Signs warn visitors to stay off beach stairs

Steps from the parking lot are open, follow the paths to the beach.

Four “Beach Access Stairs Closed” signs were posted at Laketown Township Beach on April 9, 2025. The stairs from the lake up the dune were closed March 26, 2025, due to safety concerns.

Signs now join the yellow caution tape to warn people to stay off the closed stairs at Laketown Township Beach, 6710 142nd Ave.

Brett Grams, who handles facilities operations in the township, posted the signs that say, “Beach Access Stairs Closed,” on Wednesday, April 9, 2025.

The township closed the stairs on March 26 due to safety concerns on the almost 32-year-old wooden steps from the lake to the top of the dunes.

The township plans to have the closed stairs removed soon.

The stairs from the parking lot up the dune remain open though they are covered in sand. Please stay on the marked paths to protect the dune. Take the path through what is called “the bowl,” a steep drop with a flat bottom. Stay off the edges and do not disturb the dune grass. Once at the bottom of “the bowl,” you’ll see another small hill. Go up and head to the lake.

Heed the no trespassing signs and follow other rules of the beach, including no fires.

To get back up the dune, stairs are no longer an option. Visitors must walk back up through “the bowl.” It is a difficult walk because of the soft sand. There are no handrails or any assistance to get back up.

For more on the beach, click here.

Brett Grams, facilities operations for Laketown Township, fixes caution tape while installing “Beach Access Stairs Closed” signs at Laketown Township Beach on April 9, 2025. The stairs from the lake up the dune were closed March 26, 2025, due to safety concerns.