Anyone who hasn’t been beyond Canal Park needs to cross the Aerial Lift Bridge at least once to drive along one of the world’s biggest sandbars in Duluth, Minnesota. It’s flanked mostly by modest historic homes and increasingly larger modern beach houses with views of the harbor to the south and open lake to the north. At the very tip is Park Point, which has that Lake Superior rarity: a sand beach. Kids can run along the shore, enjoy climbing across the play structure built to resemble an ore boat or try the nature trail that heads into an old-growth forest near the small airport.

The park opens during daylight hours. Check the website for a live beach cam, updates on water temperatures and wind speeds that can whip up waves big enough to surf.

Free.