Petoskey

A long-established resort town on Little Traverse Bay, on the shore of Lake Michigan. It is known for its gaslit downtown, the Victorian-era Bay View neighborhood and the Tunnel of Trees scenic drive.

Petoskey lies in Emmet County, at the northwest tip of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, on the south shore of Little Traverse Bay, an inlet of Lake Michigan. In the late 19th century, railroads and steamboats made it a summer retreat for wealthy families from Chicago and Detroit, and a young Ernest Hemingway spent summers nearby. The town is known for its Victorian-style gaslit downtown, the Methodist resort community of Bay View overlooking the bay, and the Petoskey stone, Michigan’s state stone, which can be found on the lakeshore.

The main areas are as follows. (1) Downtown: shopping and dining on the gaslit streets, sunsets at the waterfront park, the Bear River Valley trail, and the historical museum. (2) North side of the bay: Bay View, Petoskey State Park, the harbor town of Harbor Springs, and the Tunnel of Trees on M-119 heading north to Cross Village. (3) Southwest: in Charlevoix, the swing bridge over the channel, the Mushroom House and lighthouse, and Castle Farms. (4) Ski areas: the Highlands and Nubs Nob to the north, and Boyne Mountain to the south.

Climate and seasons: Summers (June–August) are cool and pleasant, the peak season for beaches, boating and cycling. Early to mid-October brings the finest fall colors, and the Tunnel of Trees gets busy with traffic. Winters are long and snowy and good for skiing, though some restaurants and attractions close seasonally.

Getting there: The nearest airport is Pellston Regional Airport (PLN), about 30 minutes’ drive away, with flights connecting through Detroit. For a larger airport, Traverse City is about 1.5 hours away. There is little public transit, so driving is recommended. The Little Traverse Bay bike trail links the bay views, the state park and Harbor Springs by bicycle. Plan to stay 2–3 days. It can be combined with Mackinac Island to the north and Traverse City to the southwest for a Northern Michigan driving loop.

Top sights

• Gaslight District – Petoskey's Victorian downtown district, where gas lamps and old red-brick buildings house independent bookstores, galleries and candy shops.
• Bay View Association – A resort community that grew out of an 1875 Methodist summer camp. More than four hundred colorful Victorian wooden cottages line the slope…
• Petoskey State Park – A sandy beach and dune forest on the east shore of Little Traverse Bay, popular for swimming, sunsets and hunting for the state stone, the…
• M-119 Tunnel of Trees – A narrow, tree-lined lakeshore road of about 32 kilometers from Harbor Springs to Cross Village. The canopy closes overhead like a tunnel…
• Bayfront Park – A lakefront park at the foot of downtown with a marina, a breakwater lighthouse, a mineral well, and trails. It is the best spot for watchi…
• Little Traverse History Museum – A local history museum in a former 1892 railway station, with exhibits on Hemingway's connection to Petoskey, the Odawa people, and passeng…
• Bear River Valley Recreation Area – A trail park in the Bear River valley next to downtown, with wooden boardwalks along the rapids. In summer, it offers kayaking and whitewat…
• Crooked Tree Arts Center – A community arts centre in a former Methodist church built in the 1890s, with free galleries showing works by Northern Michigan artists and…
• Harbor Springs – A deep-water harbour town on the north shore of Little Traverse Bay, surrounded by yacht marinas, white wooden houses, and boutiques. It is…
• Legs Inn – A stone-and-timber restaurant at the end of the Tunnel of Trees, built by a Polish immigrant. Its roof railing is decorated with upside-dow…
• Thorne Swift Nature Preserve – A lakeshore preserve northwest of Harbor Springs, where boardwalks wind through cedar swamps and dunes, leading to quiet beaches and an ove…
• Charlevoix – A resort town wedged between Lake Michigan and Lake Charlevoix, known for its drawbridge canal, mushroom houses, and harbor lighthouse. It…
• Earl Young Mushroom Houses – More than thirty fairy-tale stone houses built by architect Earl Young from lake stones. Their mushroom-like curved roofs are scattered thr…
• Charlevoix South Pier Light – A red steel light tower at the mouth of Charlevoix’s channel into the lake, right beside Lake Michigan’s beach. It is a good spot for watch…
• Castle Farms – A stone farm built in 1918 in the style of a French Normandy castle. Today it is a wedding and event venue, with gardens, castle halls, and…
• Fisherman's Island State Park – About 8 km of wild lakeshore south of Charlevoix, with dunes, woodland, and sandy beaches that see few visitors. Good for camping, hiking…
• Boyne Mountain Resort – One of the Lower Peninsula’s flagship year-round mountain resorts. It offers skiing in winter, and in summer an indoor water park, alpine c…
• The Highlands at Harbor Springs – A large ski resort northeast of Harbor Springs, formerly known as Boyne Highlands, with one of the most ski runs in Michigan’s Lower Penins…
• Nub's Nob – A family-run ski area next to The Highlands, known for excellent snow maintenance and grooming. Its runs are short, but it is well regarded.
• Little Traverse Wheelway – A paved trail of about 42 km along the shore of Little Traverse Bay, linking Charlevoix, Petoskey, Bay View, and Harbor Springs.

Where to eat

• City Park Grill – A restaurant and bar in an 1875 building where Hemingway often sat at the bar writing, known for its local whitefish.
• Spring & Porter – A modern restaurant favored by OpenTable diners, serving Cantonese-style crispy bigeye bass and duck breast, paired wit…
• Palette Bistro – A Mediterranean bistro with views of Little Traverse Bay at sunset, popular for its small plates, brick-oven pizzas and…
• Mim's Mediterranean Grill – A family-run budget spot founded in 2005, where the curry chicken shawarma plate and homemade hummus are local favorite…