3 days of dunes, a car-free island and Lake Superior cliffs

Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.

1. 1
   Morning

   Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

   A long stretch of Lake Michigan shore with tall sand dunes, beech and maple woods and inland lakes, about a drive west of Traverse City. The main dune climb lies across from Glen Lake, and it is a long, hot walk over sand to reach the lake. Bring water, sun cover and shoes you can empty. Check ahead on the park pass.

   Go when Morning, while the sand is cool.

   Local tip Sand in the sun gets hot, and the climb back up is harder than the way down. Carry water, wear shoes you can empty, and turn back early if you are tired. Check ahead on the park pass.

   

   About 12 min walk0.6 mi
2. 2
   Midday

   Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive

   A looping scenic road inside the park, off M-109 between Empire and Glen Arbor, with numbered stops and overlooks of the dunes and the Lake Michigan shore. Drive it slowly and get out at the overlooks. Check ahead on the season and on the park pass.

   Go when Late afternoon into evening (about 7:53 PM), when the light is low over the lake.

   Local tip Take the loop slowly and get out at the overlooks, since the views over the dunes are better on foot than through the glass. Stay on the marked paths, because the dune plants are fragile.

   

3. Lunch

   Smoked whitefish and crackers

   A spread of smoked Great Lakes whitefish with crackers and a pickle, a picnic lunch to eat at an overlook or on the beach.

   Local tip Buy it that morning and keep it cool, and take any scraps with you.

   About 50 min by car25.6 mi
4. 3
   Midday

   Old Mission Peninsula

   A narrow peninsula that runs about 17 miles north from Traverse City into Grand Traverse Bay, with water on both sides and cherry orchards on the slopes. Drive it slowly, stop only where it is safe, and watch for bicycles and slow farm traffic on the two lane road.

   Go when Midday, as a slow drive with stops.

   Local tip The road runs along the ridge, with the bay on both sides. Pull off only where it is safe, watch for bicycles, and keep to the public roads and the signed viewpoints, since the orchards are private land.

   

   About 29 min by car or transit8.2 mi
5. 4
   Afternoon

   Mission Point Light

   A white lighthouse with a dwelling attached, built in 1870 at the end of the peninsula and a working light until 1933. It stands just south of the 45th parallel north. The shore here is stony, so wear sturdy shoes. Check ahead on the grounds.

   Go when Afternoon, with an hour at the water.

   Local tip Walk the stony shore beside the lighthouse and look back down the bay. The road ends here, so the way home is the same as the way up. Leave daylight for the drive.

   

   About 53 min by car27.7 mi
6. 5
   Afternoon

   Glen Haven

   A restored port village on Sleeping Bear Bay, with a general store and a blacksmith shop from its lumber days and a beach on Lake Michigan. The old dock poles can still be seen off the shore. Check ahead on which buildings are open.

   Go when Afternoon, with time for the beach.

   Local tip Walk out along the shore and look for the old dock poles in the water. The village was a lumber port, so the buildings tell that story. Check ahead on which ones are open.

   

7. Dinner

   Pan-fried whitefish

   Lake whitefish, a mild fish of the Great Lakes, pan-fried or broiled and served with potatoes and a lemon wedge.

   Local tip Ask whether the fish is from the lake, and have it simple to taste it.

Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.

1. Drive from Glen HavenAbout 2 h 14 min by car95.1 mi

   Where Day 1 ended.
2. 1
   MiddayBook ahead

   Fort Mackinac

   A former British and American military outpost on the bluff above the harbor, begun in the early 1780s and now a museum. Walk the ramparts and the buildings and look out over the harbor and the straits. The way up from town is a climb, so wear walking shoes. Check ahead on the opening.

   Go when Morning, as soon as you land on the island.

   Local tip Go up on foot with water, since the way from town is a climb. Walk the ramparts for the view over the harbor, and check ahead on the opening and on any timed entry.

