Winter Offers a Hidden Side of Lake Michigan Few Visitors Experience

This is the side of Lake Michigan tourists rarely get to see, but locals know the lake reveals its most dramatic side in winter.

Here's the hidden side of Lake Michigan few visitors get to experience:

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Real Michiganders know the Great Lakes are worth visiting no matter the season. It's actually quite common to see folks walking up and down the frozen lakeshores even on the coldest winter day. Heck, you might even catch a glimpse of surfers or kite-surfers known to brave the icy, choppy waters.

Millions of visitors come to Lake Michigan each summer, but few ever see its winter magic. In winter, the lake transforms: giant ice orbs dot the shore, ice volcanoes spray water skyward, winding sand formations twist in the wind, and majestic ice caverns and pancake-like sheets of ice amaze all who visit.

Then, with the spring thaw, Michigan beaches reveal crystal-clear ice chunks that shine like diamonds, a hidden winter treasure.

However, it's important to note that while the frozen lakes are beautiful and mesmerizing, it is imperative you do not walk onto the ice or lake to get a closer look! These frozen formations like ice volcanoes and shelf ice pose a real threat to visitors. According to the Charlevoix USCG Auxiliary there have already been five drownings this winter from people falling through thin lake ice.

Kalamazoo's WWMT cites Dave Benjamin, The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project Executive Director, who says that when it comes to shelf ice,

Stay off. We cannot stress enough how dangerous shelf ice is. If you fall through the ice, the current can pull you under the water, and your body will not be recovered until spring