We love Interlochen campground. We typically choose the rustic side as it is more quiet and…read morepeaceful. Check in is on the Duck Lake side and Green Lake is across the road. Our site was overlooking Green Lake, but was difficult to see because of the tree cover. Our site had a trail leading down to the lake. We swam in the lake and no complaints of swimmer's itch. Rustic means no electric and pit toilets. We love getting dirty and just camping for a few days, but there is a modern side on Duck lake with showers and electric and a small camp shop. Just down the road is Tom's grocery, several restaurants, a mini golf/ icecream shop and Interlochen arts camp. Check them out for free shows. Traverse City is about 30 min north. This is a great jumping off point to check out TC, sleeping bear dunes, or whatever else is in the area.

We rolled into this campground fairly late in the day after an extremely long drive from New York…read more The check in process was super quick and we were able to purchase our Michigan recreation pass. All of the sites are super close together, but well kept and clean. We were in site 380 and were close to the restrooms, but not too close that it was a nuisance. The sunrise on the lake was beautiful. Overall, we had a great single night stay here !

Such a beautiful scenic area with plenty of short distance hikes that offer fantasies views for the…read moreminimum effort requires. We have the national park pass which we were able to use during our visit. We stopped by numerous overlooks and of course, the main one where you can see the two land mass/bear cubs lay and the mama bear watching over them. You can read about the lore and why this area is named sleeping bear dunes. It's a cute, albeit sad story of love and loyalty and never leaving behind those you love. Now on to the wondrous nature view you'll find here. Sand dunes, yes! But also a beautiful lake view unobstructed by modern buildings. Pure nature beauty. This really is a place to visit. Don't skip it if you're in the area! It is dog friendly. There was even a kind man up on top of the dunes overlooks giving treats to pups. Our pup enjoyed the treats and the attention and I enjoyed creating memories with her and my husband in the middle of nature. Go check it out!

Sleeping Bear Dunes is a must if you are nearby! There are beaches that are free to enter, but to…read morego into the actual park and see the big dunes, you have to pay $20 per car, or you can get in with a National Parks pass. Most of it is drivable once you're in, and you can park your car off to the side of the road and view multiple different overlooks. The dunes are huge I was surprised. They're much bigger than I am used to seeing at Indiana Dunes! We stopped at the Lake Michigan overlook. There's a parking lot with plenty of parking. To get up to the overlook, you'll have to walk up a smallish sand dune. It's easier if you take your shoes off. Once you get up, there's super steep dunes that many people attempt to go all the way down then climb up on all fours. It's extremely hard to get back up!! Walking through sand is not easy. There's even a sign that warns you of the dangers of doing so and the damage it does to the dunes. There was a firetruck and ambulance on sight ready to rescue anyone.

This is a nice little park with a lovely view and beach space. There are two playground spaces, a…read morelittle lighthouse (possibly just decorative, but it was cute and added to the scenery), basketball and volleyball courts, and a boat launch. Restrooms are available, and there are parking lots (for a fee). Benches and picnic tables are also available. The playground we opted to check out was set right in the sand and was much enjoyed.

We took a trip from traverse city to check out the dunes & this was the closest beach we had found…read more We came in May and there was literally no one there. It was peaceful! Water was clear and we found so many rocks. It had two playgrounds and a shallow side on the opposite side of the lake. Although, the water was shallow enough for my two year old to play in on the actually Lake Michigan side. We loved this beach so much!! Parking is $1 an hour. Bathrooms on site as well

Great spot for hiking, and probably great for skiing in the winter. Very well marked if you stay on…read morethe main trails, with a sign and map at each intersection. If you follow the blazes and the maps, it would be hard to get lost! If you use the All Trails map, you can see where the secondary trails go and plan a few side trips on the less traveled paths. Lots of choices to make a hike as long as you would want. Hikes through the woods, near the stream, near the lake. On this hike at the end of June, it was not too warm (morning hike) and there were few bugs. Trail running and mountain biking apparently allowed here but saw only a couple of each. Lots of birds, a few squirrels and chipmunks, a big beaver house, etc. A lot more for me to explore. Go check it out!

My first single track...loved it. Biked this path while staying at the Holiday Park Campground…read more Beautiful fall views!

This is a nice beach that is a little bit east of downtown so it is not that busy. I rode my bike…read morehere from our hotel (super convenient) which was less than half a mile away. There is a small parking lot (and street parking) if you choose to drive here.