   

   About 23 min by car or transit5.9 mi
3. 2
   Midday

   Mackinac Bridge

   The suspension bridge that opened in 1957 and joins the Lower and Upper peninsulas across the Straits of Mackinac, on Interstate 75, with Lake Michigan on one side and Lake Huron on the other. The crossing is the stop. Check ahead on wind and on any rules for the bridge.

   Go when Midday, in clear weather.

   Local tip Keep your eyes on the road, and let a passenger do the looking. Lake Michigan lies on one side and Lake Huron on the other. Check ahead on wind and on any rules for the bridge.

   

4. Lunch

   A smoked fish plate

   Smoked whitefish or lake trout with crackers, a regional lunch of the straits, eaten before the Upper Peninsula road.

   Local tip Keep the fish cool in the car, and buy only what you will eat that day.

   About 23 min by car or transit6.1 mi
5. 3
   Midday

   Fort Holmes

   An earthen redoubt built by British forces in 1814 on the highest point of the island, up the hill behind Fort Mackinac. Walk up through the woods for the view over the island and the straits. Check ahead on access.

   Go when Midday, after the fort.

   Local tip A short walk up the hill behind Fort Mackinac, through the trees, to the highest point on the island. The view is the point of the stop, so pick a clear day. Check ahead on access.

   

   About 9 min walk0.4 mi
6. 4
   Afternoon

   Arch Rock

   A natural limestone arch on the Lake Huron shore, 146 feet above the water, and a rare kind of formation for the Great Lakes. The Native peoples of the island have long held it as a place of power. Look through it from the path, and keep to the rails and the marked ways.

   Go when Afternoon, at an easy pace.

   Local tip Look through the arch to the lake from the path, and keep behind the rails. The Native peoples of the island have long held it as a place of power, so a quiet moment suits it.

   

7. Dinner

   Fried perch, then fudge

   Lake perch, lightly breaded and fried and served with fries, then a slab of Mackinac Island fudge, a dense chocolate sweet cut from a block, for the walk back to the ferry.

   Local tip Share one piece of fudge, since it is rich.

Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.

1. Drive from Arch RockAbout 2 h 23 min by car102.9 mi

   Where Day 2 ended.
2. 1
   Midday

   Miners Castle

   A sandstone rock formation on the Lake Superior shore, one of the few places in the lakeshore where a road runs close to the water. A short walk leads to the overlooks. The sandstone is crumbly and loses pieces to rockfalls, so keep behind the railings.

   Go when Morning, as soon as you can get there.

   Local tip It is a road stop with a short walk to the overlooks, so it is easy to share with everyone in the party. The sandstone is crumbly, so keep behind the railings. Check ahead on the road.

   About 10 min by car or transit1.8 mi
3. 2
   Midday

   Miners Falls

   A waterfall of about 40 feet on the Miners River, reached by a gravel path through the woods with stairs down to a lookout. Mind the wet steps. Check ahead on the path.

   Go when Midday, as a woodland break.

   Local tip A gravel path through the trees ends in stairs to the lookout. The steps are wet near the falls, and the path is longer than it looks on the way back. Check ahead on the path.

   

4. Lunch

   A pasty

   A baked pastry filled with beef, potato, onion and rutabaga, brought to the Upper Peninsula by Cornish miners, a hand pie made to carry to work.

   Local tip Eat it hot or cold, with ketchup or gravy as you like.

   About 22 min by car or transit5.6 mi
5. 3
   Evening

   Munising Falls

   A waterfall of about 50 feet over a sandstone cliff, on the edge of the town of Munising at the west end of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Trails lead to viewpoints. The flow is small outside the spring thaw. Check ahead on the trails and the visitor center.

   Go when Evening, as your first look at the lakeshore.

   Local tip The paths are short and well kept, and the falls run lighter outside the spring thaw. Wet rock and stairs can be slick, so mind your footing. Check ahead on the trails.

   

6. Dinner

   Lake Superior whitefish, broiled

   Whitefish from the cold waters of Lake Superior, broiled with butter and served with potatoes, a plain supper after the long drive.

   Local tip Order it plain to taste the fish.