Witness the power of the creek harnessed to cut timber into lumber at one of the oldest industrial sites on the Upper Great Lakes. On the Adventure Tour, explore the treetops on the Forest Canopy Bridge, soar like an eagle on the 425′ Eagle’s Flight Zip Line, and experience the layers of the forest on the five-story Treetop Discovery Tower.
Afterward, take time to explore the natural beauty of Mill Creek State Park, which has more than three miles of groomed hiking trails.
A beautiful small beach, boat launch and 35 camp sites located on the west side of Burt Lake available for tent and small trailer use. Excellent boat access and sand beach offer a great way to enjoy Burt Lake.
The Inland Waterway is a 40-mile long historic water route that begins north of Petoskey and with a series of rivers and lakes connects Conway, Oden, Alanson, Indian River, and Cheboygan to Lake Huron. A coastal route, part of the Huron Shores Blueways, connects the City of Cheboygan to Mackinaw City and the Straits of Mackinac.
The water trails connect 7 state parks; numerous campgrounds, day-use parks, and resorts; 20 Little Traverse Conservancy Nature Preserves, and six communities. Combination paddle and pedal trips are possible since the North Central State Trail, North Eastern State Trail and North Western State Trail all parallel segments of the water trail.
Paddle enthusiasts can access sites, parks, campgrounds, nature preserves, historic sites, birding, outfitters and rentals, marinas, waterfront camping and waterfront resorts.
Sanctuary Park in Alanson is a boardwalk that spans the Crooked River with a wheel-driven barge, where the wetlands, beaver, and diverse waterfowl abound. A short experience but a great place to pause and experience the river on your visit north.
Petoskey State Park, located on the north end of Little Traverse Bay, is situated on 303 scenic acres and offers a beautiful sandy beach on the bay. The park has two separate modern campgrounds. Tannery Creek Campground offers 100 campsites and Dunes Campground offers 80 campsites.
The University of Michigan Biological Station (UMBS) was founded in 1909. UMBS students and faculty have been studying environmental change since day one.
UMBS was established on land acquired from lumber barons after virtually all the trees had been cleared. Student and faculty researchers studied the biota of a landscape ravaged by catastrophic logging and subsequent fires, allowing them to learn first-hand how land exploitation impacted the natural environment.
The station’s 10,000-acre property has since been reforested via natural processes. But new environmental challenges have emerged, climate change and invasive species foremost among them. Fortunately, dedicated student and faculty researchers continue to roll up their scientific sleeves at the station, and they do so with an increasingly interdisciplinary approach. Natural historians collaborate with microbiologists, ecologists with climatologists, geologists with atmospheric scientists. These cross-disciplinary interactions – strengths of UMBS – foster a greater understanding of the natural world.
Today, UMBS students engage in and learn about biology and environmental science by studying directly in the field and by developing relationships with some of the world’s most respected experts. UMBS is a highly interactive community where students, faculty and researchers come together to learn about the natural world, to examine environmental change, and to seek solutions to the critical environmental challenges of our times.
Land that is now the Round Lake Preserve was once used by Native Americans as part of the Inland Water Route. This waterway travels 40 miles through several lakes and streams, eventually emptying into Lake Huron in Cheboygan. The original 40-acre preserve was donated to the Little Traverse Conservancy in 1980 with additional acreage purchased in 1984-86.
A total of 1½ miles of trail, dune observation platform, pond observation platform, gazebo, amphitheatre, and seasonal guided programs all make this an excellent family destination.
Reaching into Lake Michigan from the edge of the Mackinac Straits, Wilderness State Park offers a peaceful and exotic camping and beach going. Located adjacent to the Dark Sky Park, sleeping under the veil of stars at Wilderness State Park is a bucket-list adventure!
Journey to the northern tip of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula to find the amazing International Dark Sky Park. Featuring spectacular views of the amazing Milky Way and countless stars above, the Headlands east of Mackinaw City offers frequent education and entertainment on site.
Along the “Tunnel of Trees” coastal adventure, Good Hart is a small village and beach on the Michigan Shore. A great place to ride a bike, shop the gallery, visit the historic church, walk the beach, hike the nature trail, then grab a crepe at the amazing crepe shack in Good Hart.
Northwest… Sturgeon Bay is a pristine and beautify Lake Michigan bathing and beach-stone exploration spot. Nestled in a peaceful driftwood cove and surrounded by dunes with trails and private spots Kayak on a calm day or Kite Surf on a windy day. Bring chairs and enjoy the sunset. It can be a little buggy for a few weeks a year, so bring some bug dope. One of the best beaches in North America.
Pack it in, pack it out. Help keep Sturgeon Bay clean. Do not collect or remove stones, wood or artifacts. If you find a beautiful stone, enjoy it, share it then throw it back as far as you can so a future explorer can enjoy it again and again.