Southern Gateway
Grand Haven
A Lake Michigan beach city on the Grand River: a state park beach, a pier walk to two red lights, a riverfront boardwalk and free Musical Fountain shows.
West and Northwest Michigan
Find Your Michigan Up North.
Explore lakeside towns, scenic beaches, unforgettable festivals, and four seasons of adventure.
Explore by season
Four seasons up north
Each season brings its own reasons to go. Start with the time of year you can travel.
Explore destinations
From Grand Haven to Mackinac Island
Six regions along the Lake Michigan shore and the lake country behind it.
Ludington & Manistee
Ludington
A Lake Michigan harbor town for beach and lighthouse trips, with the S.S. Badger car ferry and a big dune state park just north of town.
Benzie & Sleeping Bear
Frankfort
A beach-and-lighthouse harbor town: a Lake Michigan beach at the end of Main Street, a breakwater light off the sand and Point Betsie up the shore.
Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes
Traverse City
A bayfront city at the head of Grand Traverse Bay, with a walkable Front Street downtown, bay beaches, cherry orchards and two wine peninsulas close by.
Charlevoix & Petoskey
Charlevoix
For boaters, beachgoers and first-timers: a harbor town where three lakes meet, with a summer drawbridge, a pier lighthouse and Earl Young's stone houses.
Mackinac & Straits
Mackinac Island
A car-free island in the Straits of Mackinac. Bike or walk from a busy harbor town to an old fort and a state park that covers most of the island.
Destinations on the map
32 places on an OpenStreetMap map
Browse by region
- 1Southern GatewayGrand Haven, Spring Lake, Muskegon, Whitehall
- 2Ludington & ManisteePentwater, Ludington, Scottville, Manistee
- 3Benzie & Sleeping Bear CountryFrankfort, Elberta, Beulah, Benzonia
- 4Grand Traverse & Inland LakesTraverse City, Suttons Bay, Northport, Elk Rapids
- 5Charlevoix & PetoskeyCharlevoix, Boyne City, Boyne Falls, Petoskey
- 6Mackinac & the StraitsMackinaw City, Mackinac Island
Lakes & rivers
Lake country
Lake Michigan's shore, clear inland lakes and quiet rivers: for many visitors, the water is the whole point of summer up north.
Great Lake
Lake Michigan
The big lake that shapes this coast: state park and town beaches from Grand Haven to Charlevoix, harbor towns with city marinas, and pier lights to walk out to.
- Swim beach
River · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes
Boardman River
Traverse City's trout river, with three old dams now removed, paddling on the middle river and steelhead from winter into spring below the last dam in town.
- Public launch
- Rentals
Lake · Benzie & Sleeping Bear
Crystal Lake
An all-sports lake: 9,854 acres, 165 feet deep and very clear. Swim at the sandy Beulah beach, fuel up at the marina, fish for trout and perch.
- All-sports
- Swim beach
- Public launch
- Rentals
Lake · Benzie & Sleeping Bear
Glen Lake
A clear two-basin lake at Glen Arbor: ski and cruise deep Big Glen from the marina, swim and paddle sandy Little Glen, ice fish for perch in winter.
- All-sports
- Swim beach
- Public launch
- Rentals
Bay · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes
Grand Traverse Bay
Traverse City's big water: a Lake Michigan bay with city beaches, five public harbors with slips, fuel at two, sailing, paddling and trout and salmon fishing.
- All-sports
- Swim beach
- Public launch
- Rentals
Lake · Ludington & Manistee
Hamlin Lake
Ludington State Park's big all-sports lake: ski and tube the open water, swim at the park beach, paddle the marsh trail, and ice fish for bluegill in winter.
- All-sports
- Swim beach
- Public launch
- Rentals
Upcoming festivals and events
What's coming up
Only events with dates confirmed by the organizer are listed here.
Iceman Cometh Challenge
Saturday, November 7, 2026
Traverse City · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes
SportsOutdoors
Light Up Downtown
November 20 to 21, 2026
Traverse City · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes
HolidayParadeFamily
Glen Arbor Holiday Market
November 27 to 28, 2026
Glen Arbor · Benzie & Sleeping Bear
HolidayMarketArts
Downtown Petoskey Holiday Parade
Saturday, November 28, 2026, 10:00 am to 11:00 am
Petoskey · Charlevoix & Petoskey
ParadeHolidayMusic
Holly Berry Arts and Crafts Fair
Saturday, November 28, 2026, 9:00 am
Frankfort · Benzie & Sleeping Bear
MarketHolidayArts
Aglow on the Avenue
Saturday, November 28, 2026, 6:00 pm
Ludington · Ludington & Manistee
ParadeHoliday
Things to do
Pick your kind of day
- BeachesLake Michigan beaches, from busy town beaches beside a pier to long quiet stretches below the dunes.
