Bete Grise (from the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

''Bête grise'', "Gray Beast") is a nature preserve on

Keweenaw Peninsula The Keweenaw Peninsula ( , sometimes locally ) is the northernmost part of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It projects into Lake Superior and was the site of the first copper boom in the United States, leading to its moniker of "Copper Country." As o ...

, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, beach and

bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a Gulf (geography), gulf, sea, sound (geography), sound, or bight (geogra ...

on Lake Superior, where the sand is said to "sing" in situ. It is located in Grant Township south of the community of

Bete Grise Bete Grise (from the French ''Bête grise'', "Gray Beast") is a nature preserve on Keweenaw Peninsula, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, beach and bay on Lake Superior, where the sand is said to "sing" in situ. It is located in Grant Townshi ...

Local legend

Local legend says that the musical "voice" that emanates from the sand is that of a Native American maid who lost her lover to the Great Lakes and still calls to him from the shore with the aid of visitors who "play" the sand. The sand can be made to "sing" by pressing down with the palm of the hand or "bark" when struck. The sand supposedly loses its musical properties when removed from the beach. It is said that the beach was named due to sightings of a strange gray creature that roamed the area. Another local legend is that when the Native Americans burned off the blueberry bogs next to Bete Gris after the harvest, the smoke rolling across the bay looked like a gray beast.

Geography and location

Bete Grise beach is located off US 41, near the inland lake Lac La Belle, on the

of the northern Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The Bete Grise Preserve is 1500 acres of 'diverse wetland types," including shoreline stretching for 2 miles along Lake Superior. It is a designated nature protected area which lies between

Point Isabelle Point or points may refer to: Places * Point, Lewis, a peninsula in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland * Point, Texas, a city in Rains County, Texas, United States * Point, the NE tip and a ferry terminal of Lismore, Inner Hebrides, Scotland * Point ...

along the Gay-Lac La Belle Road to Bete Grise. The Northern half of the beach is easily accessible by paved road. The Southern half of the beach, Bete Grise South, is most easily reached by boat and is part of a designated wildlife refuge. The Beach is bisected by the dredged Mendota boat channel. The historic Mendota Light House is restored in private hands on Bete Gris South. The

Bete Grise Light The Mendota Light, also known as the Bete Grise light, was built on the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan to facilitate travel between Lake Superior and Lac La Belle (an artificial canal having been made to connect the two). History The original ...

is located in the area. Bete Grise Bay is also a designated "Harbor of Refuge" on Lake Superior by the US Coast Guard.

References

Weird Michigan Weird derives from the Anglo-Saxon word Wyrd, meaning fate or destiny. In modern English it has acquired the meaning of “strange or uncanny”. It may also refer to: Places * Weird Lake, a lake in Minnesota, U.S. People *"Weird Al" Yankovic (b ...

" by Linda S. Godfrey, Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. (2006) , . * Keweenaw Convention and Visitors Bureau.(2009
Bete Grise Preserve
* Manarolla, M.(2005)

KeweenawNOW.

External links

Beaches of Michigan Landforms of Keweenaw County, Michigan Bays of Michigan Bays of Lake Superior {{KeweenawCountyMI-geo-stub