Walloon Lake

Walloon Lake is a small summer village at the southeast end of a long, clear lake, a short drive south of Petoskey. Come for a day on the water: rent a boat at the village marina, swim at one of the small public beaches and have dinner by the docks. Hemingway readers come for the lake where he spent his boyhood summers. There is not much else in the village itself, so think of it as a lake day or a quiet base, with Petoskey and Boyne City close by.

Getting there and getting around

US-131 runs along the east side of the village, and M-75 follows the lake’s south shore west toward Boyne City. By our routing estimates, the drive takes about 3 hours 25 minutes from Grand Rapids, about 4 hours 40 minutes from Detroit and about 6 hours 50 minutes from Chicago.

Pellston Regional is the closest airline airport, about an hour away by our estimate, and Cherry Capital in Traverse City is about an hour and 35 minutes. Private pilots can use Boyne City Municipal Airport, about 15 minutes away.

You need a car. The village center is small enough to walk, but the beaches, launches and preserves are spread around the lake. Most of the shoreline is private, so the lake is easiest to see from a boat.

Where to eat

The village has a few places, clustered by the marina:

• Barrel Back. The casual pick, on the water at the village marina next to Hotel Walloon. It is known for slow-cooked, house-smoked brisket, chicken and ribs, wood-fired pizza and a long tap list, and its dock bar draws boaters in summer. It has stayed open through the winter too.
• Walloon Lake Inn. The sit-down dinner, in a lakeside building that dates to 1891, when it was an inn for steamboat travelers. Seafood is the specialty, with John Cross whitefish the dish it is known for. It hosts weddings and private parties, so reserve ahead.
• Walloon General Store. A village grocery on M-75 with housemade pizza, deli items and Michigan-made products. Good for a boat picnic or stocking a rental kitchen.

For more choice, Petoskey and Boyne City are each a short drive; see the Petoskey guide and the Boyne City guide.

Where to stay

Hotel Walloon is the village’s hotel, a 32-room boutique hotel on the lake that lists itself as open all year. See places to stay at Walloon Lake, or stay in Petoskey or Boyne City and come for the day.

Our picks

Get out on the water. Walloon Lake is an all-sports lake with long arms to explore. Bear Cove Marina lists rentals of ski boats, pontoons and small fishing boats, and Legacy Water Sports runs the full-service marina in the village. The lake page has the launches and the lake association’s wake requests.

A swim. The small public beach off M-75 near the village has a playground, picnic area and volleyball. Jones Landing Township Park has a sandy beach and a pavilion. Resort Pike Park, a small Resort Township park with stairs down to the water, is a popular local swim, but renovations are scheduled to begin in fall 2026, so check before you go.

Hemingway’s lake. The family summered here from 1898, at a cottage called Windemere on the north shore. It is a private home, still in the family, and not open to visitors, so respect the owners’ privacy. The visitors bureau’s self-guided Hemingway’s Michigan tour includes Walloon Lake stops.

A preserve walk. The Walloon Lake Association and Conservancy manages preserves around the watershed. Postle Farm Preserve, off US-131, mixes hardwoods, meadow and wetland, and Fields Preserve has a restored trail and boardwalk.

Dinner by the docks. End the day at Barrel Back or the Walloon Lake Inn and watch the boats come in.

One day

Morning on the water with a rental boat or paddleboard. Lunch at the marina, then an afternoon at the beach or a walk at Postle Farm. Dinner in the village. With a second day, spend it in Petoskey and Bay View, or at Boyne Mountain for SkyBridge.

With kids, and on a rainy day

With kids: The playgrounds at the village beach and Jones Landing, and a pontoon day on the lake. On a rainy day: There is little indoors here; head to Petoskey for its museum and galleries.

Best time to go

Summer, June through August, is the season. The Fourth of July is the big night: The Big Show Over the Little Village brings live music to Village Green Park, then fireworks over the lake after dark. Bring a chair and come early.

September is calmer. In fall, the visitors bureau’s Tri County color tour from Petoskey passes through the village. Before you swim in shallow, warm water near waterfowl, know that swimmer’s itch happens here as on other northern lakes; swim in deeper water and towel off after.

Winter

Winter is quiet. Ice anglers head out once the lake freezes; check the ice yourself before you go out. Postle Farm Preserve has a long cross-country skiing history. Walloon Lake has held a February Winterfest with ice carving, an antique snowmobile show on the lake and snowshoe and ski rentals; check whether it is on this year. Hotel Walloon lists itself as open all year, and Boyne Mountain is the nearest downhill skiing.

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