- BoatingHarbors, channels and inland lakes for sailing, power boating and charter trips.
- FishingGreat Lakes charters, river runs and quiet inland lakes, in open water and through the ice.
- HikingDune trails, bluff overlooks and forest paths in state and national parkland.
- BikingPaved rail trails and shoreline paths that link towns, beaches and viewpoints.
- SkiingDownhill resorts and groomed cross-country trails when the snow comes.
- SnowmobilingGroomed trail networks through the northern forests.
- LighthousesPierhead lights, tall coastal towers and keepers' houses along the Lake Michigan shore.
- Scenic drivesShoreline roads, peninsula loops and fall color routes.
- ParksState parks, the national lakeshore and preserved land along the shore and inland.
- ShoppingWalkable downtowns with independent shops, galleries and markets.
- Family activitiesBeaches, lighthouses, history sites and festivals that work for all ages.
Hidden gems
Smaller towns and quieter lakes
Places many visitors drive past on the way somewhere else, and why they are worth a stop.
Southern Gateway · Small town
Whitehall and Montague
Twin towns on White Lake for a mix of lighthouse, beach and bike trail, with Duck Lake State Park nearby and the start of the Hart-Montague Trail.
Ludington & Manistee · Small town
Arcadia
A quiet Lake Michigan stop on M-22: a public beach at the end of Lake Street, a marina on Arcadia Lake, and Arcadia Dunes trails just north.
Benzie & Sleeping Bear · Small town
Beulah
For an easy Crystal Lake day: Benzie County's small seat has a sandy village beach, a public launch and the Betsie Valley Trail running through.
Lake · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes
Boardman Lake
Traverse City's in-town lake, open to all boating but built for a kayak, a cast or a walk around the 4-mile Boardman Lake Loop just south of downtown.
- All-sports
- Public launch
Charlevoix & Petoskey · Small town
East Jordan
For paddlers and anyone avoiding crowds: the Jordan, Michigan's first designated Natural River, floats into this small city at the south tip of Lake Charlevoix.
Lake · Mackinac & Straits
Paradise Lake
A big, shallow all-sports lake at Carp Lake village south of Mackinaw City, with tea-colored water, large pike and a DNR launch with a boat wash.
- All-sports
- Public launch
Plan your trip
Guides and trip ideas
Town and park guides with where to eat, where to stay and day-by-day plans, plus weekend trips built from the places in this guide.
Town and park guides
- Arcadia
- Bay View
- Bear Lake
- Beulah
- Boyne City
- Cadillac
- Charlevoix
- East Jordan
- Elk Rapids
- Empire
- Frankfort
- Glen Arbor
- Grand Haven
- Harbor Springs
- Honor
- Interlochen
- Kaleva
- Leland
- Ludington
- Mackinac Island
- Mackinaw City
- Manistee
- Muskegon
- Northport
- Onekama
- Pentwater
- Petoskey
- Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
- Spring Lake
- Suttons Bay
- Traverse City
- Walloon Lake
- Whitehall and Montague
3 days
An Arcadia Bluffs golf trip
Three days of golf on the Manistee County shore, built around Arcadia Bluffs, with Manistee courses, a Lake Michigan beach and a sunset overlook.
3 days
Harbor towns of the lakeshore: Grand Haven to Manistee
Three days up the Lake Michigan shore through Grand Haven, Ludington and Manistee, with a state park beach, a pier walk and a lighthouse every day.
2 days
Fall color around Little Traverse Bay
Two autumn days around Little Traverse Bay, with the M-119 Tunnel of Trees, Petoskey's bay shore and the Wheelway, and Charlevoix's stone houses.
Use Save to my trip on any destination, attraction or event, then open My trip to see your list on a map.
Places to stay
Hotels, inns and vacation rentals
For every town in this guide: the official lodging directory for hotels and inns, local vacation rental managers, and Vrbo and Airbnb searches.
- Charlevoix
- Frankfort
- Grand Haven
- Harbor Springs
- Ludington
- Mackinac Island
- Mackinaw City
- Manistee
- Muskegon
- Petoskey
Resort
A-Ga-Ming Golf Resort
On Torch Lake in Kewadin
A golf resort on the shore of Torch Lake in Kewadin, with condos and villas overlooking the lake and several championship courses.
Resort · Upscale
Arcadia Bluffs
On the Lake Michigan bluffs along M-22 south of Arcadia
A golf resort high on the Lake Michigan bluffs near Arcadia, with lodge rooms in the clubhouse, a second lodge and cottages.
Confirm details before booking
Inn · Mid-range
Bay View Inn
On Woodland Avenue in Bay View, on Little Traverse Bay
A Victorian country inn from the 1880s in the Bay View Association, run for more than 60 years by Stafford Smith and his family before new owners took over.