Things to Do in Northern Michigan This Summer
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We just wrapped up an awesome summer spent in Northern Michigan, and I’m here to report back on our favorite things to do there! While we are out traveling, and living the RV/travel therapy life, Northern Michigan will serve as our home base. That way we have a place to come back to every now and then. It’s also Joel’s home base in terms of work whereas mine depends on where my travel therapy contracts take me.
So, considering the fact that we will head back there fairly often, you can bet we took to exploring. Plus that is where Joel’s parents live and where he got to spend a couple summers during college after they moved up there. So it has a special place in both our hearts.
We totally aren’t biased though. Because Northern Michigan is a super gorgeous place and we would think so even if we didn’t have Michigan ties!
Northern Michigan is a popular summer destination. Especially for people from downstate looking to go “up north” for the weekend. Even though there are things to do all year round, here are some of the top summer activities.
Cherry Festival
Every summer, right around the Fourth of July, the National Cherry Festival takes place in Traverse City, Michigan.
Does that seem random? It did to me at first. But, as it turns out, Traverse City is the cherry capital of the world! And the areas surrounding Traverse City produce the vast majority of tart cherries grown in the United States.
Cherry Festival has all kind of crazy cherry themed events like cherry pit spitting contests, cherry eating contests, and more. Bonus points to Cherry Festival too, because 85% of the events are free (according to the Cherry Festival website! I don’t make up statistics.)
While you are there you can also fill up on basically every single cherry-flavored dessert or food you can possibly think of! Yummmyyyyy!
U-Pick Cherries (And Other Fruits)
While you’re in the area, but outside of the Cherry Festival itself is one of my favorite things to do! Visit the U-pick farms in the region. These are farms/orchards where you can pick your own cherries (among other fruits depending on the farm/time of year).
A pound of sweet cherries from a U-pick farm costs around 1.50-2 dollars a pound which is significantly cheaper than you can buy from the store. They are also more delicious and picking them yourself is more fun!!
Just be sure to bring cash as most places don’t accept credit cards. A few may take checks, but I’d air on the side of caution and bring cash.
Otherwise, you may find yourself in a sad state as you frantically dig through the bottom of your purse, the glove box, anywhere you can think of in the vehicle that might have a bit of spare change. Not that I’m speaking from experience or anything… Ok, I am.
Don’t worry. I was able to scrounge up 4 quarters and get myself a pretty good amount of cherries considering the low prices! But man if I had had more money, I think I could have picked until my buckets were full and eaten every last one. They are just SO good!
Santucci Farm is where we have gone for U-pick cherries the past 2 summers. Compared to the other places we checked out, they had the best deal at 1.50 a pound! Plus they didn’t even give me a hard time about my scrounged up spare change.
There are multiple farms along Old Mission though, and lots of cherries to be picked! It is definitely a Northern Michigan activity you won’t want to miss this summer!
Petosky
Another stop to add to your things to do in Northern Michigan is to visit the adorable town of Petosky! Whether you’re an adventurer, a shopper, or a beach bum, there is something to do for everyone in Petosky.
There are lots of cute shops to stroll through in downtown Petosky. So if you enjoy looking through little galleries and boutiques, you’ll quite enjoy this cute little town! But I have to admit, as much as I enjoy doing a bit of that, we spent more of our time on the water.
Petosky has a pretty cool whitewater park perfect for cruising through in a kayak. We actually did that activity a few summers ago. Then this summer, Joel busted out his new stand up paddleboard and cruised over a couple of rapids. The water can get a bit low at times, so be sure to check it out before hitting the rapids to make sure you won’t scrape the bottom.
Another awesome thing to do in Petosky is head to the Petosky State Park and enjoy a day at Lake Michigan. Anytime you head there in the summer it can be a bit crowded. But it’s nothing too overwhelming (coming from someone who totally hates crowded outdoor places!)
Petosky can be a great place to catch some waves on the lake. So bring a boogie board and lots of sunscreen and enjoy feeling like you are on the ocean right in Michigan!
Visit Lake Michigan
Ok so I know I just talked about visiting Lake Michigan from Petosky, but Lake Michigan is ENORMOUS!! That means there are tons of different spots where you can stop to hang out at the beach. All of these places will offer you a slightly different beach and different views.
Some have especially large sand dunes, some boast turquoise water, and some are a great place to rent equipment for water sports.
For example, when we were in Traverse City area picking cherries, we also brought along a kayak and the stand-up paddleboard. Right in town there are plenty of put-ins where you can head out and go for a paddle.
