Fayette Historic State Park is an 850-acre Michigan Department of Natural Resources park on the western shore of the Garden Peninsula in Delta County, set on Big Bay de Noc of Lake Michigan between Snail Shell Harbor and Sand Bay. Most visitors come for the restored 1800s iron-smelting town, but the park also runs a designated, buoyed swim beach at its south end, well away from the harbor and the historic buildings.

From U.S. 2, turn south on M-183 and follow it down the peninsula for about 17 miles; the park address is 4785 II Road, Garden, and the village of Garden is about 7 miles north. Past the entrance and contact station, follow the park road south past the modern campground and the boat launch to the beach parking lot beside the old church cemetery. The DNR park map shows the beach, a picnic area, a playground and vault toilets clustered together there. Campers can walk down on the beach trail from the south end of the campground.

The swim area is a roped-off stretch of open Big Bay de Noc shoreline next to the picnic grounds. The DNR sets swim buoys from about Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, later if cold water or wind delays the work, and once the buoys come out the spot is no longer a designated swim area. There are no lifeguards at Michigan state parks. The DNR does not publish depth or bottom details for this beach. Much of the park's shoreline is limestone cobble and flat rock, so water shoes are worth bringing. This is a large northern bay, and the water is cold early in the summer and only comfortable in July and August.

There's no separate beach fee, but a Michigan Recreation Passport is required for any vehicle entering the park. For Michigan-registered vehicles it is an annual pass, $15 when bought with your plate renewal through the Secretary of State or $29 for two years; there is no daily option. Non-Michigan vehicles pay $12 for a day pass or $42 for an annual pass, sold at the park. Walking or biking in requires no passport. Day-use hours at Michigan state parks are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and admission to the historic townsite is free with the passport.

Big Bay de Noc can turn rough quickly when the wind comes up the bay, and the Great Lakes carry rip, longshore and structural currents. The beach uses the Great Lakes flag system: green is low hazard, yellow means watch for currents and waves, red means stay out, and double red flags make it illegal to enter the water from the beach. Keep away from the boat launch and the harbor docks, where structural currents and boat traffic are a problem. Pets are allowed on a 6-foot leash along the shoreline but not inside the buoyed swim area. The DNR closures page listed no closures for Fayette when this was written; check it before a trip.

The rest of the park is a big part of the draw. Fayette was a Jackson Iron Company town that made charcoal pig iron from 1867 to 1891, and its furnace complex, hotel, company store and houses still stand around Snail Shell Harbor, with a visitor center scale model of the town. Five miles of trails climb to overlooks on the 90-foot limestone cliffs above the harbor. The park also has a 61-site modern campground, the Furnace Hill Lodge, a boat launch, transient harbor slips and paddlesport rentals, and the clear water of the harbor is popular with kayakers and scuba divers.