Michigan
3
Day Itinerary •
USA
Three days in Michigan gives you the essential Great Lakes State experience, from the extraordinary Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, the finest sea cliff coastline in the Great Lakes, to the magnificent Sleeping Bear Dunes, the most extraordinary freshwater dune landscape in the world, and the charming Mackinac Island. This route covers the finest of Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsula. The extraordinary multicolored sandstone cliffs of Pictured Rocks rising 200 feet from Lake Superior, the magnificent Grand Sable Dunes and Chapel Falls, the extraordinary Mackinac Bridge and the remarkable car-free Victorian resort island of Mackinac.
Best Time To Visit
June to October for ice-free Pictured Rocks boat tours
Getting There
Fly into Traverse City (TVC) or fly to Detroit and drive
Getting Around
Rental car essential on the mainland. No cars on Mackinac Island.
Budget Per Day
Approx $110 to $190 per person per day
Difficulity
Easy to moderate, some dune and lakeshore hiking
DAY 1
PICTURED ROCKS NATIONAL LAKESHORE
MORNING
PICTURED ROCKS NATIONAL LAKESHORE BOAT TOUR
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is the most extraordinary sea cliff coastline in the Great Lakes, its extraordinary 15-mile stretch of multicolored Munising Falls sandstone cliffs rising 200 feet above Lake Superior in bands of red, orange, brown and white stained by iron, manganese and copper seeping through the rock. The boat tour from Munising gives the finest close-range view of Miners Castle, Chapel Rock, Battleship Row and the extraordinary Miners Beach arch. Tour approx $38. Drive: 30 min drive
MIDDAY
CHAPEL FALLS AND THE PICTURED ROCKS INTERIOR
Chapel Falls in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is the most extraordinary waterfall in the Upper Peninsula, its extraordinary 60-foot plunge of Chapel Creek into a sandstone gorge accessible by a 10-mile round trip trail through the finest forest in the UP. Chapel Rock, an extraordinary sandstone pillar topped by a white pine whose roots span the gap to the mainland, is the most extraordinary natural feature in the park. The extraordinary Chapel Lake at the trail's end is unmissable. Entry free. Drive: 20 min drive
AFTERNOON
MINERS BEACH AND GRAND SABLE DUNES
Miners Beach is the most extraordinary freshwater beach in the Upper Peninsula, its extraordinary clear Lake Superior water revealing the lake floor in extraordinary clarity despite depths of 20 feet. The Grand Sable Dunes at the eastern end of Pictured Rocks rise 275 feet above Lake Superior in the most extraordinary perched dune system on the Great Lakes, their extraordinary sand descending directly to the lake shore in a mile-long dune face. Both free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Miners Castle overlook in Pictured Rocks at sunset gives the most extraordinary golden light on the sandstone cliffs of any viewpoint in the park, the low sun turning the rock bands from orange to deep red in a display entirely free from the boat tour crowds. Free. The most extraordinary hidden viewpoint in Pictured Rocks.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Eh! Burger, Munising The finest breakfast in Munising. Extraordinary local Michigan ingredients and strong UP coffee. | Lunch: Dogpatch Restaurant, Munising Outstanding UP lunch. Extraordinary pasties, lake trout and Michigan craft beer. | Dinner: Tracey's Restaurant, Munising The finest restaurant in Munising. Extraordinary local Lake Superior trout and whitefish.
DAY 2
MACKINAC ISLAND
MORNING
MACKINAC ISLAND, THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY CAR-FREE ISLAND IN AMERICA
Mackinac Island is the most extraordinary car-free resort in America, its extraordinary Victorian resort hotels, fudge shops and horse-drawn carriages on an island where no motorized vehicles have been permitted since 1898 giving a time-capsule experience unlike any other in the Great Lakes. The extraordinary Grand Hotel with its 660-foot porch, the longest in the world, Fort Mackinac above the town and the extraordinary Arch Rock natural limestone arch are all unmissable. Ferry from Mackinaw City approx $30. Drive: 45 min drive + ferry
MIDDAY
FORT MACKINAC AND THE ISLAND INTERIOR
Fort Mackinac is the most extraordinary historic fort in the Great Lakes, its extraordinary 1780 British limestone fortification above Mackinac Island harbor giving the finest view of the Straits of Mackinac, the Mackinac Bridge and Lake Huron from any point on the island. The extraordinary cannon firings and soldier reenactments are unmissable. The island interior bike trail through the cedar and birch forest gives the finest cycling experience in Michigan. Fort entry approx $14. Drive: 15 min bike
AFTERNOON
ARCH ROCK AND THE MACKINAC FUDGE TRAIL
Arch Rock is the most extraordinary natural limestone arch in Michigan, its extraordinary 50-foot span 146 feet above Lake Huron giving the finest view of the Straits of Mackinac from any natural feature on the island. The extraordinary fudge shops of Mackinac Island, producing over 10,000 pounds of fudge daily in the finest candy tradition in the Great Lakes, are unmissable. The Main Street of Victorian storefronts is extraordinary. Arch Rock free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary British Landing on the western shore of Mackinac Island is the finest hidden beach on the island, its extraordinary pebble cove accessible by the west bluff road bike trail giving the most extraordinary view of the Mackinac Bridge and the Upper Peninsula from any beach on the island. Free. The most extraordinary hidden gem on Mackinac Island.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Bogan Lane Inn, Mackinac Island Extraordinary island breakfast. Local Michigan eggs and fresh pastries before the ferry. | Lunch: Horn's Bar, Mackinac Island The most legendary bar on the island since 1933. Outstanding whitefish sandwich and cold beer. | Dinner: Grand Hotel Dining Room The most extraordinary dinner in Michigan. Outstanding local Great Lakes cuisine on the world's longest porch.
