Charlevoix & Petoskey
Petoskey
A walkable bay town for stone hunting, shopping the Gaslight District and riding the Little Traverse Wheelway, with historic Bay View next door.
About 3 miles away (straight line)
State park · Charlevoix & Petoskey
Petoskey State Park
A mile of Lake Michigan beach on Little Traverse Bay between Petoskey and Harbor Springs, with wooded dunes and the climb up Old Baldy.
Photo: Protopian Pickle Jar, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Petoskey State Park is a beach park first: a mile of Lake Michigan beach on Little Traverse Bay, and a common place to look for Petoskey stones. The Petoskey Area Visitors Bureau counts it among the most popular beaches in the area.
It suits families and stone hunters. You need a Recreation Passport on your car to drive in (see licenses and passes), and the park lists a beach house, modern restrooms, a picnic area and paddlesport rentals.
It sits a few miles northeast of Petoskey and south of Harbor Springs, and the paved Little Traverse Wheelway runs past the entrance, so you can ride in from either town.
When you want a break from the sand, take the Old Baldy Trail, a half-mile loop to the top of Old Baldy Dune and its view over the bay, or the Portage Trail, a one-mile out-and-back walk through the wooded dunes.
Camp in one of two modern campgrounds, one of them tree-covered. Leave pets off the lakeshore, which is nesting habitat for the piping plover.
Practical information
- Managed by
- Michigan Department of Natural Resources
- Season
- The park is listed as open all year, but the day-use parking lot typically closes from early November to early spring because of snow and sand buildup.
- Accessibility
- The DNR lists a track chair at the park. Confirm availability with the park before you go.
- Little Traverse Wheelway
- The paved Wheelway passes the park entrance.
- Official website
- michigan.gov
Location
Map of Petoskey State Park
4 places on an OpenStreetMap map
Nearby towns
Also nearby
Straight-line distances, not driving distances.
Historic site
Bay View Association
A Victorian summer community above Little Traverse Bay and a National Historic Landmark, with summer concerts and lectures open to the public.
About 2 miles away (straight line)
Attraction
Crooked Tree Arts Center
Petoskey's arts center in a restored 1890 church on Mitchell Street, with free galleries, a 220-seat theater and classes year-round.
About 3 miles away (straight line)
Trail
Little Traverse Wheelway
A paved, non-motorized trail along Little Traverse Bay linking Charlevoix, Petoskey and Harbor Springs, much of it with open views of the water.
About 3 miles away (straight line)