Top 8 Best Vacation Spots in Michigan

Michigan is not the first place that comes to mind when you think about tourism, but it should because the state has a lot more to it than people realize. The state borders four of the five Great Lakes and is divided into two peninsulas. The state has over ten million residents and is often overlooked by tourists. People who do visit the state say that it’s underrated and shouldn’t be overlooked, and I can’t agree more. Cities such as Lansing, Detroit, and Grand Rapids are where most people are located but it’s the Michigan countryside that’s worth visiting. The Great Lakes are an outstanding place and that’s where most of the best vacation spots in Michigan are. Without further waiting, let’s get into the eight best vacation spots in Michigan.

1. Mackinac Island

Mackinac Island is famously known as the only car-free town in America. This means all motor vehicles except ambulances are banned on the island. This isn’t too big of a deal as the entire island is only three miles end to end, easily bike-able and walkable to places. Horses are also very common on the island and greatly contribute to the vibe of the town, as many as 600 horses are on the island at a time. The island is full of only 500-600 residents but attracts over one million tourists per year. If you’re wondering where these one million tourists stay, here are my top places to stay on Mackinac Island that you need to check out before planning your next trip.

The island is just under two miles from the mainland and the famous Mackinac Bridge. A bridge connecting the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan. Ferries are the main way to get to this island but flying is an option as the small island has an airport. The most popular thing to do in Mackinac Island is to visit Mackinac Island State Park, this park takes up the majority of the island and is stunning. The park is filled with natural sights, greenery, and picturesque Lake Huron views. The well-known Arch Rock is located inside this park, a natural arch that sits 140 feet over the coastline below.

Fort Mackinac sits right outside town and boasts an amazing history. The fort was built in 1780 during the Revolutionary War by the British to control trade at the Great Lakes. Today, the fort is a museum full of historical exhibits and experiences. This is a given but visiting the main town is a cool sight to see. You can experience a car-free town and talk to the people that call this place home. Almost all of the hotels and restaurants are located in the main town so you’ll get to know this place well. Kayaking and paddleboarding are also possible too as you can sail over Lake Huron. If you plan on visiting Michigan, Mackinac Island is a must.

2. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Yet another beautiful park banked on the Great Lakes. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is a 114-square-mile or 295-square-kilometer park with fantastic views of Lake Superior. The park was declared a national park in 1966 and now brings in over one million tourists a year. You can either get here by driving or by cruise. The nearby town of Munising has cruises that sail to the park and along the coastline to highlight some of the best features of the park from boat. The cruise takes around two to three hours and covers 40 miles of coastline. Keep in mind that these cruises only run in summer as Lake Superior freezes in the winter. The winter time isn’t such a great time to visit as most activities are closed and the weather is constantly below freezing. The outdoors aren’t too pleasant in the colder months either, as the park will require lots of outdoor time.

Hiking is a popular thing to do inside the park as there are several trails with the longest being the North Country Scenic Trail at over 42 miles. You can find a hike that’s right for you and start exploring. Munising Falls is a 50-foot or 15-meter tall waterfall that is located right at the edge of the park with crazy views. You can alternatively visit Miners or Chapel Falls which are closer to the center of the park. Miner’s Castle Road is a road that doesn’t disappoint as it connects to the coastline. Just a short walk away from the parking lot is a beautiful view of Miners Castle Rock and Lake Superior. Miners Castle Rock is a rock formation that sticks out into the lake and provides incredible views like the one above. The last place I recommend is Miners Beach as it’s an excellent relaxing spot with some fantastic water to swim in.

3. Sugarloaf Mountain

Located near the small northern Michigan town of Marquette, Sugarloaf Mountain is a wonderful mountain with an overlook that’s sure to impress. The mountain is in the upper peninsula of Michigan and is just a short one-hour drive from Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Both places have stunning hikes with views of Lake Superior. Enjoy a 2.5-mile out-and-back trail that is perfect for all skill levels. The summit stands 470 feet above Lake Superior offering fantastic views of Michigan’s coastline and the northern end of the United States.