If you don’t have your own gear, Traverse City (and likely a lot of other Lake Michigan towns I just haven’t been to quite yet) have places you can rent. You’ll need to make sure you also grab a life jacket as most places require you to at least have on in the boat. Although, I recommend wearing it! The waves can get a bit choppy at times. And I figure, better safe than sorry.
If water sports aren’t your thing, you can still relax on the beach and listen to the waves lapping on the shore. Or go for a hike up the giant dunes for an even better view of the giant that is Lake Michigan.
Technically speaking, these next places aren’t actually in Northern Michigan, but if you’re headed down the coast, you’ll want to stop in Holland and Sagutuck. Both are super adorable beach towns, and so I just had to throw them in here!
Go Jeeping (orrrr in our case, VW Busing)
People in Michigan really like to “go Jeeping” aka drive jeeps around on the trails that run all over Northern Michigan’s forests. So if you want to be a local, you sure better go jeeping.
Better yet, take a jeep out when it’s really muddy and you’ll be super cool! In all reality though, jeep trail riding will allow you to see some pretty areas that are off the beaten path. And there are often times restaurants right along the trails where you can stop for a quick bite.
On this visit to Northern Michigan, we enjoyed a quick cruise in Jimi on some of the trails and had a blast. It is always fun when you can partake in the old “the journey is the destination” and northern Michigan is one of those places that makes that easy!
Au Sable Canoe Marathon
The Au Sable Canoe Marathon is one of those unique local events that you just don’t want to miss. It started out small, but it seems like it grows every year.
The marathon starts out in the evening with live music and food leading up to it. We got to hear quite a few local musicians performing in downtown Grayling the night before and the festivities continued up through the time of the race.
Before the race, if you get there early, you can walk around the starting line which is actually a quarter-mile from the river. All of the racer’s will have their canoe’s ready and waiting so you can see their setups. It is pretty crazy how lightweight all their gear is.
Then at starting time, the teams of 2 pick their canoes up and make a mad dash for the river. When they get there they all jump in surrounding by a cheering crowd, and off they go. To paddle ONE HUNDRED TWENTY MILES to the finish line.
Yes, they paddle 120 miles all through the night and finish the next day usually between 10 and 2 depending on their speeds. Along the way, there are multiple bridge overlooks where people follow the racers, sometimes all night long, to catch a view of them paddling down the river.
And let me tell you, these people are hauling! It is hard to believe how fast some of them can go. While I’m not quite crazy enough to follow them all night long, we did go to one of the first bridge overlooks to see the racers come by.
It was a super cool experience as everyone was cheering and encouraging the racers as their headlights come bobbing down the river and they come into view. The Au Sable Canoe marathon is not like any other event I’ve ever been to, but it is one I would definitely recommend checking out!
And while you’re there, be sure to get dinner at Ray’s. The food is AMAZING!! It’s a good thing we aren’t always in the area or I’d be broke and fat from eating out every night!
Mackinac Island
We didn’t actually make it out to Mackinac Island this summer, but we have been there together once before and also enjoyed fireworks in the area last summer. Our visit to Mackinac Island is a trip I will always remember, so it definitely make it into the top things to do in Northern Michigan!
One really cool thing about Mackinac Island is that there are no cars on the island. You also have to take a ferry to get there as there are no bridges connecting it to the rest of Michigan. Along the ferry ride, you’ll be able to take in an awesome view of the Mackinac Bridge which connects the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan.
Once you are on the island you can stop in little shops, go for a hike around the island, or mountain bike. You may want to rent a bike regardless as that is the only way to get around the island. You can bring your own if you have one with. It’ll just cost a little more to bring it over on the ferry.
And you 100% don’t want to miss out on getting some of the fudge that Mackinac Island is famous for. It is to die for!
The island is also a prime place to watch 4th of July fireworks. From the island or the shores of the mainland nearby (which is what we did), you will be able to see not one, not two, but THREE fireworks displays at once! From the Upper Penninsula, the Lower Penninsula, and from Mackinac Island itself. And with the bridge being lit up in the background, it really is quite a sight!
Also pro-tip if you aren’t from Michigan. It’s pronounced Mack-ih-naw. If you make the “c” sound at the end, people will make fun of you for it. You’ve been warned.
The Best Things to Do in Northern Michigan
As you can see, Northern Michigan is a prime place to visit, especially in the summer. You get the best of everything and there is so much to do! When you look out at the lake, you’ll find it hard to believe it is not, in fact, and ocean as the shores stretch out so far you can’t see the other side.
So when you’re looking for an awesome and less well known (outside of Michigan) destination for your summer road trip, you know where to look.
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