Onekama

Onekama is a small summer village on Portage Lake, and the point of coming is the water. You can swim in the lake right in town, walk to a Lake Michigan beach by the channel and boat between the two. A half day gets you a swim, lunch and an ice cream; a full day adds the big-lake beach and a sunset.

Getting there and getting around

M-22 runs through the village as Main Street. By our routing estimates, the drive takes about 2 hours 35 minutes from Grand Rapids, about 5 hours from Detroit and about 5.5 hours from Chicago. See getting here for the routes.

The closest airport is Manistee County Blacker Airport, with daily flights to Chicago O’Hare and rental car counters in the terminal; our estimate puts it about 15 minutes away.

Onekama Village Park is right in town. You will want the car for Captain John Langland Park, on the Lake Michigan side of the channel, and for the township trails.

Where to eat

Onekama is small, so this is a short list, and some of it is seasonal:

• The Glenwood. The sit-down dinner in town: seafood and steaks in a dining room that looks over Portage Lake. It runs a summer season, roughly May to early September; check its site for the year’s dates.
• Speckled Goat General Store. A gourmet grocer on Main Street with homemade sandwiches, thin-crust pizza and seasonal paninis. Good for a beach picnic.
• Lake and Latte. The coffee stop, a small, cozy shop in the village.
• Sweet Vibes. The ice cream stop.

For more choice, Manistee is less than 10 miles away; see our Manistee guide.

Where to stay

Our Onekama listings are The Canfield House, a bed and breakfast on Portage Lake in a 1900 summer home with its own beach, and Portage Point Resort, the historic resort between the two lakes. The resort’s historic inn has been under restoration, so confirm what is open before you book. See places to stay in Onekama for the full list, or stay in Manistee.

Our picks

Captain John Langland Park The township’s Lake Michigan beach, just north of the channel. Park at the end of Second Street, take the stairs down to the sand and stay for sunset; it faces west. Walk the north pier with the anglers on a calm day, and stay off it when the waves are up.

Onekama Village Park Four acres on Portage Lake in town, with a small sandy beach, a boat ramp and a fishing jetty. It is the calm-water swim, and the easy one with small kids.

On the water Portage Lake is an all-sports lake, and the channel takes you out to Lake Michigan. Launch at the village ramp or the DNR site at North Point, which needs a Recreation Passport on your car. If you did not bring a boat, pontoons can be hired, and the lake suits kayaks and paddleboards.

North Point Park and Glen Park Two township parks for a walk. North Point has a paved, accessible loop plus gravel and grass loops. Glen Park, above Main Street, has trails along Glen Creek past its mineral springs.

Monday night concerts Concerts in the Park at Onekama Village Park on summer Monday evenings, from late June into August. Bring lawn chairs, a blanket and a picnic; donations are welcome.

A half day, or a day

Half day. Coffee at Lake and Latte, a swim at the village park, and sandwiches from the Speckled Goat. Finish with ice cream at Sweet Vibes.

A day. Take the picnic to Captain John Langland Park for the afternoon and walk the pier. Have dinner at the Glenwood in season, or on a summer Monday, catch the concert in the village park. Our drive from Manistee to Frankfort and Point Betsie continues up M-22 to Arcadia and beyond.

With kids, and on a rainy day

Kids get the shallow village beach, the jetty for fishing and the Monday concerts on the grass. On a rainy day there is little indoors in Onekama itself; browse the shops on Main Street, then head to Manistee’s museum and theaters.

Best time to go

Summer, from late June through August, when the concerts run and the lake is busy. More than half of the township’s homes are used seasonally, and the beaches and launches see high demand in summer. Onekama Days, the village’s festival around the start of August, brings a parade, a car show, crafts and a 5K, and ends with fireworks over Portage Lake; some people watch from the water. The Manistee County Fair is held at the fairgrounds in the township.

Winter

Winter is quiet. Portage Lake is ice-fished, and the Celebration of Lights turns on the village tree and Main Street lights each November. For skiing, Crystal Mountain is within reach.

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