Such a cute park at the end of downtown Traverse City and the start/base of Old Mission peninsula!…read moreI wanted to find a park where I could pull up and get a great view just from the parking lot and Bryant Park delivered! They have a small parking lot (I think there's more parking the further up into Old Mission peninsula you go), but the parking lot I pulled up in is relatively small, but also on a Saturday evening, there were plenty of people coming and going and eventually I was able to get one of the spots that faces right up to the beach. I rolled my windows down and just enjoy the sounds of the waves, people running about, and read my book and ate my dinner while I waited for the sunset! It was wonderful and exactly what I wanted! Thanks Bryant Park! It looks like there's also a part of this beach that is dog friendly if you keep to the left side fencing of the beach from this parking lot and once it opens up closer to shore, keep left and there'll be a whole strip where the dogs are allowed to play. I love that!!

The Mitten definitely has some beautiful beaches, and Otter Creek Beach is no exception. Thanks to…read moreYelp, I was made privy to this secret beach...and it was put on my to-do checklist for my up-north roadtrip. Thankfully, Mr. GPS knew where this beach is because I would have gotten so confused as we drove further and further into the woods. (that's what I love about up north beaches; you travel through woods and woods and then there is this perfect sandy beach) My guy and I grabbed the beach chairs, the dogs and a beach umbrella (for my pale ass) and marched the perfect waterfront location. The secret maybe out about this place, but not really "out" out. There was still plenty of room to roam about, enjoy the beach and get toasty. The water was cold but the sun was not. Whatevs...blue water, hot sand, a lovey day; what is there not to love? Of course, the dogs loved it as well. A cool tidbit: this beach sits where a 'lost' town once sat. You can read about the town of Aral at the entrance by the bathroom. Ahhh, the Pleasant Peninsula...what an amazing state!

Super nice beach with chilly water. Very family friendly. There's a spring feeding water so you get…read morethat chilly spring water out of otter creek.

Beautiful park and walk in the water, some people swim too. Although you need to pay $5 parking…read morefee, it's worth it.

If you're visiting Traverse City, you need to drive up to Old Mission Lighthouse Park! We came on a…read moreSaturday and it wasn't super crowded. The beach was absolutely beautiful. The water was super clear and shallow. You could walk far out into the water and the it would still only be a little bit above your knees. It's the perfect place to just relax and enjoy the nature. It was a little too chilly to swim when we came, but I would have loved to come back to enjoy the water more. Unfortunately we didn't have the time to come back during this trip, so maybe next time! To go up to the historic lighthouse, it costs money but you can go inside on the bottom floor to view the gift shop and infographics for free. We chose not to go up because it didn't seem worth the money.

This is a gorgeous spot in the Traverse City area! Beautiful clear waters with ample beach space…read moreand shaded areas. The beach was very clean and well kept. The shallow water allows for wading in and just enjoying the surroundings. The water isn't deep enough to swim for quite a ways so if you're looking for a swimming area I would go elsewhere! Parking is somewhat limited depending on what time you arrive. We got to the beach around 1:30pm and parking was a little hard to find. This doubles as a dog beach so there were plenty of dogs here as well! As a first time visitor to the traverse city area, I would definitely return to this spot!

There were no reviews so I felt compelled to add one. This beach is a gem we stumbled upon during…read moreour latest trip to the TC area. Wonderful clean beach, swimming area and shaded picnic area with sand volleyball court. Parking is across the street so be careful with kids. It was pretty full when we arrived during July 4th week but we were able to park. Also a boat launch just to the side of the beach do you can launch your toys while family relaxes.

From the owner: Come check out our Parks & Beachesread more

I hiked this trail in 2018, and again this year in July. It's not a difficult trail and the views…read moreare 10/10. We hiked it at 7:30a and only saw one other hiker on our way down. We saw wildlife and enjoyed looking out at the water and sand dunes at the top. If you're going to the Sleeping Bear Dunes, this hike is a must.

Wow is this trail absolutely beautiful! My friend and I recently completed this hike and we were so…read morehappy we decided to make a pit stop here on our road-trip up north. This 1.5 mile hike is short, relatively easy, and offers some of the best views in the area. There is a small parking lot with a bathroom accessible at this trail. You mainly walk through wooded areas with small inclines before you reach the overlook. This is perfect for families, friends, and anyone who is interested in exploring the outdoors.