The mountain is just a short ten-minute drive from the town of Marquette, a town worth checking out. If you plan on staying the night here, I would recommend Marquette as it’s close to food, shops, and hotels. If you’re lucky, you could run into the Marquette Waterfront Festival which is held every year and features live music, activities, and a lot of fun. Even if there is no festival, the waterfront is still the place to be. The Marquette Breakwater Lighthouse was built in 1941 and is located over 1,200 feet or 350 meters away from Michigan’s mainland. There is a trail that visitors can follow to the lighthouse to see 360-degree views of Lake Superior or look back at the city of Marquette from afar. There are also a couple of parks along Marquette’s waterfront including Picnic Rocks Park and Ellwood A Mattson Lower Harbor Park, both great places to be.

A bit north of Marquette is Presque Isle, a state park that’s over 3,200 acres or 13 square kilometers. The park is within walking distance and is another great way to see Lake Superior. 21 miles or 34 kilometers of recreational trails are located throughout the park, enough for multiple days of hiking. Several beaches are also located around the peninsula with scenic views of Lake Superior. Visit Black Rocks at the northern end of the peninsula for some cool cliff jumping or some great sunset views. Visiting Sugarloaf Mountain is like a three-in-one deal as you get Marquette and Presque Isle nearby.

4. Traverse City

We’re finally descending to Michigan’s lower peninsula with Traverse City, a small town of 15,000 people at the southern end of West Arm Grand Traverse Bay. This Bay feeds into Lake Michigan meaning that we’ve covered three of the four lakes that border Michigan. The town seems boring at face value but this isn’t the case as it’s close to tons of natural attractions. Traverse City is known as the cherry capital of the world because of the amount of cherries that the surrounding area grows. The world’s largest cherry pie pan is here in case you want to see that. There are tons of freshwater beaches throughout the town which are the town’s main attraction. You can rent kayaks and paddleboards to sail over the bay with Michigan views. The beaches are also a great place to sit and relax but are again not recommended in winter as it’s too cold to enjoy.

Clinch Park is a big attraction in the town and it’s the spot to visit if you want some fun. There are water fountains, trails, greenery, and a popular beach. A marina is directly adjacent to the park and is great if you have a boat here. Otherwise, you’ll just have to stand and watch as other people sail toward Lake Michigan. Sara Hardy Farmers Market is right across from the park and is open Saturdays and Wednesdays in summer.

Just a short 30-minute drive from Traverse City is Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, a national park with direct Lake Michigan views. The park is an astonishing 111 square miles or 287 square kilometers in size with its signature sand dunes throughout. The park was established in 1970 and takes up 35 miles of coastline along Lake Michigan. The park receives over 1.5 million visitors each year making it one of Michigan’s most visited spots. This is for good reason as there are over 22 miles of trails and 4 square miles of sand dunes. The tallest one of these sand dunes stands 460 feet above Lake Michigan, it’s called Sleeping Bear Dunes Overlook and is the spot to get great lake views. Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive provides great scenery without even leaving your car. Visiting Traverse City means making the most of Lake Michigan, with Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore being a bonus.

5. Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, Detroit

shwalamazula, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

We have finally hit Detroit with the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation. As most people know, the auto industry boom started in Detroit, Michigan, and is still responsible for much of the state’s income. It’s been over 100 years since the famous Ford Model T was introduced in Detroit and was a game changer for the country. Ford would go on to make over 15 million Model T’s and transform American life. The headquarters of Ford, General Motors, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles are still within the city with many manufacturing plants still open. Detroit’s population peaked in the 1950s at over 1.8 million but now stands at just 600,000 today. The city employed over 300,000 automotive jobs in the 1950s, but that number now stands at just 70,000. The city has been going through some hard times due to the population decline which left much of the city empty, and you’ll notice this as you further explore the area.

The museum is around 15 minutes west of downtown and is a true gem in the city. Over 250 acres or 1 million square meters of space is dedicated to exploring and learning the history of the auto industry. Many different exhibits are shown inside the museum with many of them unrelated to cars. An exhibit on aviation is here to show the origins of airplanes, a manufacturing exhibit is also here as 15 million cars took some serious work to build. Lastly, learn the origins of railroads in their exhibit, where you can see some of the original steam engine technology. The exhibition around cars includes car racing, presidential vehicles, and cars’ influence on society. I also wanted to mention that Detroit backs onto the Detroit River which feeds into Lake Erie. This means that every Great Lake bordering Michigan has been covered in this list. To sum this all up, you can experience all of this history and more at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation.

6. Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park

We have yet another park on Michigan’s upper peninsula bordering Lake Superior. This region of Michigan is just too good to miss as the greenery, lake views, and hiking is just unmatched. The particular state park is 92 square miles or 239 square kilometers and features 90 miles of hiking trails, the most out of any park on this list. The longest trail inside the park is the Lake Superior Trail which runs over 16 miles out and back. The park is also cool in winter as there is a ski area within the park. You can travel by foot in the summer and by skis in the winter. The park is far from flat as there are cliffs, waterfalls, and mountains. Lake of the Clouds is a gorgeous spot to enjoy as you get views of the lake with the trees. You can see that pretty well in the image above. This overlook is the best place to get these views especially since it’s accessible by car. The next and final recommended spot is Manabezho Falls, where you can watch the water from the Presque Isle River drop 25 feet into Lake Superior. Although summer provides the best weather, visiting in fall might be beneficial as the leave change color for the season making the park that much more beautiful.

7. Michigan’s Adventure

Jeremy Thompson, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Around three hours west of Detroit will land you at Michigan Adventure, the state’s largest amusement park. The park is located just north of Muskegon, a small town bordering Lake Michigan. The amusement park has 53 rides, several of which are roller coasters. The park’s tallest roller coaster is Shivering Timbers at over 120 feet. It’s a wooden roller coaster with eight drops and a ton of fun. Thunderhawk is the park’s second-tallest roller coaster and is a steel coaster with a loop. Michigan Adventure isn’t just full of roller coasters, as there is a waterpark in this vicinity called WildWater Adventure. There are over 15 waterslides ranging from small to big. Funnel of Fear is the park’s largest waterslide at over 60 feet or 18 meters tall. The ride starts steep as you drop into a funnel. From here, you swing back and forth until the ride is over. There is a large wave pool that you can enjoy and a lazy river to make a perfect relaxing day. A day at Michigan Adventure means fun for all ages.

8. Grand Rapids

Our last stop on this list is the only one that’s not close to a Great Lake. Grand Rapids is Michigan’s second-largest city by population with over 200,000 people and receives close to 500,000 visitors each year. The city is also home to the tallest building in Michigan outside Detroit at over 400 feet tall. Grand Rapids downtown backs onto the Grand River as shown above and is full of shops, hotels, and restaurants. There are tons of hotels from popular brands such as Hilton, Marriott, and Hyatt that have locations here and give downtown views. Let’s stay at the city center with the Riverwalk Promenade, it’s a downtown trail that follows the Grand River giving great vibes and views. You can cross the river via the Gillett Bridge and soak up downtown from afar. Ah-Nab-Awen Park is located on the other side of the Grand River and features trails, greenery, and Grand Rapids Public Museum. Several exhibits showcasing our history and our present are all inside this museum. A planetarium is also here which I find out of this world as you can explore space. Van Andel Arena is a great place to watch hockey if you’re lucky enough to visit at the right time. The arena can fit up to 12,000 people at once for an exciting ice hockey game, definitely worth checking out. We’ve got to travel a bit out of town for Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, a 158 acres park with over 200 sculptures. Almost 700,000 people visit this park every year putting it in the top 50 most visited art museums worldwide. You can explore the botanical gardens, walk through the stunning welcome center, listen to music at the park’s amphitheater, or observe more than 200 art pieces. This is a highlight in the city of Grand Rapids and will probably take a good portion of your day.

Conclusion

That was Going Locations full list of the best vacation spots in Michigan. This list showed that Michigan’s countryside and proximity to the Great Lakes are the real highlights of the state. I would recommend Michigan as a place to travel to because of the state’s diverse landscapes and vast activities. Avoid winter as the state gets too cold to enjoy. I hope you learned something from this list and maybe consider giving this state a visit. Until then, happy traveling.