
Great Outdoors
Why do people enjoy being up north so much? Find out what makes being up north feel special with our list of Northern Michigan specialties.
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.

Why do people enjoy being up north so much? Find out what makes being up north feel special with our list of Northern Michigan specialties.

Take a beautiful color tour as you travel under a tunnel of colorful trees along M-119 from Harbor Springs to Cross Village.

With Lake Michigan on one side and Lake Huron on the other side, Mackinaw City is a true Great Lake’s spot with lots of things to do!

Just a short drive from Harbor Springs or Petoskey are more than a dozen Northern Michigan cross country ski trails in Emmet County.

West Michigan is home to numerous artists with so many different talents. Groovy music, vivid paintings, gorgeous photography, and more!

The history Northern Michigan’s Inland Water Route is preserved at the Inland Water Route Historical Museum in Alanson.