Northern Michigan

Northern Michigan doesn’t have precise borders. But as travelers get closer to the fingertips of “The Mitten,” at a certain point they’ve entered a distinct realm. Glimmerglass lakes, pink-streaked skies and shaded woods alternate with time-honored towns and majestic, otherworldly sand dunes. Beloved by both generations of vacationers and proud, steadfast locals, this road-trip wonderland combines a homey sense of tradition and plenty of fresh, enterprising energy to discover.

THE TERRITORY 

Jutting into the Great Lakes and honeycombed with thousands of smaller bodies of water, the peninsulas that make up Northern Michigan bask in cooling lake breezes over the summer months and erupt in color in the fall. Rolling hills shelter fertile orchards and farmlands, stocking the markets and kitchens of a burgeoning local food culture. Suffice it to say that folks here know how to savor the outdoors and the bounty of the landscape.

THE CULTURE 

Long a destination for those seeking outdoor recreation and tight-knit local culture, Northern Michigan is anchored by self-assured towns and enlivened by bustling farmers markets and scrappy entrepreneurship. Traverse City, the lakeside hub, feels like a big small town, compact and easily navigated but packed with shops and restaurants. Empire, contrary to its name, is a cozy, humble place at the gates of Sleeping Bear Dunes, a place to outfit for the outdoors and explore local history. Glen Arbor, nestled between the meandering Crystal River and Sleeping Bear Bay, is a domain of family-run resorts and old-time local taverns and eateries.

KEY INTEL 

At Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, lush forests open to sandy dunes and high dunes. Pyramid Point is just one spot for sweeping views. Elsewhere, Petoskey State Park is a go-to spot to hunt Petoskey stones: fossilized rugose coral that are a prized symbol of the region. For cyclists, the Little Traverse Wheelway—more than 25 paved miles, from Charlevoix to Harbor Springs—is just one of an extensive network of routes and trails.

Wayfinding: The M-22 is the iconic scene road, horseshoeing from Traverse City to just a bit shy of Manistee on the Lake Michigan shore—the state’s “west coast,” if you will. It rolls through Sleeping Bear and takes in many other regional gems. Meanwhile, M-119, a narrow curve along a bluff overlooking the big lake, is known as the “Tunnel of Trees.”

Base camp town: Traverse City makes an obvious headquarters for wider exploration, but other towns offer their own singular points. Frankfort, for example, is a center of Northern Michigan’s surprising fresh water surfing culture; Leland is distinguished by Fishtown, a collection of weathered fishing shanties and smokehouses on a wooden boardwalk supported by stilts. The village is the take-off point for the Manitou Islands, beckoning to wilderness campers just offshore.

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1 ^{2026 Mazda CX-50 Hybrid Premium Plus with options shown.}