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Aerial view of a long blue-green lake lined with trees and houses, with a larger lake on the horizon.

Region 4 of 6

Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes

Traverse City, the bays and the lake country to the south.

Traverse City is the largest town in the region and the hub for the Grand Traverse Bay shore, with the Leelanau Peninsula towns of Suttons Bay and Northport to the north and Elk Rapids to the east.

To the south the region reaches into inland lake country around Interlochen, Kingsley, Cadillac and Lake City, a year-round area for lakes in summer and snow in winter.

This is an editorial grouping for trip planning, not a county or tourism-bureau boundary.

Regional map

Map of Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes

38 places on an OpenStreetMap map

Map of Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes. The same places are listed on this page.

Key destinations

A weathered wooden pier extending into calm turquoise water at sunset.

Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes

Traverse City

A bayfront city at the head of Grand Traverse Bay, with a walkable Front Street downtown, bay beaches, cherry orchards and two wine peninsulas close by.

A long wooden dock running out into a calm lake with a wooded shoreline across the water.

Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes

Cadillac

For lake and trail people in every season: two lakes, a state park beach between them, the end of the White Pine Trail and a big winter trail network.

Smaller towns

Small towns worth a detour.

Low-angle view of a small wave washing over stones on a lakeshore, with a wooded bluff in the distance.

Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes · Small town

Elk Rapids

For paddlers and boaters: a village between East Grand Traverse Bay and Elk Lake, at the end of the Chain of Lakes Water Trail, with a harbor and downtown.

A dark red wooden camp building stands among tall pines at Interlochen Center for the Arts.

Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes · Small town

Interlochen

For music lovers who also want a beach: lakeside summer concerts at the Interlochen Center for the Arts, with a state park and old pines next door.

A small weathered wooden barn in a grassy clearing in front of dense trees.

Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes · Small town

Northport

The last village on the Leelanau Peninsula, a harbor town on Grand Traverse Bay close to a state park, the Grand Traverse Lighthouse and beach trails.

Aerial view of a forested point with a long sandy beach and turquoise shallows.

Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes · Small town

Suttons Bay

A walkable Leelanau village on Grand Traverse Bay with a public beach, a marina and a historic downtown, and the north end of the paved Leelanau Trail.

Lakes and rivers

The inland lakes, bays and rivers that bring many visitors here in summer.

The clear, shallow Boardman River runs between tall pines and spruce on a summer day.

River · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes

Boardman River

Traverse City's trout river, with three old dams now removed, paddling on the middle river and steelhead from winter into spring below the last dam in town.

  • Public launch
  • Rentals
Deep blue water of West Grand Traverse Bay seen from a snowy beach in Traverse City, with the far shore on the horizon

Bay · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes

Grand Traverse Bay

Traverse City's big water: a Lake Michigan bay with city beaches, five public harbors with slips, fuel at two, sailing, paddling and trout and salmon fishing.

  • All-sports
  • Swim beach
  • Public launch
  • Rentals
Suspension footbridge over a calm river reflecting clouds and fall trees

River · Ludington & Manistee

Manistee River

A big steelhead and salmon river below Tippy Dam, with liveries for summer canoe trips, winter steelhead, and 26 miles of National Recreational River.

  • Public launch
  • Rentals
Shallow river winding across a sandy beach toward the lake under cloudy sky

River · Benzie & Sleeping Bear

Platte River

An easy, clear, shallow river for tubing and paddling through Sleeping Bear Dunes to Platte Bay, with fall salmon and steelhead in fall and spring.

  • Swim beach
  • Public launch
  • Rentals
Aerial view of Torch Lake's turquoise water between wooded, partly built-up shores

Lake · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes

Torch Lake

Michigan's longest inland lake: 19 miles of deep, clear, all-sports water for skiing, tubing and the sandbar, plus lake trout and a Chain of Lakes link.

  • All-sports
  • Swim beach
  • Public launch
  • Rentals
The Betsie River winds between spring-green trees east of Elberta.

River · Benzie & Sleeping Bear

Betsie River

A protected Natural River from Interlochen to Frankfort: paddle and portage Homestead Dam, fish salmon in fall and steelhead from late fall into spring.

  • Public launch
  • Rentals

Lake · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes

Boardman Lake

Traverse City's in-town lake, open to all boating but built for a kayak, a cast or a walk around the 4-mile Boardman Lake Loop just south of downtown.

  • All-sports
  • Public launch

Lake · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes

Duck Lake

The state park lake at Interlochen: all-sports water up to 98 feet deep, with a beach, launches, summer paddleboard rentals, lake trout and ice fishing.

  • All-sports
  • Swim beach
  • Public launch
  • Rentals
Clear, calm water and lily pads on Elk Lake under a blue autumn sky.

Lake · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes

Elk Lake

A deep, clear, emerald-green all-sports lake at Elk Rapids: ski and cruise, rent a boat or slip at the marinas, swim at Whitewater Township Park.

  • All-sports
  • Swim beach
  • Public launch
  • Rentals
The short Elk River runs clear over a low weir between trees.

River · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes

Elk River

The short river in Elk Rapids where the Chain of Lakes Water Trail ends, with a kayak launch, steelhead below the dam and salmon in fall.

  • Public launch
The sun sets through haze over Green Lake, seen from a boat.

Lake · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes

Green Lake

An all-sports Interlochen lake, 2,000 acres and 102 feet deep: lake trout, room to paddle, a rustic state park campsite and night smelt fishing on the ice.

  • All-sports
  • Public launch
A rocky shoreline on Lake Cadillac under a pink and purple sunrise in fall.

