Boyne Falls

Boyne Falls is a small village on US-131 with one big neighbor: Boyne Mountain. Come for the resort, in winter for skiing or in summer for golf and SkyBridge Michigan, and treat the village as the address. Apart from the Polish Festival weekend, it is quiet.

Getting there and getting around

US-131 runs north and south through the village, and M-75 ends here at US-131 after coming down from Boyne City. The resort is just southeast of the village at 1 Boyne Mountain Road.

Private pilots can fly into Boyne Mountain Airport, next to the resort. Everyone else drives; plan on a car, since the village is spread out and the nearest downtown is Boyne City.

Where to eat

Eating out here mostly means eating at the resort, and what is open depends on the season. Boyne Mountain lists these among its restaurants:

• Everett’s. The resort’s sit-down American restaurant: steaks, seafood, pasta, burgers and a kids’ menu.
• Forty Acres Tavern. A pub with spirits, beer and elevated pub food.
• Trophy Room Pizzeria & Pub. Pizza, pasta, salads and grinders, with beer and wine.
• Das Café. The coffee stop, with Starbucks drinks, pastries and sandwiches.
• Beach House Restaurant. A summer spot by the golf shop on the shore of Deer Lake, next to GiGi’s Tiki Bar for smoothies and cocktails.
• Stein Eriksen’s. A winter restaurant overlooking the slopes and skating rink, with comfort food like steaks, pasta and chili.

Several of these keep seasonal hours, and some close outright between seasons, so check the resort’s dining page before you go. For a wider choice, Boyne City is a short drive north.

Where to stay

Boyne Mountain has slopeside chalets and lodge rooms, and staying on site is the simplest plan for a ski trip. For a lake town base instead, see the Boyne City guide.

Our picks

Ski or ride Boyne Mountain. The resort lists 415 skiable acres and 500 feet of vertical, with a beginner area and a lift network that has been rebuilt in recent seasons. Mixed groups can split up: there are cross-country and snowshoe trails too.

Walk SkyBridge Michigan. A chairlift takes you to the summit and a 1,200-foot pedestrian bridge between two peaks, which the resort bills as the world’s longest timber-towered suspension bridge. Buy tickets online ahead of time. Wheelchairs, walkers and strollers are not allowed on the bridge, though guests who use them can buy a scenic lift ticket and view it from the summit loop; confirm the details with the resort.

Play the Alpine or the Monument. Boyne Mountain Golf has two 18-hole courses, and the Alpine runs down the mountain.

Go to the Polish Festival. The Boyne Falls Polish Festival takes over the village at the turn of July into August with a polka tent, a parade, a carnival, a car show, a 5K and a four-wheel-drive mud run on the last day. Veterans get in free with military ID. Dates and the schedule are posted each year on the festival site.

Fish the Boyne River. The river’s two branches meet just north of the village. Upstream of the old power plant dam between here and Boyne City, the water is known for brook and brown trout, with some stretches designated Blue Ribbon Trout Stream. Check current DNR rules first.

A half day, or a day

A half day. Ride the chairlift to SkyBridge Michigan, walk the bridge, and have lunch at the resort.

A day. Ski or golf in the morning, swim at the indoor waterpark in the afternoon, then drive to Boyne City for dinner and a sunset on Lake Charlevoix.

With kids, and on a rainy day

Avalanche Bay, the resort’s indoor waterpark, is the answer for both, with a pub and snack shack inside. In winter, the beginner area has a covered magic carpet for first-timers.

Best time to go

Ski season runs through the winter, as snow allows. Summer brings golf, SkyBridge (generally May through October) and the Polish Festival weekend, when the village is at its busiest. Fall is calmer, and the resort’s summer activities generally run into October.

What is close by

Boyne City has the lakefront, the marina and Young State Park. Petoskey and Charlevoix are farther north for Little Traverse Bay and Lake Michigan.

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