Who would imagine a vacation to the northern part of Michigan would be such an amazing destination? I had only heard about Mackinac Island but I discovered a lot more in October this year. Read on to hear about the best spots to visit and see my fabulous Fall photos. You’ll want to save this article for the best Northern Michigan Must-See Itinerary!

If you’re not familiar with the U.S. state of Michigan, here are few fascinating facts:

• It has the longest freshwater coastline in the United States, with over 3,000 miles of shoreline.
• Wherever you are in Michigan, you are within 85 miles of one of the Great Lakes.
• It is the only U.S. state composed of two peninsulas: the Upper Peninsula and the Lower Peninsula.
• There are over 300 waterfalls in Michigan, all located in the Upper Peninsula.

My best friend (who lives in Texas) and I spent six months planning a detailed itinerary in Northern Michigan. We stayed in three locations over one week in mid-October. I will describe each of the three areas which make for a great Must-See itinerary.

Northern Michigan Small Towns

Our first destination was to spend a few days at the very northern part of the lower peninsula (or the top of the mitten for a visual reference). We especially wanted to drive the Tunnel of Trees route and see the small coastal towns. To get to this remote part of Michigan, we had an option to fly into the Pellston Airport (1 hr flight from Detroit) or drive 4 hrs from Detroit. We chose to fly and save some time.

Pellston Airport

I met my friend at the Detroit airport before we boarded our flight to the tiny airport of Pellston. It was a short, easy flight before we arrived to the most unique airport I’ve ever seen.

First of all, the airport looked more like a hunting lodge than an airport. There were stuffed wild animals everywhere. We quickly found our suitcases on the one baggage claim carousel.

We picked up our rental car keys by means of a self-service system. We were enamored with the small-town feel of this place!

The below map shows the area we saw the first part of the week, including Pellston airport and Mackinac Island.

Cross Village

As we arrived around mid-day, we decided to cover some of the sights on the way to our hotel in Bellaire. The first stop was Cross Village at the northern end of the Tunnel of Trees.

It was chilly and rainy but we walked around this tiny village and went in some of the shops. The town is situated on Lake Michigan, and you can walk along the water edge to see the lake view.

The highlight of Cross Village is a popular Polish restaurant called Legs Inn. We walked through the busy restaurant and visited their gift shop. There were so many people waiting on lunchtime tables.

The historic Legs Inn is literally like something you might see in a fairy tale, except that they serve great Polish food and draft beer.

Good Hart

Our next stop was the village of Good Hart, known for its General Store and Post Office. The tiny red store was built by resident Cliff Powers in 1934 and operated as a general grocery, butcher, and gas station. In 1971 the store was sold to the current owner Carolyn (Woods) Sutherland, who currently operates the grocery, bakery, deli, and post office with husband Jim Sutherland.

We shopped in the General Store and also bought a cup of white chicken chili from their kitchen. As they were having a Farmer’s market and Fall celebration with live music, we sat outside next to a nice fire to enjoy the quaint ambiance. It was a lovely setting and made for a great lunch stop.

Tunnel of Trees

The M119 route is 20 miles long and winds along Lake Michigan between the towns of Cross Village and Harbor Springs. The fall colors made the drive extra special. The “tunnel of trees” name is due to the tree canopy that creates a “tunnel” effect.

Fortunately there wasn’t much traffic on this day so that we could enjoy the beautiful views of the lakeshore passing some neat log homes.

Pond Hill Farm

Just before reaching Harbor Springs, we stopped by the Pond Hill Farm during our Tunnel of Trees drive. Autumn was the perfect time to visit this farm, known for its largest pumpkin patch.

They were having a Fall festival celebrating their 30 year anniversary.

We walked through the colorful pumpkin patch and enjoyed the live music, squash shooting, pumpkin smashing, pet farm, and wine tasting! We even bought two bottles of their local wine. What a great place to discover!

Harbor Springs

I found Harbor Springs to be the cutest town of all we visited. It lies in the sheltered bay of Little Traverse Bay on Lake Michigan.

We strolled along the tree-lined streets and interesting shops. Harbor Springs must be a hopping place in the summer months with its water sport activities, but they were having a ‘Skeletour event’ during October. Almost every storefront had adorable Halloween and skeleton decorations.

Bellaire

We ended our first day in the town of Bellaire where we would spend two nights at the Spillway Lodges. I found this place on Booking.com and we were very happy with our cozy accommodations.

Our self-checkin studio apartment was decorated so nicely and just what we needed to have a good rest after our busy day.

The apartment complex was very close to the center of town for us to walk 5 minutes to the restaurants in the evenings. The first night we had a delicious dinner at Toonies and discovered the local specialty of whitefish. We ate at Chloe’s the second night and would recommend it as well.

