How To Find Magnetic Sand on Michigan Beaches

Sunscreen, towel, and a magnet? Here's why you should toss a magnet in your beach bag ahead of your next day at the lake.

Even as a native Michigander who has spent countless summers at the beach, I never really gave much thought to things like quicksand, magnetic sand, or even gold-- all of which can be found on Michigan's shorelines.

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When I think of black magnetic sand beaches I think of exotic places like Hawaii's Punalu'u Beach or Reynisfjara Beach in Iceland. I just thought those black streaks on our shoreline were dirt and mud! While that may also be true, according to West Michigan's Fox17 some of that black sand can contain magnetite and hematite:

According to Peter J. Wampler, a Grand Valley State University professor in the geology department, the black sand is essentially from the banded iron formation in the Upper Peninsula. Some of it was ground up by glaciers during the ice ages and was eventually carried down to the lower peninsulas by the glaciers.

Of course, the glaciers! Why didn't I think of that?

I've seen posts in my local rockhounding groups mentioning the magnetic sand that can be found at Van Buren State Park, but I can only assume that if you look closely, you can uncover magnetic sand on any Great Lakes shoreline.

Thankfully, summer is only a few short months away. I'm definitely going to toss a magnet in with my beach day essentials and will be combing through the sand all summer long. Have you ever encountered any magnetic sand in Michigan?