If you’re like most of the country, you’re probably thinking it’s about time to get out and safely enjoy life, and that is easiest outdoors.
What’s your idea of a good time outside? Chances are, you can do it in at least one of the waterfront communities.
Bring your bike and hit the trails. Paved or mountain, it doesn’t matter – the Petoskey area has got them and there are even more trails being worked on.
The Little Traverse Wheelway, Boyne City to Charlevoix Trail, Boyne Valley Trail and the Northwestern State Trail offer either paved or crushed limestone to travel on, along with some great views and cool places to stop, like the Oden State Fish Hatchery.
Mountain bike trails are maintained at Boyne Mountain Resort in Boyne Falls, where you can catch the chairlift to the top of the trail, and Boyne Highlands Resort in Harbor Springs, one of the top-rated parks in the country.
Riders won’t want to miss the newly expanded Boyne School Forest Trails in Boyne City and the highly anticipated Tanton Family Working Forest Reserve Trail at the east end of Petoskey. It has riders psyched for high-adventure riding, opening mid-summer this year.
Getting out on the water is easy in the Petoskey area. Bring your own or rent pontoon boats, Jet Skis, speed boats or fishing boats. You can also keep it low key in a canoe, kayak or atop a stand-up paddle board. Splash with a buddy or someone you love in the sparkling waters of Lake Charlevoix, Little Traverse Bay or Crooked Lake.
Want to fly through the sky? Make like Tarzan and soar from one tree and past the next on an awesome high-speed Zipline Adventure or Twin-Zip ride at Boyne Highlands or Boyne Mountain, home to the area’s first zipline.
Play a round of golf in the Petoskey area and you may just decide to stay an extra few days. There are 17 championship courses, many with incredible views, waiting for you to tee off. It may be a serious challenge to decide which of Boyne’s stellar courses to start with before moving onto the next course, Hidden River or maybe Dunmaglas.
Not so keen on the big-kid courses? Try putt-putt golf instead. And for a totally different type of golf, give disc golf a try.
Michigan’s state stone is the Petoskey Stone – and guess what? You can spend the day hunting for these fossilized bits of coral along Little Traverse Bay and you may conclude that the hunt is almost as much fun as the find.
There are so many hiking trails abound. More than 100 miles of Little Traverse Nature Conservancy hiking trails alone dot towns in the area. That includes the brand new Offield Family Viewlands opening in early July at the site of the former Little Traverse Bay Golf Club.
In Boyne City, Avalanche Mountain Preserve trail is breathtaking (literally and figuratively) and you can cover a ton of ground. Lace up and take in boardwalks, overlooks and the beauty of the woods. Why not bring a pair of binoculars and do some bird watching while you’re at it?
The list goes on to golf cart rides, chairlift rides, tennis, paintball, Segway rides and horseback rides – all part of the outdoor amenities available at either Boyne Mountain, Boyne Highlands or both.
Once you’ve decided where to stay in Bay Harbor, Alanson, Petoskey, Boyne City/Boyne Falls or Harbor Springs, start narrowing down your plans for a great getaway. If you haven’t already ordered your free Vacation Guide, give it a shot. It will give you even more ideas of fun things to do on your Northern Michigan vacation. Come on in; the water’s fine!