Charlevoix

The following day was a rainy Sunday, but we ventured off anyway to see the towns of Charlevoix and Petoskey.

In Charlevoix, we drove around the streets where you can find the mushroom houses. These are a collection of more than two dozen homes (we only saw 5 or 6 that were impressive). Earl Young was a native of Charlevoix who designed and built by the houses. An avid nature lover, he constructed each house from the stones and boulders that line the miles of shoreline in Northern Michigan.

We saw that you could book a tour to see the outside of the houses, but driving ourselves and taking pictures was just fine. All of the houses are privately owned so you’re not able to see the interior.

In Charlevoix, we wanted to check out the famous store called Cherry Republic. They have every kind of food product you can imagine made with Michigan cherries.

Michigan has a long history with cherries as the state produces 70% of the nation’s tart cherries. Northern Michigan’s prime soils, moderate temperatures and rolling hills offer the right conditions for cherry orchards.

On our list of things to see near Charlevoix was the World’s Largest Cherry Pie. In 1976 a man named Dave Phillips convinced local businesses in Charlevoix to bake the pie as part of the town’s annual cherry festival. A giant pan was built, along with an equally titanic oven. Local farmers supplied the ingredients and the result was a cherry pie weighing 17,420 pounds, making it a world record.

We were laughing as we drove up to the spot of the World’s Largest Cherry Pie. It seemed a bit silly but I took a picture anyway.

Petoskey

We arrived to the town of Petoskey in time for a pleasant lunch at the Beacon Bistro overlooking Lake Michigan. We ordered the tasty whitefish smokey dip which we fell in love with.

We followed lunch with a nice walk around the town to see the shops.

Mackinac Island

After our two days in this area, we left Bellaire and drove 1.5 hrs north to Mackinaw City where we took a 15 min ferry to Mackinac Island. It was easy to find the parking where we dropped off our luggage and then got in line to board the ferry. They were running once per hour when we were there.

It was a fast and comfortable ferry ride to the island with nice views all around. You could sit up top but it was cold and windy for that.

We spent 3 nights at the Lake View hotel. It was not the nicest, most expensive hotel on the island but it was very comfortable. We took advantage of the indoor pool and jacuzzi.

This quaint car-less island was the main reason we came to Michigan for our girls’ trip. I’ve heard about it for years and wanted to visit. We got lucky with sunny weather for our arrival.

Arch Rock

On our first day on the island, we decided to do a scenic walk by the water up to Arch Rock and back by Fort Mackinac. The weather was going to be the best that day of our three days, so we took full advantage.

At first, we planned to rent bikes and do the full route around the island. It may have been fun but the weather was a bit chilly, so we focused on seeing the Arch Rock by foot.

We walked about 30 minutes from downtown along the Lake Huron shoreline before seeing the wooden staircase (207 steps) leading to the park and the rock.

Arch Rock is a natural limestone arch 146 feet above the water formed 4000 years ago. We checked out the visitor center providing history of the arch before walking toward the center of the island on the way back to town.

If you don’t want to bike or walk to the Arch Rock, most of the island’s horse-drawn carriage tours go there and stop. We didn’t do a carriage tour as the weather was chilly and rainy. However, we did get to take a carriage ride one night after dinner.

Restaurants, Bars, and Food Spots on Mackinac Island

I would like to share my recommendations on food spots on the island. We researched the best places to go and were never disappointed. As we were there late in the season, a couple of places had already closed.

Doud’s Irish Pub

This was the first place we went for lunch when we arrived to the island. The pub is right on the main street. They make a mean Bloody Mary!

Inn at Stonecliffe and Wood’s Restaurant

We made reservations at the Wood’s Restaurant and decided to walk there from town as the weather was nice. We had beautiful views after passing the Grand Hotel on the West Bluff where we could see the Mackinaw Bridge. We continued along the tree-lined dirt road until reaching the Inn at Stonecliffe after 45 minutes.

As we were too early for the restaurant reservations, we went inside the Inn and had a drink next to the fire outside. It was an amazing place!

The restaurant was exceptional with its earthy decor and dim lighting. We had a delicious meal with great service. The best part was the 20-minute horse-drawn carriage ride back to our hotel in town.

Watercolor Cafe

This cute cafe was on our list to visit so we went there on a rainy morning and had breakfast. The place is adorable and even offers painting classes.

Pink Pony

The Pink Pony restaurant in the Chippewa Hotel is very popular. We went one night for dinner and to listen to the live music. There is a great ambiance and the food and service are very good.

I went to both of the Pink Pony clothes stores in town and bought some souvenirs.

