunes Beach is also scored for

About Sleeping Bear Dunes Beach

Sleeping Bear Dunes Beach sits on Lake Michigan, where the water runs from about 36°F in February to 69°F in August.

The water here never averages above 70°F — even in August, the warmest month, it sits around 69°F. Most people wear a wetsuit.

Today it is 68°F. That is 1° below the August average of 69°F here.

Frequently asked questions

Is Sleeping Bear Dunes Beach good for families today?

Fine with close supervision — we score it 79 out of 100 today. The limiting factor is water temperature at 68°F.

What makes a good families with kids day?

We weight surf calmness (35%), water temperature (25%), uv exposure (22%) and combine them into one score. Conditions we cannot read are left out rather than guessed.

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