Union Pier: Beach Views, Food and Little Discoveries

Union Pier offers different ways to enjoy a stay by the water: trails pass shops, restaurants and beach areas, alongside tasting rooms, art and a mosaic class. The beach access points each have their own character, too.

A Trail Through Town

The Red Arrow Highway Linear Park offers a trail that improves pedestrian safety while exploring shops, restaurants and beach areas. You can factor the trail into your plans if you’re considering a stay that includes getting around town and visiting a range of places.

The completed Red Arrow Linear Park trail extends 1.3 miles within Union Pier. This specific length gives you a point of reference if you’d like to include walks in your vacation plans. It also works well as a focus in its own right: the trail is an option for those who want to explore town on foot, while beach views, art and tastings appeal to other interests.

Beach Access Points with Different Conditions

Union Pier is known for public beach access points at the ends of streets, offering panoramic views. This makes beach views a defining part of the town. At the same time, it’s important to note the distinction: access to Lake Michigan at Union Pier-Berrien Street is limited to Chikaming Township residents with a permit. When planning your explorations, don’t treat this access point as one of the public beach access points.

Wine, Cider and Small Tastings

The St. Julian tasting room in Union Pier serves flights, wine and cider by the glass, cocktails and slushies. They’re available at the tasting bar or on the outdoor patio. The selection ranges from wine and cider tastings to other drinks. The Union Pier location of St. Julian Winery also offers an extensive selection of wines for purchase.

Round Barn Tasting Room also brings together a variety of offerings: wines, craft beers and spirits, along with flatbreads and light snacks. On Saturdays from May 23 through the end of September, it hosts the weekly “Live at the Pier” live music series, featuring rotating local musicians. If you’re interested in visiting during this period, you can make music a distinct part of your trip plans; the changing line-up gives the series its special character.

Art and Local History

Local Color Gallery displays works by more than 90 artists, many of them from the area. It offers a glimpse of a diverse selection of artistic work. Piece by Piece offers mosaic classes that are also suitable for people with no prior experience. The gallery and the class appeal to different interests: you can view art at one, or try mosaic-making at the other, without needing any prior experience.

Another look at local history leads to the Gordon Beach Inn. It was built in the 1920s and is recognized as a historic site on the State of Michigan Register. This historical context complements today’s art, tastings and walking trails with a building that has a story of its own.

This makes it possible to shape your stay around the experience you want without cramming every activity into a single day’s itinerary.

More Destinations

If you’d like to compare more destinations, you can also explore Chikaming Township, Bridgman, Benton Harbor, Niles, Sawyer, Watervliet, New Buffalo and Berrien Springs.

For the broader travel overview: Berrien.