Heritage Village Celebrates Mackinaw’s History
Mackinaw City’s Heritage Village lets visitors explore life in the Straits of Mackinac as it was during the era of 1880-1917.
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There is nothing like a walk on the beach or a bike ride through the woods to quiet the mind and refresh the soul. One of the top reasons that visitors and summer residents return year after year to Northern Michigan is the abundance of outdoor activities. Sure, you can partake of outdoors in the big city. Tennis, golf, running, and in places like Chicago, even sailing and boating. But the big city just isn’t Northern Michigan.
Here there is no smog, no noise, no crowds. A bike ride north of Harbor Springs might find an encounter with a deer not a city bus. A run along the Petoskey waterfront can be met with a glistening sunrise over blue water not over high rises. No high rises are here. No crowds. No traffic. No worries.
Outdoor activities are a huge part of why many people visit Northern Michigan. Our visitors and summer residents often bring back with them memories of vacations past and create new memories filled with beach days, picnics, hikes, walks, run, boat rides, and golf after dinner. Aahh, the great outdoors.
In Northern Michigan, we are blessed with long summer days. Because we are on the western edge of the Eastern time zone, sunset in July nears 10 p.m. A round of golf after dinner? Yes! Or go for a kayak, water ski, fish, take a long bike ride or toss the disk in disk golf. All after dinner in the summer months.
Summer is not the only season to be outdoors. Winter here is spectacular. Three of the country’s best downhill ski resorts–Nub’s Nob, Boyne Highlands and Boyne Mountain are here. Cross country skiing and shoeshoeing, snowmobiling, ice fishing, back country skiing, ice skating and sledding fill each and every winter day.
Spring brings out the golf clubs, the bikes, and the fishing gear. Play a round of disk golf and then go morel mushroom hunting. Or bike along the North County Trail and then walk on the beach and watch the sunset.
The fabulous colors of fall make a round of golf or sail on Little Traverse Bay a must.
Zipping down a ski hill or across a canopy of trees is a great way to experience Northern Michigan and with three zip lines Up North, a variety of experiences are available.
At Boyne Highlands, the Zipline Adventure is a year ’round, all thrills, no skills activity for the entire family. The guided 2.5-3 hour Zipline Adventure Tour features a series of eight lines traveling more than 3,250 feet. Fly at speeds of 20-25 mph on lines up to 50 feet high and over 1,300 feet in length. Starting at the top of the mountain, riders descend more than 50 stories while routed through trees and across the slopes down to the base area. The Twin Zip adds even more excitement with two rides. 800-GO-BOYNE.
Boyne Mountain’s Zipline Adventure Tour is 2.5-3 hours of pure fun featuring a series of 10 lines (9 in the winter) traveling up to 4,300 feet. The Zip Lines run year ’round. Fly at speeds of 20-25 mph on lines up to 50 feet high and 780 feet in length. These lines are routed through trees and across the slopes at Boyne Mountain. The Twin Zip start near the base of the Meadows Lift, flies a distance of 780 feet over Cliff Dweller Road, fountains, a pond and trees before landing on the final platform 25 feet above the lawn of the Mountain Grand Lodge and Spa. These exciting side-by-side lines provide their own thrills and allow riders to race against friends to add to the experience! 800-GO-BOYNE.
Wildwood Rush across from Young State Park outside Boyne City offers a three-hour canopy tour travels across nine lines.
Experienced mountain biker? Never tried it before? Hit the trails at Boyne Highlands just outside Harbor Springs for biking experiences at every level.
Choose your level at Boyne Highlands… from leisurely tours to pretty extreme terrain and jumps!
This is Northern Michigan biking at its best.
The entire family can ride on wide and wooded trails rated as easy riding where you’ll enjoy some beautiful scenery and maybe even catch a glimpse of resident wildlife such as deer, rabbits, foxes and squirrels. Tour the resort property on the lightly trafficked roads through its various neighborhoods and along the courses.
If you want a more challenging ride, hop on the chairlift–yes, the same chairlift that carries skiers in the winter–to access the Boyne Highlands Bike Park and be ready for a fast moving experience. Modeled after the popular North Shore designs of the upper Northwest and Vancouver areas, this park features naturally cut trails with banked turns, heart-stopping jumps and narrow passages requiring expert maneuvering. Check out the park and trails map and if not sure you’re up for the adrenaline rush. Bike rentals are available.
Golfing in Northern Michigan’s Gold Coast is something special. Golfers come from around the country to play course after course where they can find something different on each course.
Northern Michigan is a golf haven. Or maybe better yet, golf heaven. With courses ranging from rolling terrain in the country side to bluff and lakeside views, there is a course for each day of the week. Or make that month! There are that many courses Up North.
Bay Harbor’s course is only a few years old but is nationally ranked each year because of its complexity and stunning terrain. Boyne has eight courses at both Boyne Highlands and Boyne Mountain plus Crooked Tree, Hidden River Golf & Casting Club, and Bay Harbor. Enjoy some very special courses like the historic Belvedere Golf Club in Charlevoix.
Golfing in Northern Michigan begins not long after the snow melts and continues late into the fall. With great lodging and dining nearby, golf vacations in Northern Michigan have it all. Early and late season golf and lodging discounts and twilight rates during the summer season are available.
Within just miles of the Northern Michigan communities of Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Charlevoix, Indian River, Boyne City, and Mackinaw City are enough courses to allow something new day after day. Golf? Yes! Bring the clubs and put them to work in Northern Michigan.
Here are a few places to explore the great outdoors in Northern Michigan:
Winter Fun: Sledding and Ice Skating
Downhill Skiing: Downhill Skiing in Northern Michigan
Cross Country Skiing and Snowshoeing: Cross Country Skiing and Snowshoeing in Northern Michigan
Snowmobiling: Snowmobiling
Finding Petoskey Stones: Searching for Petoskey Stones
Disc Golf: Disc Golf in Northern Michigan
Visit a Fish Hatchery: Oden Fish Hatchery
Biking on the Little Traverse Wheelway: Little Traverse Wheelway
Sailing: Sailing in Northern Michigan
Kayaking: Kayaking in Northern Michigan
Whitewater Kayaking: Bear River Valley Recreation Area Whitewater Park
Swimming: Swimming in Northern Michigan
Hiking: North Country Trail
The Inland Waterway: Cruising on the Inland Waterway
Fall Color Activities: Fall Foliage in Northern Michigan on M-119 is spectacular!
Mackinaw City’s Heritage Village lets visitors explore life in the Straits of Mackinac as it was during the era of 1880-1917.
Arch Rock is a geologic wonder on Mackinac Island and stands 146′ over the Lake Huron shoreline- nearly 15 stories tall.
When visiting Northern Michigan, be sure to ride one of the local Lake Michigan ferries. It’s an adventure that should be on every travelers’ Up North bucket list!
With woods, dunes, and frozen lakes, the trails near Charlevoix and Boyne City are the places to cross country ski from December-March.
A visit to Northern Michigan is not complete without a walk along the Lake Michigan in search of Petoskey stones.
The elegantly restored Cheboygan Opera House is an acoustically superb, Victorian theatre that presents entertainment of many genres.
With miles of scenic trails terrain and local snowmobile clubs, Northern Michigan is the place to bring the snow sleds in the winter.
Summer’s not summer without a day at the beach and Northern Michigan offers some of the best beaches anywhere.
The Harsha House and the Charlevoix Depot Museum, run by the Charlevoix Historical Society, preserve much of Charlevoix’s rich history.