Packard Park and Beach is a City of South Haven park at 231 North Shore Drive, one of the seven public beaches and access sites the city maintains on Lake Michigan. It sits on the north side of the Black River, about a kilometer north of downtown, in a residential stretch of North Shore Drive between the Dyckman Avenue access to the south and the Oak Street access to the north. The park itself is a shaded lawn on top of the low bluff, and the public beach lies below it on open Lake Michigan.

From downtown, cross the Dyckman Avenue bridge or follow North Shore Drive north from North Beach; the park is on the lake side of the road. There is a small city lot at the park. From May 15 to September 15, between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., city beach parking costs $3 per hour at card-only kiosks or through the Passport Parking app (zone 49090), and a $50 weekly pass is sold at the same kiosks. The state DNR Recreation Passport does not cover city lots, and an unpaid space draws a $45 ticket. Outside those dates and hours the lot is free. Some nearby streets are signed for city sticker holders only, so read the signs before parking along North Shore Drive. Walking or biking from town is easy, and the park has a bike rack.

Getting into the park and onto the beach costs nothing. The city's park rules list park hours as sunrise to 10 p.m. and beach hours as sunrise to 11 p.m. Alcohol, glass, open flames and animals are not allowed on the beach, and camping and trailers are prohibited. The city owns only part of the frontage; private property borders the public section on both sides, so stay within the signed public stretch.

From the lot, a short path leads past a deck overlooking the lake and then down a sandy slope to the beach. The bottom is sand, and the water deepens gradually, though sandbars and troughs shift from year to year. How much beach there is depends on Lake Michigan's level; in high-water years such as 2020 the sand was very narrow. There are no lifeguards here. The city's lifeguard program covers South Beach only, from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The lake is cold well into summer, and a strong offshore wind can bring up much colder water within a day.

The main hazard is the lake itself. Waves and rip currents build quickly when the wind comes from the west or southwest, and drownings along this part of the shore have pushed South Haven to run a beach safety program with colored warning flags. Check the city's beach flag status page or text "beaches" to 888777 before going in, and stay out on red-flag days. The county health department posts bacteria sampling results for North Beach and South Beach but not separately for Packard Park, so hold off swimming for a day or so after heavy rain.

Of the smaller north-side access sites, Packard Park is the only one with amenities: public restrooms with a changing area, grills, picnic tables and a large shaded lawn, which makes it the most practical choice for a full day if you'd rather skip the crowds at North Beach. North Beach, the North Pier and downtown South Haven, including the Michigan Maritime Museum, are a short walk or bike ride south.