Peterson Park is a bit out of the way, but it is a magnet for those hunting for Petoskey stones. Far out on the Leelanau Peninsula, hidden amongst woods and orchards, you are unlikely to find the park unless you’re looking for it.

Pull in the driveway and park in either the main parking lot. Stroll over to the nondescript metal deck, and you’re suddenly atop a huge view of Lake Michigan. Off in the distance, you can see the Manitou Islands. The view is terrific because you’re standing about 100 feet above the lake, at the top of a cliff.

There’s a set of rustic stairs tumbling down to the beach. While there are a few spots of sand here, most of the shore is composed of storm-tossed round rocks, ranging in size from pebbles to boulders, but most are fist-sized. When it’s calm, the gentle waters lap quietly on the beach. But when there are waves, they crash and slosh over the stones. The variety of stone is amazing. Included in the mix are a good number of Petoskey stones, that northern Michigan symbol and remnant of an ancient coral bed.

Most visitors to Peterson Park stick near the base of the stairs. But you can walk for at least a mile south. The stones gradually give way to more sand, but the tall cliff continues, lending the beach a good amount of seclusion. Last spring, I found a rusted chunk of metal, perhaps eight feet square, that I think was the boiler from an old ship. It hadn’t been there the previous year, so I suspect the winter ice pushed it up from the deep to where it rested in four feet of water, perhaps 100 feet from shore. I haven’t explored north from the stairs.

Back up near the parking area, you’ll find some picnic tables, a great climbing tree for the kids, and a big open field.