Beaver Island Up North
Beaver Island is located 32 miles offshore of Charlevoix, Michigan and is the largest island in Lake Michigan.
Photo by Karl Damus on Unsplash.com
There are many signs that spring is unfolding into summer and one sign is when the trillium bloom. These protected wild orchids are a wild flower. There are up to 50 species of trillium and in Michigan, the most common species is the trillium grandiflorium or large flowered trillium.
In Northern Michigan, late April through mid-May is trillium season. The woods explode with a carpet of trillium and create an incredible landscape that exists only for these few weeks. When the first trillium bloom, there is an excitement in Northern Michigan as within a few days, the woods will contain thousands and thousands of these spectacular flowers.
Take a drive along M-119, the Tunnel of Trees, from Harbor Springs to Cross Village where the geography couldn’t be more perfect for trillium viewing. Or drive The Breezeway from Boyne Falls to Atwood and see an explosion of trillium in the woods.
Picking trillium is discouraged because the three leaves below the flower are the plant’s sole food source. Five varieties of trillium are endangered but not the most common white trillium. Love trillium? You can take home trillium art. Boyer Glassworks creates one-of-a-kind trillium paperweights.
Beaver Island is located 32 miles offshore of Charlevoix, Michigan and is the largest island in Lake Michigan.
Wilderness State Park’s 2,582 acres of natural area and 4,492 acres of wilderness area make this a great place to explore all year ’round.
With woods, dunes, and frozen lakes, the trails near Charlevoix and Boyne City are the places to cross country ski from December-March.
Harris Gardens at North Central Michigan College is a spectacular sculpture garden filled with 26 pieces of vibrant art.
Crooked Tree Arts Center is a place where artists from northern Michigan can display their talents and artwork to the public.
Travel along the Tunnel of Trees in Northern Michigan and you will pass through Good Hart and see historic Saint Ignatius Catholic Church.