Charlevoix

Charlevoix is a harbor town you can do on foot: park once, then walk to the beach, the pier light, the drawbridge and the stone houses. One full day covers the town. A second day lets you add a long beach at Fisherman’s Island, Castle Farms or the loop around Lake Charlevoix.

Getting there and getting around

US-31 runs straight through town, and it is the road from Traverse City to the south and Petoskey to the northeast. By our routing estimates, the drive takes about 3.5 hours from Grand Rapids, about 5 hours from Detroit and about 7 hours from Chicago.

The nearest airline airports are Cherry Capital in Traverse City and Pellston Regional north of Petoskey. Our estimate for the drive from either is a little over an hour. Charlevoix Municipal Airport, just south of town, handles private planes and the flights to Beaver Island; the chamber lists rental cars there in summer only.

The thing to plan around is the bridge. In summer the downtown drawbridge on Bridge Street (US-31) lifts on the hour and half hour for boats, and traffic backs up on both sides. Locals call dodging it “beating the bridge”:

• Walk if you can. Downtown, the beaches and the pier are close together. On foot, take the paths under the bridge instead of waiting at the crosswalk.
• Use State Street. It links the north and south sides of town without crossing on Bridge Street.
• Park off Bridge Street. Free public lots sit half a block west of Bridge Street, toward Lake Michigan, marked with a large blue “P”. Disabled permit holders can park free at meters for a limited time; check the posted rules.
• Bike. The paved Little Traverse Wheelway starts in Charlevoix and runs north toward Petoskey.

If you get caught, an opening usually lasts only a few minutes.

Where to eat

Downtown along Bridge Street and Round Lake is where most of the eating happens. These are places local writers and the visitors bureau single out:

• Weathervane Restaurant. Earl Young turned an old grist mill on the Pine River into this restaurant in the 1950s, with a gull-wing roof and a huge stone fireplace shaped like the Lower Peninsula. It is the sit-down dinner on the water by the Pine River channel, and it lists a 2026 renovation.
• Margaritas Mexican Restaurant. A newer Mexican place on a downtown corner near the drawbridge, known for a picture menu and around 30 kinds of margarita. It is listed as open through the winter.
• The Happy Troll Deli & Pub. A deli and pub at 111 Bridge Street, by the bridge in the old Scovie’s space, opened in 2023. Come for lunch: sandwiches, soups and house-baked cakes, pies and cookies, with a full bar. Its site posts current hours, which change with the season.
• That French Place. A small crêperie and bakery at 212 Bridge Street, with French-style crêpes served in cones you can carry to the beach, pastries, croissants that sell out early, and coffee. It also scoops Brian’s Ice Cream, made in small batches with local milk and cream. Go early or order ahead.
• Harwood Gold. A downtown café run by a family that has made maple syrup near Charlevoix since the late 1800s, with espresso drinks, coffee and its own syrups.
• John Cross Fisheries. A fish market on the south shore of Round Lake, a few blocks from downtown, that has served Charlevoix for more than seventy years. It is known for whitefish. Pick up fish, whitefish pâté or sausage for a picnic or a rental kitchen.
• Charlevoix Dairy Grille. The local ice cream and burger stop, a walk-up stand at 1111 S. Bridge Street: soft serve, shakes and sundaes, plus casual food, including never-frozen burgers and its olive burger.
• The Taffy Barrel. An old-fashioned candy store at 211 Bridge Street, with saltwater taffy and more than 150 barrels and baskets of candy.
• Kilwins. The Bridge Street shop makes fudge in copper kettles and scoops ice cream. The visitors bureau also lists Celeste Murdick’s Fudge and Candy Kitchen for fudge and candy.

Where to stay

Charlevoix’s lodging is small-scale and walkable. Our listings include The Earl, a downtown boutique hotel with a rooftop bar over Round Lake; the Weathervane Terrace Inn and Suites, designed by Earl Young; and two bed and breakfasts a short walk from downtown, the Bridge Street Inn and The Belvedere. See all of them, plus rental directories, in places to stay in Charlevoix. For Venetian Festival week, book as early as you can.

