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UpNorthVacation

Destinations

Where to go up north

Full guides to the major destinations, shorter profiles of small towns, and the lakes between them. Jump to a region:

All destinations and lakes

67 places on an OpenStreetMap map

All destinations and lakes. The same places are listed on this page.

Region 1

Southern Gateway

Grand Haven, Spring Lake, Muskegon, Whitehall, Montague

Region guide
A red pierhead lighthouse building at the end of a pier, with a few small figures walking nearby.

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.

A red steel lighthouse at the end of a long pier lined with rocks.

Southern Gateway

Muskegon

A port city for dune hikes and beach days: state parks on both sides of town, a city beach, pier lighthouses, maritime museums and a ferry to Milwaukee.

A white sailboat on calm open water under a clear summer sky.

Southern Gateway · Small town

Spring Lake

A water-first village beside Grand Haven, between Spring Lake and the Grand River, with a public beach, a paved loop trail and plenty of ways onto the water.

Beach grass and sandy dunes beside a lake under a cloudy sky.

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.

Region 2

Ludington & Manistee

Pentwater, Ludington, Scottville, Manistee, Onekama, Arcadia, Bear Lake, Kaleva, Brethren, Wellston, Chief Lake

Region guide
A railed pier along the water under a streaked orange and purple sunset sky.

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.

A white lighthouse at the end of a pier with a catwalk, seen across calm Lake Michigan water

Ludington & Manistee

Manistee

A Lake Michigan port city where the river meets the lake, with a historic downtown riverwalk, three city beaches and a pierhead light to climb in season.

Lake Michigan stretches south along a wooded bluff below a wooden viewing deck near Arcadia.

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.

A wooden dock with a small boat on a calm, misty lake on an overcast day.

Ludington & Manistee · Small town

Bear Lake

For campers and anglers who want a simple lake base: a quiet Manistee County village with a campground right on Bear Lake and ice fishing in winter.

A green Michigan historical marker tells the story of Kaleva's Finnish founders.

Ludington & Manistee · Small town

Kaleva

A tiny Finnish-American village in Manistee County, worth a stop for the Bottle House Museum and streets named from the Kalevala.

A golden sun low over open water with dune grass silhouetted in the foreground.

Ludington & Manistee · Small town

Onekama

A small summer village on Portage Lake, joined to Lake Michigan by an 1871 channel. Swim at the village park or the big-lake beach, and boat between the two.

A lone motorboat crossing calm gray-blue water beneath a heavy bank of storm clouds.

Ludington & Manistee · Small town

Pentwater

A laid-back Lake Michigan village on the channel to Pentwater Lake, with a state park beach, piers, a marina and a dune trail a short walk from downtown.

Region 3

Benzie & Sleeping Bear Country

Frankfort, Elberta, Beulah, Benzonia, Honor, Thompsonville, Empire, Glen Arbor, Leland

Region guide
A white pierhead lighthouse at the end of a long concrete pier at dusk.

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.

Calm open water fading to an orange glow on the horizon after sunset.

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.

The sun setting over open water beneath a pastel sky with scattered clouds.

Benzie & Sleeping Bear · Small town

Empire

Your first stop at Sleeping Bear Dunes: a small M-22 village with the park's main visitor center, a sunset beach and the start of the Heritage Trail.

Rippled sand in the foreground meeting a wide expanse of dark blue water under a pale sky.

Benzie & Sleeping Bear · Small town

Glen Arbor

Your base for northern Sleeping Bear Dunes: a small town between Lake Michigan and Glen Lake, about 4 miles from the Dune Climb by trail.

Shops line the main street through the village of Honor on a summer day.

Benzie & Sleeping Bear · Small town

Honor

For paddlers, anglers and fall salmon watchers: a small Benzie County village on US-31 with the Platte River running through and the state hatchery upstream.

A dirt path through dark trees leading to a wooden overlook with a sunset over water beyond.

Benzie & Sleeping Bear · Small town

Leland

Come for Fishtown, a working fishing village on the National Register, in a Leelanau village set between Lake Michigan and Lake Leelanau.

