This Secret Beach in Fennville Hides a Treasure Trove of Lightning Stones

Many Michigan beachgoers hope for sand and surf when they hit the shorelines. For others, it's about being a rockhound and seeing what comes in from the depths of the Great Lakes.

That's the experience for those who check out Pier Cove Park near Fennville. The small Lake Michigan beach is a rock hunter's dream and seems to get an exceptional amount of lightning stones. The special rock is also known as septarian nodules.

This video, posted in early May 2021 shows the rocky beach and its treasures:

The video was shared with the MichiganHistory group on Facebook and garnered several comments from those who loved the prospect of uncovering their own lightning stones. May commented that this stretch of Allegan County shoreline appears to be the spot for lightning stones with good collecting spots in Glenn and South Haven.

Lightning stones must be what everyone is searching for when I go there

They have a ton there!

Also found a small Petoskey stone and a small Charlevoix stone today. It’s fun to find a nice variety of stones without having to travel to Lake Superior

How to Find Pier Cove Park

Pier Cove Park is just off of I-196 at the Fennville/M-89 exit. The park is south of the exit on Lakeshore Drive. The parking is limited to just 10 spots, with additional parking a mile away at West Side County Park. Pier Cove is maintained by Ganges Township.

Pier Cove Ghost Town

Pier Cove, likely unknown to many of the visitors to the park, is also a ghost town. The settlement, now completely lost, was once considered the busiest port between St Joe and Muskegon. (Take that, South Haven, Saugatuck, Holland and Grand Haven!)

The village was laid out in 1839 but shipping, particularly of lumber bound for Chicago and Milwaukee diminished and so, eventually, did the village.

A historical marker at the park shares the history of the area.

Look Inside a Lightning Stone

Looking into lightning stones a bit more, here what stones sourced from Michigan look like inside:

While you may not have luck rockhounding in all of these spots, here are the 50 best Beach Towns in America to check out.

Read on for the best towns in the Midwest