G6AdventuresThis past summer, we visited Michigan for the first time ever. Living in Northern Kentucky, we can drive to Michigan’s state line in just over three hours. For some reason, Michigan just had not been on our radar. Instead, over the last several years, we focused more on visiting National Parks and surrounding areas. But, the Upper Peninsula kept showing up in my feeds from all of the travel groups I follow. Given the reasonably close distance and all the hype we saw about it, we decided we needed to experience it for ourselves. So we planned out an itinerary of Northern Michigan that ended up being 22 days long. It covered the Sleeping Bears National Lakeshore area, Mackinaw City, and several areas of the Upper Peninsula.
Honestly, just before heading out on this adventure, Eric and I admitted to each other that we did not have the highest of expectations. We have experienced so many national treasures, how could Michigan possibly compare? Straight out of the gate, Michigan blew us away. We started in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore area. Then, we stayed in Mackinaw City. Finally, we spent two weeks touring the Upper Peninsula. Every place we traveled to in Michigan was unique and beautiful.
We recognize that not every one has the opportunity to spend three weeks in northern Michigan. I’ll give you the breakdown of our trip. Plus, I’ll provide the link to where I take a deeper dive into our itineraries for each stop. Use each of these posts to plan the absolute best trip to northern Michigan. You won’t be disappointed!
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Number of Nights: 3 nights
Where We Stayed: Indigo Bluffs RV Park and Resort
Itinerary Overview:
- Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
- Pyramid Point hike
- Glen Haven Village
- Pierce Stockton Scenic Drive
- Philip A. Hart Visitor Center
- Empire
- Empire Bluffs hike
- Empire Beach Village Park
- Empire Village Inn
- Other
- Moomer’s Homemade Ice Cream
- Roadside produce stands
Detailed Itinerary: Sleeping Bear Dunes Itinerary: How to Do It in 3 Days
Mackinaw City
Number of Nights: 5 nights
Where We Stayed: Mackinaw Mill Creek Camping
Itinerary Overview:
- Mackinaw City
- McGulpins Point and Lighthouse
- Headlands International Dark Park
- Colonial Michilimackinac
- Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse
- Heritage Village
- Darrow’s Family Restaurant
- Central Avenue shops
- Mackinac Island
- Downtown
- Island Slice Pizzeria
- Arch Rock
- Good Day Cafe + Coffee Bar
- Sault Ste. Marie
- Soo Lock Visitor Center
- Soo Locks Observation Platform
- Fudge Du Locke
- Sugar Daddy Bakery
- St. Ignace
- Lehto’s Pasties
- Wawatam Lighthouse
- Chief Wawatam Park
- Mackinac Grille
Detailed Itinerary: Mackinaw City: How to Spend Five Days With Your Family
Newberry
Number of Nights: 2
Where We Stayed: Newberry Campground
Itinerary Overview:
- Whitefish Point Light Station
- Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum
- Wheelhouse Diner & Goatlocker Saloon
- Tahquamenon Falls
- Lower Falls
- Upper Falls
- Crisp Point Lighthouse
- Ice Cream Bandits
Detailed Itinerary: How to Spend Two Days in Upper Peninsula: Tahquamenon Falls, Whitefish Point & Crisp Point
Grand Marais
Number of Nights: 2
Where We Stayed: Woodland Park Campground
Itinerary Overview:
- Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
- Grand Sable Lake Scenic Overlook
- Lake Superior Overlook
- Sable Falls Trail
- Grand Sable Dunes Overlook
- Log Slide Overlook Trail
- Miners Castle overlook
- Miners Falls Trail
- Munising Falls Visitor Center
- Munising Falls
- Kingston Lake (outside the National park but along the same highway)
- Grand Marais
- Pickle Barrel House Museum
- World’s Smallest Gift Shop
- Sherpa Shack
- Bayshore Park
- Munising
- Pictured Rocks shoreline cruise
- Muldoon’s Pasties & Gifts
- eh! burger
Detailed Itinerary: How to Spend Two Days on the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Porcupine Mountains
Number of Nights: 3
Where We Stayed: Porcupine Mountain Wilderness State Park Union Bay Campground
Itinerary Overview:
- Porkies Outpost
- Porcupine Mountain Wilderness State Park
- Lake of the Clouds
- Escarpment Trail
- Visitor Center
- Union Mine Trail
- Summit Peak Trail
- East and West River Trail Loop
- Victoria Dam Falls
- O-Kun-de-kun Falls
- Agate Falls
- Bond Falls Scenic Site
- White Pines Yooper Diner
Detailed Itinerary: 4-Day Itinerary in the Porcupine Mountains of the Upper Peninsula for Families
Keweenaw Peninsula
Number of Nights: 4
Where We Stayed: McLain State Park Campground
Itinerary Overview:
- Hungarian Falls
- Houghton
- The Ambassador
- The Library Restaurant
- Eagle River
- The JamPot
- Jacob’s Falls
- Monk Trails Loop to Arnold Mine
- The Jam Lady
- Eagle Harbor Lighthouse
- Brockway Mountain Drive
- Copper Harbor
- Hunter’s Point Park
- M-26 Scenic Route
Detailed Itinerary: 5-Day Itinerary in Keweenaw Peninsula: What to See
Manistique
Number of Nights: 3
Where We Stayed: Manistique Lakeshore Campground
Itinerary Overview:
- Manistique Boardwalk
- Manistique East Breakwater Lighthouse
- Treasure City
- The 40 Bar & Grill
- Fayette Historic State Park
- Kitch-iti-Kipi
- Yoo-Par Scoops
Detailed Itinerary: How to Spend Two Days in Manistique in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
If you can’t tell from reading our Michigan posts, we had the best time. Between the jaw dropping crystal blue waters, the fascinating history, and the unique landscapes, there is just so much to see and do in Northern Michigan. We were there over three weeks, and I feel like we barely scratched the surface! That just means we will need to go back and explore even more of this beautiful part of the country. If you have been to Northern Michigan, leave us a comment and tell us what we need to make sure to include on our next trip. And to follow our other adventures, click here.