Our picks

Earl Young’s stone houses. Pick up the self-guided map at the visitor center on Mason Street and walk the curving “mushroom houses” near downtown. They are private homes, so you see them from the street.

South Pier Lighthouse and Michigan Beach. Swim or hunt for Petoskey stones at Michigan Beach, then walk out the pier to the red light at sunset. The beach lists a playground and restrooms.

The drawbridge and East Park. Find a spot by Round Lake and watch the bridge go up for the boats. East Park, at the foot of downtown, has the city marina and the pavilion for summer concerts.

Ferry Beach. The family beach on Lake Charlevoix, with a shallow swim area and a playground. It suits small kids better than the big lake.

Fisherman’s Island State Park. About five miles of Lake Michigan shore and trails just south of town, and a known spot for Petoskey stones. You need a Recreation Passport on your car.

Castle Farms. A castle on M-66 built in 1918 as a model dairy farm. It lists self-guided tours year round, gardens and a hedge maze in the warm months and a large outdoor model railroad from May to October, weather permitting.

The loop around Lake Charlevoix. Drive down the South Arm to East Jordan, cross on the little Ironton Ferry in season and come back through Boyne City.

Beaver Island. The Beaver Island Boat Company sails from Charlevoix, about 32 miles and a little over two hours each way. A day trip works only on some summer schedules, and an overnight is the better plan. If you do go for the day, check the ferry schedule, confirm your return sailing before you board, and watch the weather, since trips can be canceled in high winds.

One day, and two days

One day. Start downtown with coffee and a crêpe, then walk the Earl Young houses with the map. Watch the bridge open from Round Lake, have lunch on Bridge Street and spend the afternoon at Michigan Beach or Ferry Beach. Finish at the South Pier Light for sunset, then dinner downtown.

Two days. Add Fisherman’s Island State Park in the morning, or ride a stretch of the Wheelway north. In the afternoon, tour Castle Farms or drive the Lake Charlevoix loop with the Ironton Ferry. With an extra day (better, a night), take the boat to Beaver Island, or spend it in Petoskey, up US-31 along the bay. Our fall color trip strings the two towns together.

With kids, and on a rainy day

With kids: Ferry Beach’s shallow water and playground, the playground at Michigan Beach, a hunt for Petoskey stones on the shore and a crêpe cone, a soft serve at Dairy Grille or a bag of taffy from The Taffy Barrel on Bridge Street. Castle Farms works for families too, with a hedge maze, an enchanted forest of gnomes and fish and ducks to feed at the ponds. In winter, Mt. McSauba has sledding, skating and beginner skiing.

On a rainy day: Castle Farms keeps its self-guided tours running all year, with a museum on the World War I era. The Harsha House Museum is the place to learn more about Earl Young. Downtown’s shops are a short walk apart, so a gray afternoon still works.

Best time to go

Summer is the season: beaches, boats and the bridge going up all day. The busiest week is the Venetian Festival in late July, when the lighted boat parade circles Round Lake and fireworks follow. The city marina takes no reservations for the festival’s final four days, and rooms go early. Later in summer, the Live on the Lake concerts play the Odmark Pavilion in East Park on select evenings; bring a lawn chair or a blanket.

September and October are the shoulder months. The beaches are quieter, the countryside turns color and area orchards run u-pick apples and pumpkins. The visitors bureau is clear that Charlevoix does not close after Labor Day.

Winter

Charlevoix stays open in winter, but it is a quieter, local trip. Restaurants, stores and hotels stay open, and many downtown shops run winter sales.

The center of winter is Mt. McSauba, a community hill with beginner downhill skiing, cross-country trails, sledding and an outdoor rink, with snowshoe and ski rentals. On Friday nights through the winter, the free candlelight hikes there loop through the woods to a campfire at the end; check the season’s dates. For bigger hills, the visitors bureau puts Boyne Mountain, The Highlands and Nub’s Nob within an easy drive.

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