Petoskey

Petoskey is the easy base on Little Traverse Bay: a walkable downtown above the water, a paved trail along the shore and a state park beach a few miles up the road. Give it two days. One covers the town and the bay, and the second lets you add Bay View next door and Harbor Springs across the bay, with the Tunnel of Trees beyond it.

Getting there and getting around

US-31 runs along the bayfront and through Bay View, and US-131 comes in from the south. By our routing estimates, the drive takes about 3 hours 40 minutes from Grand Rapids, just under 5 hours from Detroit and about 7 hours from Chicago.

The closest airline airport is Pellston Regional, with Delta and United; our estimate for the drive into town is about 45 minutes. Cherry Capital in Traverse City has more flights, and our estimate from there is about an hour and 40 minutes. Harbor Springs Airport is the close-in field for private planes.

Plan on a car. The area has no core public transit, though cab and shuttle services operate. Once you are downtown, park once and walk:

• Parking. Some downtown lots and side streets are free, including a lot at Lewis and Rose streets near Hotel Perry. Many side streets just outside the core have no meter enforcement, but residents use them too. Downtown meters and lots are run by the city’s parking office, so read the posted limits.
• Walking. A pedestrian tunnel under US-31 links Bayfront Park with the Gaslight District, so you can get from the water to the shops without crossing the highway.
• Biking. The paved Little Traverse Wheelway links Harbor Springs, Petoskey and Charlevoix, but it is not a continuous ride right now. Trail advisory: the Miracle Mile, about 1.25 miles of bluff between East Park and Magnus Park, remains closed because of shoreline erosion and has not reopened. Follow any posted detours, and note that the unofficial detour on US-31 is not recommended for kids or new riders. Check current trail conditions before you plan a through ride.

Where to eat

Downtown and the Gaslight District hold most of the restaurants, with a few worth the short drive. These are places local writers and the visitors bureau single out:

• Leto’s Osteria. A contemporary Italian restaurant on Mitchell Street that opened in 2025, known for housemade pasta, Roman classics and seasonal small plates.
• City Park Grill. A downtown restaurant and bar in an 1875 building that began as a billiard parlor and is said to have stayed open through Prohibition by way of underground tunnels. It hosts beer events and takes part in the town’s restaurant weeks.
• Palette Bistro. A Mediterranean-leaning sit-down restaurant with views over Little Traverse Bay. Book it for a dinner with a view.
• Mim’s Mediterranean Grill. The casual pick for gyros, falafel and stuffed grape leaves, and a local favorite for its spicy feta fries. Takeout is easy.
• Petoskey Brewing. A brewery in a restored late-1800s building on the road between Petoskey and Harbor Springs, known for smash burgers made with beef ground fresh daily.
• Roast & Toast. A longtime downtown coffee roaster and café on Lake Street that roasts in small batches and makes its baked goods and sandwich fixings in house. It suits breakfast or a coffee before the beach.
• Sweet and Savory Pie Company. For something sweet, the Petoskey shop of the Alanson pie maker opened in 2025 in D&W Plaza on US-31. Fruit pies are the draw, and savory pies such as Steak and Guinness make a takeaway supper.
• 1911 Restaurant. In Bay View, the dining room at the historic Terrace Inn, with a terrace over the Victorian neighborhood and a three-course prix fixe menu.

Petoskey also runs restaurant weeks in spring and fall (typically early May and mid-November), a good excuse for a shoulder-season trip.

Where to stay

Downtown has one hotel, Hotel Perry, open since 1899, with the Noggin Room pub downstairs. Bay View has two historic inns a short walk from the bay, the Terrace Inn and the Bay View Inn. For the lake, the Inn at Bay Harbor sits on the shore west of town, and the Holiday Inn Express on the south side is the practical chain option. Ski and golf resorts nearby include The Highlands and Boyne Mountain. See all of them in places to stay in Petoskey, and in Harbor Springs on its town page.

Our picks

Bayfront Park and the breakwall. Start at the water. The rocky beach beside the breakwall is the first place to look for Petoskey stones, and the park has the clock tower, a playground and the city marina.

The Gaslight District. Walk through the tunnel and up into town. The district counts more than 170 shops, studios, restaurants and offices above the bay.

Petoskey State Park. A mile of sandy beach on the bay with a beach house, plus the short climb up Old Baldy for the view. You need a Recreation Passport on your car, and pets stay off the shore.

Little Traverse Wheelway. Ride one stretch rather than the whole thing: from Bayfront Park toward the state park and Bay View is an easy start. The Miracle Mile section west of town remains closed, so a ride toward Charlevoix is not continuous.

The Bear River. The Bear River Valley Recreation Area follows the river through town with a 1.5-mile path and a quarter-mile whitewater course. For a gentler float, the Bear River Canoe Livery rents canoes, kayaks and paddleboards for short trips in season.

Bay View. The Victorian summer community next door, a National Historic Landmark with a summer program of concerts and lectures you can attend. Its page has the details.

Harbor Springs and the Tunnel of Trees. Cross to the north side of the bay for the historic museums on East Main Street, then drive M-119 north along the bluffs. Fill the tank first, and check for detours, since sections have been closed.

One day, and two days

One day. Coffee downtown, then Bayfront Park and the breakwall for stone hunting. Walk the Gaslight District and have lunch in town. In the afternoon, swim at Petoskey State Park or ride the Wheelway toward Bay View. On a summer Sunday, end at the Bayside Music Series on the promenade, then dinner downtown.

Two days. Spend the second morning in Bay View, walking the cottage streets on the association’s self-guided tour. Then go on to Harbor Springs for lunch and the Tunnel of Trees in the afternoon. Another option is Charlevoix, down US-31, for its stone houses and pier light, or north on the route to Mackinaw City for the bridge and the island ferries. Our fall color trip covers Petoskey and Charlevoix in two days.

With kids, and on a rainy day

With kids: Stone hunting at the breakwall, the playground at Bayfront Park and a beach day at Petoskey State Park. The canoe livery describes its Bear River trips as good for families. On summer Wednesdays and Fridays at lunchtime, free concerts play the gazebo in Pennsylvania Park; bring a picnic.

On a rainy day: The Little Traverse History Museum on Depot Court has a Hemingway collection, vintage photographs and an exhibit on women’s suffrage in town; it opens for its season in June. The Crooked Tree Arts Center, in a restored 1890 church on Mitchell Street, has free galleries and a theater for concerts, plays and films.

Best time to go

Summer is the season. July and August bring beach days, the free Bayside Music Series on Sunday evenings and Bay View’s concert season (mid-June into August, with a free opening concert). On the Fourth of July, an evening parade runs down Mitchell Street, then fireworks go up over the bay. Bayfront Park fills up, so park early and walk in, or watch from Sunset Park or the Wheelway.

Stone hunting runs from spring until the snow flies. Fall color is the other big draw, and the Tunnel of Trees is at its busiest then, especially on weekends, so drive it on a weekday if you can. May, June and September are the calmer months, with the spring and fall restaurant weeks bracketing the season.

Winter

Winter is quieter but far from closed. The Petoskey Winter Sports Park has a sledding hill, an outdoor skating rink, a hockey rink and a warming shelter with skate rentals, with no charge to get in; it depends on the weather, so check before you go. The Bear River path is used for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, and Petoskey State Park lists both, though its day-use lot typically closes from early November to early spring.

For downhill skiing, Nub’s Nob and The Highlands are near Harbor Springs, and Boyne Mountain is south at Boyne Falls. Downtown’s season starts with the holiday parade and peaks with Winter Wonderland Weekend, the ice sculpture weekend. The week before, Harbor Springs holds its Ice Fest.

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