Torch Lake is one of the most extraordinary lakes in Michigan. It's surface area is the second largest in Michigan. It's known for it's turquoise water.
Torch Lake Stats
Max Depth: 285 feet – making it the deepest inland lake in Michigan.
Average Depth: 111 feet.
Length: 19 miles – Michigan’s longest inland lake.
Size: Approximately 18,770 acres.
Width: About 2 miles wide.
Rank: State’s second largest inland lake.
It's often referred to as the “Caribbean of the North”.
Torch Lake is a summer hotspot, drawing hundreds of boats to its sandbars in June, July, and August – especially its epic Fourth of July sand bar celebrations. (Local law enforcement has upped their presence so things don’t get as crazy as they used to.)
Torch Lake Sandbar
The almost 2-mile stretch of shallow water at the south end of Torch Lake is home to lively, sometimes rowdy, parties over the fourth of July weekend.
It’s a popular place to anchor and swim the day away with friends and family. The Sand Bar is best accessed by boat or kayak, as the sand bar is several hundred yards away from the shore.
Torch Lake Sand Bar Food Truck
People come from near and far to hang out, listen to music, play games, and have a good time on the south end of the lake at the sand bar.
Truly, the sandbar is a summertime hangout magnet that is monitored by the police due to its popularity.
Most of the time, the Torch Lake Sand Bar is family-friendly. There are times, though, like the Fourth of July weekend, when the party atmosphere ramps up and the crowd’s conduct will likely not be G-rated.
If you are looking for a family-oriented visit, aim for going on a weekday at a time earlier in the day.
TIPS -
Parking (if you're going the sandbar)
If you put “12906 Cherry Ave, Rapid City” into your GPS, you’ll be taken to a small parking lot where you can park for free and walk to a public beach by crossing the bridge and heading towards “Lake St” (about a 5-10 min walk). Or there’s free parking along the street so if you see a spot near “Lake St” (the public beach access), you can snag it to be close by!
When you've parked, the easiest way to get to the Torch Lake sandbar is walk! Once you park at the parking lot located at “12906 Cherry Ave, Rapid City”, make the 5-10 minute walk to the public beach with sandbar access. After you see the beach (on your left if you’re coming from the parking lot) walk onto the beach, find a spot for your stuff, and walk out to the sandbar. There are different water depths to get to the sandbar so there’s a chance you’ll be swimming for a little bit too. You’ll know you’re in the right spot if you see others already out there. There's a pontoon boat that sells food in the summer.
Walking/swimming to the sandbar is not far and should only take you about 10 minutes. There isn’t anywhere to lock your stuff up so try to leave most things in your car.
Boat or Jet Ski Rental: I would highly recommend a rental. There's lots of places on the lake that do full & half day rentals. We rented a jet ski from https://butchstorchlake.com/. It was so fun to zip around the lake and go see the huge sandbar.
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