Great Turtle Brewery

This restaurant was located just next to our hotel on the main street so we stopped by there one afternoon for drinks. They make their own beer, which I had to try. I chose the Two Bluffs draft beer.

Joann’s Fudge

When it comes to fudge, Mackinac Island is renown for its fudge! There are several different fudge shops where we stopped to do some tasting. The best one we found was Joann’s where they make the fudge in front of you. It just melted in your mouth.

A funny side-story about the fudge is that when we left the Pellston airport, they asked me if I had any fudge. I did still have some so they made me put it separately through the security scanners. That just shows you how popular fudge is in northern Michigan!

Horn’s Gaslight Bar

Another cool bar to see in town is Horn’s Gaslight Bar. We stopped off there one night to have a drink and listen to the live music.

The Jockey Club

The day we went inside the Grand Hotel, we first stopped off at the Jockey Club restaurant just across the road. This cozy place was awesome. They have cute table lamps made from jockey caps.

In contrast to the outdoor peppermint candy look, the inside resembles an English hunting lodge with its stone fireplace, wood-paneled walls, and plaid carpet.

We ordered starters and lobster rolls for lunch. The staff were very friendly.

The Secret Garden

I had read about the Secret Garden near the Grand Hotel. Rightly so, it was very hard to find being a Secret Garden. We had to ask someone where exactly it was.

It was quite empty with no special plants or flowers, but I’m sure it is gorgeous in the Spring and Summer months. For those who want to find it, I’ll give a small hint… it’s on the left just before reaching the Grand Hotel.

Grand Hotel

No trip to Mackinac Island is complete without a visit or stay at the Grand Hotel. This majestic building is just outside of town but a must-see. We were prepared to pay the $12 entrance fee just to be able to walk inside.

The hotel was having a convention the day we were there, so it was very crowded. When all the people went for their lectures, it got quiet and we were able to get photos without people.

If you like red and green colors, you’ll love the interior decor. The colorful walls and carpet in the halls are so bright and cheerful. My friend and I walked through the hotel areas and then had a drink in the Geranium Bar, right next to the porch.

If you’re not aware, Mackinac Island was where they filmed ‘Somewhere in Time’ (1980) with Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. Many of the movie scenes were filmed in the Grand Hotel. I remember watching that film when I was younger.

Mackinaw Bridge

After our three days on the island, we took the 15-minute ferry back to Mackinaw City where we had nice views of the Big Mac bridge (5 miles long). We then crossed the bridge to reach our next destination in the Upper Peninsula for 3 more days of fun.

Construction of the bridge officially began in 1954 and it was opened to traffic on November 1, 1957. Upon completion, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world and is now the longest in the Western Hemisphere.

Key features of the bridge include towers that stand 552 feet above the water, a roadway that is 199 feet above the water at mid-span, and main cables containing enough wire to stretch over 42,000 miles. 

It was pretty cool to cross this bridge. There is a toll booth on the northern side of the bridge to collect $4 per vehicle.

Upper Peninsula

The Upper Peninsula is a forested region in Michigan bordering three of the Great Lakes and extending outward from Wisconsin. It’s connected to Michigan’s Lower Peninsula by the 5-miles-long Mackinac Bridge.

Here are a few facts about the Upper Peninsula:

• Over 80% of the Upper Peninsula is covered by forest, with approximately 8.8 million acres of trees.
• There are 1,700 miles of continuous shoreline on Lakes Superior, Michigan, and Huron.
• The region has around 4,300 inland lakes and 12,000 miles of streams.

We chose to stay in a tiny town called Trout Lake because it was practically the only place with a nice hotel. The ride from the ferry parking to our hotel was only 45 minutes. We were able to check in and take off to see some sights in the area.

Tahquamenon Falls

The first place we visited was Tahquamenon Falls, about an hour drive north of our hotel. We felt like we in the very secluded countryside while driving in the Upper Peninsula. There were very few cars on the roads.

Tahquamenon Falls State Park encompasses nearly 50,000 acres and stretches 13-plus miles. The park has more than 35 miles of trails and multiple overlooks to the Upper and Lower Falls. I found that the Upper falls were more impressive than the Lower falls, but the surrounding autumn colors made it all very special.

The Tahquamenon Falls are the largest east of the Mississippi, second in size to the Niagara Falls. I read that the Tahquamenon Falls have a brownish color due to the tannic acid that comes from the surrounding forest floor into the river’s water. This natural coloring gives the water an amber or golden-brown tint, often described as “root beer” colored.

It was raining a bit, so we didn’t do any of the hikes around the falls. We went to the restaurant and brewery next to the falls for a late lunch (recommend!). After leaving, we saw a gorgeous rainbow while driving.