Region 4

Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes

Traverse City, Suttons Bay, Northport, Elk Rapids, Interlochen, Kingsley, Cadillac, Lake City

Region guide
A weathered wooden pier extending into calm turquoise water at sunset.

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.

A long wooden dock running out into a calm lake with a wooded shoreline across the water.

Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes

Cadillac

For lake and trail people in every season: two lakes, a state park beach between them, the end of the White Pine Trail and a big winter trail network.

Low-angle view of a small wave washing over stones on a lakeshore, with a wooded bluff in the distance.

Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes · Small town

Elk Rapids

For paddlers and boaters: a village between East Grand Traverse Bay and Elk Lake, at the end of the Chain of Lakes Water Trail, with a harbor and downtown.

A dark red wooden camp building stands among tall pines at Interlochen Center for the Arts.

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.

A small weathered wooden barn in a grassy clearing in front of dense trees.

Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes · Small town

Northport

The last village on the Leelanau Peninsula, a harbor town on Grand Traverse Bay close to a state park, the Grand Traverse Lighthouse and beach trails.

Aerial view of a forested point with a long sandy beach and turquoise shallows.

Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes · Small town

Suttons Bay

A walkable Leelanau village on Grand Traverse Bay with a public beach, a marina and a historic downtown, and the north end of the paved Leelanau Trail.

Region 5

Charlevoix & Petoskey

Charlevoix, Boyne City, Boyne Falls, Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Walloon Lake

Region guide
A red pier light at the end of a channel lined with a blue railing and large rocks, under a cloudy sky.

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.

Orange autumn ferns and green undergrowth around a shallow woodland pool.

Charlevoix & Petoskey

Harbor Springs

For history, harbor views and the Tunnel of Trees: a small town on the north shore of Little Traverse Bay, with two ski areas nearby for winter.

A Petoskey stone among wet beach pebbles at the water's edge

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.

Aerial view of a sandy beach edged by trees, with clear green water over a shallow lake bottom.

Charlevoix & Petoskey · Small town

Bay View

A Victorian summer community beside Petoskey for history lovers and concertgoers, a National Historic Landmark with music and lectures you can attend.

Wooden Young State Park entrance sign set in a fieldstone base in front of dense green forest

Charlevoix & Petoskey · Small town

Boyne City

For Lake Charlevoix days in any season: a small city with a state park beach, ridge trails above downtown and the National Morel Mushroom Festival each May.

Dense evergreen forest beneath low fog.

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.

The main road runs through the village of Walloon Lake on a sunny summer day.

Charlevoix & Petoskey · Small town

Walloon Lake

A small resort village on clear Walloon Lake, south of Petoskey, for boating, swimming and the Hemingway family's summer story.

Region 6

Mackinac & the Straits

Mackinaw City, Mackinac Island

Region guide
Horse-drawn carriages and parked bicycles on a downtown street lined with shops on Mackinac Island

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.

The Mackinac Bridge on the horizon at sunset over the Straits

Mackinac & Straits

Mackinaw City

The base for the Straits, beside the Mackinac Bridge at the tip of the Lower Peninsula, with a reconstructed colonial fort and ferries to Mackinac Island.

Lakes and rivers

The clear, shallow Boardman River runs between tall pines and spruce on a summer day.

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
The Beulah Beach sign at the east end of Crystal Lake, with the lake stretching away under autumn clouds.

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
Blue lake below hillsides of orange and gold fall trees

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
Deep blue water of West Grand Traverse Bay seen from a snowy beach in Traverse City, with the far shore on the horizon

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
Hamlin Lake glows pale orange at dusk beside a silhouetted wooded point.

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
The clear Jordan River flows between thick green banks in summer.

River · Charlevoix & Petoskey

Jordan River

A cold, clear, motor-free trout river for long floats through the Jordan River Valley, with DNR canoe launches, an East Jordan outfitter and winter steelhead.

  • Public launch
  • Rentals

All lakes and rivers