Oval Beach is the City of Saugatuck's public beach on Lake Michigan, part of a city park that runs along the lakeshore west of downtown Saugatuck in Allegan County. The village bought the lakefront land in 1902 and 1927, built a road over the dune and an oval-shaped parking lot with Works Progress Administration money, and opened the beach to the public in 1936. Wooded dunes rise behind the sand, Mount Baldhead Park sits just inland, and the city's 173-acre Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area continues north toward the old mouth of the Kalamazoo River.

By car, take Perryman Street from the west side of the Kalamazoo River and follow it over the dune to Oval Drive and the beach lots at 690 Perryman St. The lots can reach capacity for short stretches on hot summer days, and the city suggests walking or biking in instead. A popular way to arrive without a car is the hand-cranked Saugatuck Chain Ferry across the river from downtown, then either the 303 stairs over Mount Baldhead or the flatter John Woollam Trail to the sand. The local Interurban bus also runs on demand ($1 for adults, 50 cents for seniors, kids under 12 and riders with disabilities).

The swim area is open Lake Michigan surf over a fine sand bottom that shelves out gradually, with sandbars a short way offshore. There are no lifeguards; the city states plainly that swimming here is at your own risk. Lake Michigan water off this shore is usually cold into early July and tends to reach the upper 60s or low 70s F by August, though a strong offshore wind can turn it cold again overnight. Waves and rip currents build quickly when the wind blows onshore, so check the NOAA nearshore forecast the city links on its beach page before going in, and stay out of the water on high-surf days.

Fees and hours, stated exactly from the city: from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend the park is staffed from 8 am to 10 pm and parking costs $15 per vehicle per day (day pass sold at the beach only), $75 for a season pass, or $20 for a season pass for City of Saugatuck taxpayers (sold at City Hall only). The fee is for motor vehicle parking; arriving on foot or by bike costs nothing, and parking is free outside the summer season. The park is open year round. Dogs are banned from Memorial Day weekend through September 30, and alcohol, smoking, nudity, fires, personal grills and launching watercraft from the beach are not allowed. Stay off the dune grass and on marked trails.

The Allegan County Health Department samples Oval Beach for E. coli from Memorial Day week through the end of August and has issued no-contact advisories here when tests came back high, asking people not to swim or touch the water until a clean result. Results post on the state's MiEnviro BeachGuard site, which is worth checking the morning you go, especially after a storm. Shoreline erosion is an ongoing concern for the city, so the width of the beach changes from year to year.

The summer concession stand sells food and drinks, permanent restrooms are open in season, and the beach has no stairs to the water. A beach wheelchair and a floating wheelchair are available. For a walk, trails lead into Mount Baldhead Park and north through the dunes and interdunal wetlands of the Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area, where dogs are not allowed at any time.