The Headlands: An International Dark Sky Park
The Headlands, just west of Mackinaw City, is one of six International Dark Sky Parks in the U.S. and one of nine in the world.
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash.com
St. Ignatius Church is often first recognized by the steep, white steeple peering above the treeline as M-119 enters Good Hart, twenty miles north of Harbor Springs.
Travel along the Tunnel of Trees from Harbor Springs to Cross Village and you will pass through Good Hart, a Northern Michigan cross roads rich with history. In Good Hart, turn onto Lamkin Road and head down the hill into Middle Village, an old Native American village.
The first structure in Middle Village was a Jesuit Mission in 1823 but the mission began in this area, once called Apatawaaing, in 1741. It was rebuilt in 1823 by Native Americans and then built again in 1889 after a fire destroyed it. What was once named the St. Ignatius Church of Loyola is now known as St. Ignatius Church.
Thanks to a massive restoration project, the St. Ignatius Church is now open to the public for Sunday mass in July and August, weddings, and funeral visitations. The church is adjacent to the Middle Village Cemetery where row and row of white crosses mark the graves of Odawa Indians. Also nearby is a pathway to Middle Village Beach, a popular spot for swimming.
101 N. Lamkin Rd., Good Hart, MI, 49737
(231) 526-2017
The Headlands, just west of Mackinaw City, is one of six International Dark Sky Parks in the U.S. and one of nine in the world.
With miles of scenic trails terrain and local snowmobile clubs, Northern Michigan is the place to bring the snow sleds in the winter.
The Harbor Springs History Museum offers a unique look at the history of the community, starting with the first Catholic missionaries.
It’s just for kids–a fishing pond in Petoskey! Kids can throw a line in this one acre pond stocked with trout.
Get off the ferry from Mackinaw City or St. Ignace to Mackinac Island and the first thing you’ll see is the historic downtown area.
The Charlevoix Circle of Arts is a vibrant, cultural center in downtown Charlevoix that presents six major visual exhibits annually.
Bicyclists, walkers, and roller bladers can go from Harbor Springs to Charlevoix on the 26-mile long Little Traverse Wheelway.
In Northern Michigan, you’ll find lighthouses where lighthouse keepers once lived and worked that have been restored and are open to visitors.
Harbor Springs, Michigan has a vibrant, beautiful downtown business district complete with a beach, waterfront, shopping, dining, parks, and more!