Lake · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes

Lake Cadillac

Cadillac's in-town, all-sports lake: 1,150 acres and 28 feet deep, a canal to Lake Mitchell, a 7.5-mile path and winter ice fishing for perch and walleye.

  • All-sports
  • Swim beach
  • Public launch
  • Rentals
Wide view of Lake Leelanau under a cloudy autumn sky, with a sailboat moored near docks.

Lake · Benzie & Sleeping Bear

Lake Leelanau

A long, clear, all-sports lake down the Leelanau Peninsula: walleye in both basins, lake trout in the deep north, township beaches and winter ice fishing.

  • All-sports
  • Swim beach
  • Public launch
Wind-driven waves roll onto the sandy shore of Lake Missaukee.

Lake · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes

Lake Missaukee

Lake City's all-sports town lake: 1,880 acres and mostly under 15 feet deep, with a public beach, a city launch, and walleye, perch and pike through the ice.

  • All-sports
  • Swim beach
  • Public launch
Lake Mitchell stretches to a low, distant shoreline under a summer sky.

Lake · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes

Lake Mitchell

A broad, shallow, all-sports lake west of Cadillac: 2,496 acres, a state park beach and campground, a canal to paddle and crappie and bluegill through the ice.

  • All-sports
  • Swim beach
  • Public launch
  • Rentals
A boat launch dock reaches into Lake Skegemog under puffy summer clouds.

Lake · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes

Lake Skegemog

A shallow, wetland-edged, all-sports lake between Torch and Elk: muskie and pike, perch through the ice and a paddle past a big protected shoreline.

  • All-sports
  • Public launch
Long Lake lies glassy calm at twilight, with Venus above the far shore.

Lake · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes

Long Lake

An all-sports island lake near Traverse City: ski and tube, swim at two township beaches, picnic on four day-use islands, ice fish for walleye and pike.

  • All-sports
  • Swim beach
  • Public launch
Kayakers paddle a shaded stretch of the Pine River below a steep wooded bank.

River · Ludington & Manistee

Pine River

A narrow, winding river near Cadillac for canoe, kayak and raft trips from Wellston liveries, blue ribbon trout fishing and year-round access.

  • Public launch
  • Rentals

Major attractions

The white frame Mission Point Lighthouse stands among autumn trees under a gray sky.

Lighthouse

Mission Point Lighthouse

An 1870 lighthouse at the northern tip of the Old Mission Peninsula, with a climbable tower, a small museum, a beach and trails around it.

A paved path runs through shady summer woods on the Boardman Lake Trail in Traverse City.

Trail

TART Trails

Traverse City's trail network, built around the 10.5-mile paved TART along the bay and linked to the Leelanau Trail, Boardman Lake Loop and VASA Pathway.

An aerial winter view over snowy forest toward the ski slopes of Caberfae Peaks.

Ski area

Caberfae Peaks

A ski resort west of Cadillac with 27 runs and 5 lifts across three peaks, plus about 10 miles of cross-country trails that are free to use.

Narrow wooden pier stretching into calm blue water under a pastel sunset sky

Beach

Clinch Park

Traverse City's downtown beach on West Grand Traverse Bay, with a splash pad, playground, city marina and the TART trail running through.

Museum

Dennos Museum Center

Traverse City's art museum on the Northwestern Michigan College campus, known for its Inuit art collection, with a hands-on Discovery Gallery.

The paved White Pine Trail runs straight through a green tunnel of trees at the Ashton trailhead.

Trail

Fred Meijer White Pine Trail

A 92-mile paved rail trail whose northern end is in Cadillac, for long rides south through towns, farmland and woods toward Grand Rapids.

Ski area

Hickory Hills

Traverse City's own ski hill since 1952, with 16 runs, Nordic trails including a lighted loop and an FIS-certified course, and disc golf in summer.

Attraction

Interlochen Center for the Arts

The arts camp and boarding school founded in 1928 between two lakes south of Traverse City, with student and guest-artist concerts open to the public.

State park

Interlochen State Park

Michigan's first state park, between Duck and Green lakes, with old-growth pines, two campgrounds and the Interlochen arts campus next door.

State park

Leelanau State Park

The state park at the tip of the Leelanau Peninsula, with the Grand Traverse Lighthouse, a rustic campground and the Cathead Bay trails to a sandy beach.

Trail

Leelanau Trail

A paved, flat, 17-mile trail between Traverse City and Suttons Bay through farms and woods, groomed in part for skiing and fat biking in winter.

Ski area

Mt. Holiday

A small community nonprofit ski hill in East Bay Township, east of Traverse City, with snow tubing in winter and zipline tours and trails in the warmer months.

Trail

Vasa Pathway

Traverse City's big woods trail for cross-country skiing, with loops from 3K to 25K, snowshoe loops, and singletrack for mountain and fat bikes.

State park

William Mitchell State Park

Cadillac's state park between Lake Mitchell and Lake Cadillac, with a campground, the Clam Lake Canal and the start of the White Pine Trail.

Upcoming events

Iceman Cometh Challenge

Saturday, November 7, 2026

Traverse City · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes

SportsOutdoors

Light Up Downtown

November 20 to 21, 2026

Traverse City · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes

HolidayParadeFamily

Bayshore Marathon

Saturday, May 29, 2027, 7:15 am

Traverse City · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes

SportsOutdoors

National Cherry Festival

July 3 to 10, 2027

Traverse City · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes

FestivalFood and drinkFamily

All events in this region

Sample itineraries

  • A Traverse City long weekend

    Three days based in Traverse City, with Front Street, Clinch Park and the TART, Old Mission Peninsula to Mission Point Lighthouse, and a Sleeping Bear day.