Whitefish Point

Our next stop on this day was to the Whitefish Point area located at the extreme southeastern end of Lake Superior. It is a critical turning point for all vessel traffic entering and leaving the largest of all the Great Lakes.

The Whitefish Point Light Station was established in 1849 and today is the oldest operating lighthouse on Lake Superior. Although it was very windy there, we got out and walked around quickly to see the lighthouse and the beach area.

Whitefish Point marks the eastern end of an 80-mile stretch of shoreline from Munising, Michigan, known as Lake Superior’s Shipwreck Coast. Of the 550 known major shipwrecks lying on the bottom of the lake, at least 200 of them are in the vicinity of Whitefish Point. 

Point Iroquois Lighthouse

After leaving Whitefish Point, we took a scenic road along Lake Superior called the “Whitefish Bay Scenic Byway”. At the end of the route was the Iroquois Lighthouse.

Point Iroquois was named for the Iroquois warriors massacred there by the Ojibway in 1662. The 65 foot high lighthouse and residence were built in 1855. It was a fun day seeing the waterfalls and lighthouses. We drove back to our hotel and had a simple dinner in the very small town.

Pictured Rocks National Park

The next day’s agenda was to visit Pictured Rocks National Park on the shores of Lake Superior. We drove 1.5 hours to the town of Munising and then along the national park road toward the town of Grand Marais. We stopped initially at the Munising Falls, but the area was closed and blocked off due to recent storms and mud slides.

Miners Fall

We continued on to the next planned stop in the Pictured Rocks National Park, called Miners Fall. We had to walk about 20 minutes along a leaf-covered path and golden trees to reach the waterfall, a 50-foot drop over a sandstone ledge.

It was a beautiful area and hardly anyone was around. We found that visiting these parks in the second half of October is ideal with no crowds and no entrance fees required.

Miners Castle Rock

Just across the road from the Miners Falls was the area to see the Miners Castle Rock. The view was amazing looking down onto the turquoise water and golden trees.

After seeing the cliff view, you could walk further around to see the big rocks which they refer to as the castle. We really enjoyed this area and were so happy we stopped here.

Log Slide Overlook

We had to drive a bit further to the next stop called the “Log Slide Overlook”. In the past, loggers built a long wooden chute on the dune slope to slide logs down into Lake Superior where they could be easily floated to saw mills in Grand Marais.

We saw people walking down the sandy log slide to the lake. I can’t imagine how hard it must have been to walk back up the steep slope.

Manistique

For our last full day in the Upper Peninsula (October 25, 2025), we chose to drive south from our lodge in Trout Lake to see the town of Manistique on the Lake Michigan shore. We walked around, shopped, and ate lunch. There was a small beach and lighthouse near town that we drove to for the view.

Kitch-iti-Kipi Springs

Our next stop was 15 minutes outside of Manistique to Kitch-iti-kipi Springs. Called the “Big Spring”, Kitch-iti-kipi is the largest natural, freshwater spring in Michigan. It is 200 feet across and 40 feet deep.

You can walk onto the self-driven raft and look down into the deep blue waters to see large brown trout swimming. There are several places where the spring water is spurting up and sand is swirling around.

Some interesting facts about Kitch-iti-kipi:

• Ojibwa families and lumber workers found the hidden Kitch-iti-kipi centuries before it became one of Michigan’s most popular attractions, welcoming over 60,000 visitors annually.
• The teal water is crystal clear. Its water temperature is a constant, bone-chilling 45 degrees Fahrenheit. It rarely freezes in the winter. 
• 10,000 gallons of water per minute erupt from fissures in the limestone rocks at the spring’s floor. The sand constantly churns.
• The overflow of the spring waters enters a rushing stream that winds through the surrounding forest and empties into Indian Lake. 

Birch Lodge at Trout Lake

After our three nights staying at the Birch Lodge, we left on Sunday to drive to the Pellston airport. The Birch Lodge was a piece of paradise in the middle of nowhere.

The building was built in 1912 and recently remodeled by the current owners. We especially liked their dog Jack who was so friendly to all the guests. It was a great place to end our fun week in Michigan

Summary

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about my week in Northern Michigan. There is a lot to see if you don’t mind driving a bit. Mackinac Island is definitely worth a few days. I loved seeing this part of Michigan in the Autumn. There were many colors all around us.

One of the specialties we tried was a pasty. Similar to meat pies, these were served in many places and very tasty. A typical recipe is shown below.

If you need additional information about visiting Northern Michigan, don’t hesitate to reach out to me by email!

If you are looking for assistance to plan your next trip, I am here for YOU! I love to plan travel itineraries for myself and others. For more details on how I provide this service, please check out my Itinerary Planning page and drop me a quick email at jan@janadventures.com to get started!