Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes · Small town
Interlochen
For music lovers who also want a beach: lakeside summer concerts at the Interlochen Center for the Arts, with a state park and old pines next door.
About 1 miles away (straight line)
State park · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes
Interlochen State Park
Michigan's first state park, between Duck and Green lakes, with old-growth pines, two campgrounds and the Interlochen arts campus next door.
Interlochen State Park is a lake park for camping and swimming, set between Duck Lake and Green Lake, and it comes with some history: the state acquired it in 1917 and the Legislature made it Michigan’s first state park in 1919.
It was protected for its old-growth red and white pines, and some of those big trees still stand around the park.
For an overnight, there is a modern campground on Duck Lake and a rustic one on Green Lake, plus rent-a-tents and a camper cabin. Day visitors get a beach house and swimming, a boat launch and paddlesport rentals.
Pair it with an evening at the Interlochen Center for the Arts, just across the park’s northern boundary, which puts on concerts and events through the year. You need a Recreation Passport on your car (see licenses and passes).
Practical information
- Managed by
- Michigan Department of Natural Resources
- Best months
- May to September
- Official website
- michigan.gov
Location
Map of Interlochen State Park
4 places on an OpenStreetMap map
Nearby towns
Also nearby
Straight-line distances, not driving distances.
Attraction
Interlochen Center for the Arts
The arts camp and boarding school founded in 1928 between two lakes south of Traverse City, with student and guest-artist concerts open to the public.
About 1 miles away (straight line)
Ski area
Hickory Hills
Traverse City's own ski hill since 1952, with 16 runs, Nordic trails including a lighted loop and an FIS-certified course, and disc golf in summer.
About 10 miles away (straight line)
Beach
West End Beach
A city beach on West Grand Traverse Bay with sand at the water's edge, a big grassy area, volleyball, grills and picnic tables, right on the TART trail.
About 10 miles away (straight line)