Small Town Beauty in Michigan

Charlevoix is a charming historic resort town located on the Great Lakes. The distinctive architecture and stunning vegetation of the town, where author Ernest Hemingway spent his summers, have endured over time.

See Castle Farms; surrounded by lush beauty, it is an event and wedding venue.

Visitors unwind on the beaches in the summertime, like at Fisherman’s Island State Park.

Enjoy the famous Mushroom Houses. Designed and built by Charlevoix native and legend Earl Young, the Mushroom Houses are over 26 of the most fascinating stone structures ever built.

Dexter is a charming historic mill town sitting along the banks of the Huron River and Mill Creek.

You can enjoy the Monument Park in the center of town.

The town is also home to the longest continually running cider mill in Michigan.

The village of Elk Rapids is located between Traverse City and Charlevoix. The walkable downtown offers a wide range of stores and restaurants.

It is a beautiful town on the Chain of Lakes; fourteen interconnected lakes surround the town.

Outside of town, you can find plenty of hiking and biking trails.

Discover Harbor Springs, one of the top ten bike towns situated on Little Traverse Bay.

The town’s name comes from the fact that Harbor Springs has the deepest freshwater harbor in the Great Lakes.

The Highlands Bike Park is ideal for mountain bikers, including cross-country and freeride.

Visit in September for the annual Harbor Springs Festival of Books, where fifty nationally published authors present their literary works at the three-day event.

The town of Leland sits on some land between Lake Michigan and Lake Leelanau. It is the oldest and largest Ottawa village on the Leelanau Peninsula.

See historic Fishtown along the Leland River with fishing shanties and charter fishing boats.

Enjoy smoked fish at Carlson’s Fishery.

You can relax at any one of the three beaches.

Visit Mackinac Island, a community with no cars with Victorian-style homes, returning you to the horse and buggy age. You can easily walk the streets. You can easily reach it by ferry.

Visit the Richard and Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum.

See the iconic Arch Rock, a natural limestone arch.

Munsing’s scenery is breathtaking; it is a nature lover’s paradise located on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

There are amazing cliffs to see and lovely waterfalls.

You’ll find the famous Pictured Rocks, which change color when groundwater enters through their fissures at the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

You can enjoy hiking, biking, and birdwatching at the Hiawatha National Forest.

Visit one of the lighthouses along the shore.

Located on the shoreline of Little Traverse Bay, Petoskey is a unique small town that fuses history with the natural world.

Discover the famous Gaslight District.

The town is named for the 350-million-year-old stones known as "Petoskey Stones" found on the many beaches.

Enjoy the Petoskey State Park, where you can see these stones.

The town of Saugatuck, where the art world and small-town charm collide, is tucked away on the banks of Lake Michigan and the Kalamazoo River. The town is referred to as Michigan’s “Art Coast” with studios and galleries.

Visit the Amazwi Contemporary Art Gallery featuring African art.

Outdoor lovers will enjoy the Saugatuck Dunes State Park for hiking or boating and fishing on the Kalamazoo River.

South Haven is a charming seaside town, well-known for its breathtaking sunsets, water vistas, and family-friendly activities.

Along the waterfront is the Michigan Maritime Museum.

Visit the Liberty Hyde Bailey Museum and Gardens.

St. Joseph is situated along the coast of Southwest Michigan.

You can enjoy relaxing on Silver Beach.

Take a ride on the iconic rebuilt carousel at Silver Beach.