Crystal Lake

Crystal Lake is Michigan’s ninth-largest inland lake, and one of its clearest and deepest. The water can look turquoise over a sandy bottom before dropping to depths of more than 160 feet. The villages of Beulah and Benzonia sit at its eastern end. Homes and cottages ring the shore.

The lake has a famous origin story for its beaches. In 1873, a local company set out to dig a canal linking Crystal Lake to the Betsie River and Lake Michigan. They hoped to float lumber and goods down to Frankfort. The plan was only to lower the lake a few feet to feed the river. But the temporary dam at the outlet washed out. The lake poured out, dropping about 20 feet over a couple of weeks. That left behind the roughly 21 miles of sandy beach that ring the lake today. Locals called it “The Tragedy of Crystal Lake.” But the accidental beaches turned the lake into one of northern Michigan’s premier summer spots. Beulah still throws an “Archibald Jones Day” each summer, named for the man who pulled the plug.