Bear Lake

Bear Lake is a quiet village on US-31 with one big reason to come: the lake it sits beside. It suits campers, anglers and families who want to swim, boat and fish from one spot and do not need much else. Plan on a lake day or a low-key long weekend, and drive out for anything more.

Getting there and getting around

US-31 runs through the Bear Lake area, so the village is an easy stop on the way north. By our routing estimates, the drive takes about 2 hours 40 minutes from Grand Rapids, about 5 hours from Detroit and about 5 hours 40 minutes from Chicago. See getting here for the routes.

The nearest airline airport is Manistee County Blacker Airport, about 20 minutes away by our estimate. Cherry Capital Airport in Traverse City is about an hour and 15 minutes.

You will want a car. The village itself is small enough to walk, and if you bring a bike, the ride around the lake is about 11.5 miles.

Where to eat

Bear Lake keeps it simple, and two places cover most of what you need.

• Breakfast: Lakeside Café. A classic small-town diner at 7833 Lake Street, looking out over the lake. Come hungry: it is known for generous breakfasts, omelets, and biscuits and gravy, with friendly service to match.
• Lunch and dinner: Grille 44. A family-friendly bar and grill at 12951 Pleasanton Highway, about a mile north of the village, with burgers, ribs, chicken and other American comfort food. See its website for the current menu.

Also worth knowing:

• Rosie’s Place, 9567 Chippewa Highway: a casual local tavern for pizza, burgers and pub food.
• For a special dinner: the South Course restaurant at Arcadia Bluffs, 13637 Northwood Highway, has golf-course views and is open to the public, not just golfers. It lists year-round service; check before you go.

Hours in small towns change with the season, so check before you drive over. In summer, Bear Lake Days also brings food trucks downtown.

Where to stay

Motel Bear Lake is a small retro-modern motel across the road from the Bear Lake beach. It lists itself as pet-friendly and open year-round, with a seasonal pool in summer.

For a campsite on the water, the village’s Hopkins Park campground has 31 sites, and reservations run from late April to late October. Because of demand, the village asks for three-night minimum stays in July and on holiday weekends, so book those dates early. For more choices, see places to stay in Bear Lake or the Manistee guide.

Our picks

Bear Lake at Hopkins Park The village park on the south shore is where it all happens: Blarney Beach for swimming, a dock and boat launch, and a fishing pier. There is no lifeguard, so keep an eye on the kids. The lake is all-sports and busy with boats on summer days.

Fishing Bear Lake is shallow, and a DNR survey found bluegill, yellow perch, bass, northern pike and walleye; the DNR has stocked walleye here. Fish from the Hopkins Park pier, or launch at the two-lane state ramp on the west shore (it needs a Recreation Passport). Check current DNR rules before you go.

Pierport Beach For Lake Michigan instead, drive west to the end of 13 Mile Road. It is rustic, with limited parking and very few amenities, so bring water and shade. Bring a jug too: the artesian well called Old Faceful is a few steps from the sand. Watch the waves, and stay out when the lake is rough.

The ride around the lake The loop around Bear Lake is about 11.5 miles, an easy half day on a bike.

Bear Lake Area Museum and the library The museum sits in a late-1880s former Baptist church that the village calls probably its oldest building, and it holds the story of the homesteaders and the Hopkins family’s tram railway to Pierport. The Keddie Norconk Library nearby has books, movies and computers.

A half day, or a day

A half day. Swim at Blarney Beach, then cast from the pier in the late afternoon.

A day. Breakfast at Lakeside Café, then ride the lake loop, have the afternoon at Pierport Beach and come back for dinner at Grille 44 and an evening on the water.

With kids, and on a rainy day

Hopkins Park’s swim area and pier are the easy kids’ day, with the campground right there. On a rainy day, try the museum or the library, and check the library’s schedule for occasional kids’ classes.

Best time to go

July and August are the swimming and boating months. The big weekend is Bear Lake Days, the weekend after the Fourth of July, with food trucks downtown, parades, fireworks, a pig roast and a group bike ride around the lake. A few times each summer, boaters raft up for Music on the Lake, with bands playing from a pontoon stage; organizers post the dates. The third weekend in August is the village yard sale.

September is quieter, and the campground stays open into October.

Winter

Winter is for ice fishing: Bear Lake draws plenty of anglers through the ice. In the holiday season, Sparkle in the Park lights up the Hopkins Park campground with more than 100,000 lights, from Thanksgiving Day into the new year. Drive the loop or take a carriage ride, and check viewing hours first.

What is close by

The village points you to the Manistee National Forest, area golf courses including Arcadia Bluffs, and the Manistee, Pine, Platte and Betsie rivers for paddling. Kaleva, Onekama and Arcadia are nearby, and the Northern Michigan Dragway near Kaleva runs races from late April through September.

Hours, menus and schedules change, so check with each place before you go.