DAY 3
SLEEPING BEAR DUNES
MORNING
SLEEPING BEAR DUNES NATIONAL LAKESHORE, THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE IN AMERICA
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore was voted the most beautiful place in America by Good Morning America viewers, its extraordinary 35-mile stretch of Lake Michigan shoreline combining towering perched sand dunes rising 450 feet above the lake with the extraordinary blue clarity of Lake Michigan and the remarkable Sleeping Bear Dune itself. The Dune Climb gives the finest exhilarating ascent to a lake overlook. The extraordinary Empire Bluff Trail at 1.5 miles gives a better view. Entry $25 per vehicle. Drive: 2.5 hr drive
MIDDAY
PIERCE STOCKING SCENIC DRIVE AND LAKE MICHIGAN OVERLOOKS
The Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive through Sleeping Bear Dunes is the most extraordinary 7-mile scenic loop in Michigan, its extraordinary succession of overlooks past the Cottonwood Trail, the Lake Michigan Overlook at 450 feet above the lake and the extraordinary Sleeping Bear Point at the dune's northern tip giving the finest coastal views in the Great Lakes. The extraordinary Crystal River kayaking through the forest to Lake Michigan is the finest paddling in the Lower Peninsula. Drive included with park entry. Drive: 15 min drive
AFTERNOON
TRAVERSE CITY CHERRY COUNTRY AND OLD MISSION PENINSULA
Traverse City is the most extraordinary small city in the Michigan Mitten, its extraordinary Old Mission Peninsula jutting 18 miles into Grand Traverse Bay through the finest cherry orchards in America giving the finest drive in northern Michigan. The Old Mission Lighthouse at the tip of the peninsula sits exactly on the 45th parallel, exactly halfway between the equator and the North Pole. The extraordinary Traverse City food and wine scene is the finest in northern Michigan. Peninsula drive free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Glen Haven Historic Village in Sleeping Bear Dunes is the finest hidden historic site in the national lakeshore, its extraordinary restored 1920s Coast Guard station, general store and cannery giving the most extraordinary Great Lakes maritime history experience in Michigan. Free. The most extraordinary hidden gem in Sleeping Bear Dunes.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: The Cooks' House, Traverse City The finest breakfast in Traverse City. Extraordinary local Michigan produce and strong northern coffee. | Lunch: Art's Tavern, Glen Arbor The most legendary bar near Sleeping Bear Dunes. Extraordinary lake trout sandwich and Michigan craft beer. | Dinner: Trattoria Stella, Traverse City The finest restaurant in Traverse City. Extraordinary local Michigan produce in a historic State Hospital building.
DAY 4
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
DAY 5
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Where To Stay
Munising, Night 1 Pictured Rocks Inn or Dogpatch Hotel. Approx $90 to $160 per night. Mackinac Island, Night 2 Grand Hotel or Mission Point Resort. Approx $150 to $400 per night. Traverse City, Night 3 Park Place Hotel or Cherry Tree Inn. Approx $120 to $220 per night.
Top Tips
1. Book Pictured Rocks boat tours weeks ahead. The sunset cruise gives the most extraordinary cliff colors.
2. Mackinac Island's Grand Hotel porch is free to walk and gives the finest Lake Huron view in Michigan.
3. Sleeping Bear Dune Climb is steep. The Dune Overlook Trail gives a better view with less effort.
4. Chapel Falls in Pictured Rocks is the finest waterfall in the Upper Peninsula. Trail 10 miles round trip.
5. Traverse City cherry season in July gives the most extraordinary fruit stands in Michigan. Extraordinary.
6. Kayaking the Pictured Rocks sea caves at dawn is the most extraordinary paddling experience in Michigan.
Total Budget
$110 to $190/day