Glen Arbor, MI
Hiking trailsKayak & canoeFishing
Usually from $267/nightThe best places to unplug in Michigan
Michigan has more freshwater shoreline than any other state, and most of it is a long way from a city. Drive north from Detroit or Chicago and the farms turn to pine woods, inland lakes and big sand dunes. Cross the Mackinac Bridge and it gets emptier still.
Every place here is rated highly by guests and sits close to trails, water or plain quiet. These are the ones we'd send a friend to, sorted by the part of the state they're in.
The Upper Peninsula
The UP is almost a third of the state's land and has only about three percent of its people. It's woods, waterfalls and Lake Superior, which is cold even in August. Cell service drops out across a lot of it.
Munising is the town for Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, 42 miles of colored sandstone cliffs and beaches. Farther west, the Porcupine Mountains are Michigan's biggest state park, and the Keweenaw Peninsula runs out into Lake Superior to Copper Harbor, where US 41 ends.
Sleeping Bear Dunes and Leelanau
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore runs along Lake Michigan west of Traverse City. The dunes sit on bluffs hundreds of feet above the water, and there are beaches, inland lakes and good hiking all along it.
Glen Arbor and Empire are the small towns inside the lakeshore. Leelanau County, to the north, is mostly orchards, vineyards and little harbor villages.
A bed and breakfast in Glen Arbor, the little village in the middle of the lakeshore. Trails and water are close, and there are books and board games for the evenings.
Glamping on the Betsie River in Benzonia, south of the lakeshore. You can put a kayak or canoe in the river, and there's a hot tub, fire pits and games. Guests rate it very highly.
Traverse City and the Chain of Lakes
Traverse City is the biggest town up north, with restaurants, breweries and the bay. You don't have to go far to get out of it.
Northeast of town, the Chain of Lakes is a string of lakes and rivers that runs down through Bellaire to Torch Lake and Elk Lake. Torch Lake is Michigan's longest inland lake, 19 miles long and very clear. It's a place for paddling, swimming and sitting on a dock.
A handful of lodges in Bellaire with a hot tub and a sauna. It sits on the water, with kayaks, fishing and trails, and it has a perfect score from guests.
Central Lake, MI
Hot tubKayak & canoeFishing
Usually from $526/night · Reopens by Jul 2027A small bed and breakfast on Torch Lake with a beach, kayaks and a hot tub. There's a fireplace inside, a fire pit outside and books and games for rainy days.
Harbor Country
The southwest corner of the state, along Lake Michigan just over the Indiana line, is called Harbor Country. It's a string of small beach towns about an hour and a half from Chicago. Warren Dunes State Park is close by, with big dunes and a long beach.
Before you go
- Download your maps before you go north, especially in the UP. Cell service comes and goes.
- Summer is short and busy up north. Fall color, usually late September into October, is just as good and a lot calmer.
- Bring bug spray in June and July. The black flies and mosquitoes in the north woods are no joke.
- Stay at least two nights. The drive up is long, and one night goes by fast.
First look
New places we find and the odd guide to somewhere quiet. A few emails a year, that's it.