Let Petoskey Area Summer Begin

Summer is finally on the horizon! The sun is rising earlier and setting later, temperatures are slowly warming up, and the Petoskey Area’s favorite seasonal businesses are already open or are gearing up to welcome everyone back for the summer of 2026.

Restaurants

Dam Site Inn in Brutus is known for its all-you-can-eat family-style chicken dinners. This fine-dining seasonal country inn opened in 1953, but the property’s history dates back to the region’s early logging era when a lumberjack camp operated nearby. During the 1920s, a log cabin dance hall called the Wrightington Gardens gave locals a place to unwind—including drinking illegally throughout prohibition. It’s years as The Battle Creek Club followed in the 1930s, but by 1947, the structure was vacated and sat abandoned until it became the Dam Site Inn. Sitting just southwest of Lake Kathleen, this popular eatery is open Tuesdays through Sundays for dinner (closed Mondays). Reservations are not available, and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Douglas Lake Bar & Steakhouse (known to locals and regulars as DLB) in Pellston has been welcoming guests since 1917, when it operated as The Bryant Hotel. This rustic log building—complete with two giant fieldstone fireplaces—served as a 1940s rock ‘n roll roadhouse before transforming into a fine dining steakhouse in 1988. Visitors today can sit at the bar, in the main dining room, screened-in porch or on the patio and enjoy drinks and an extensive menu—including many gluten-free options and fare for the kids. On Sundays starting in late June, there is even live music every Sunday from 6-9pm on the lakeside lawn. Reservations are recommended.

Legs Inn in Cross Village is one of Michigan’s most iconic restaurants, noted for its Polish cuisine, picturesque views of Lake Michigan, and distinctive décor. During the 1930s, Stanley Smolak worked with local Odawa Indians and other residents to construct his building utilizing stones and timber gathered nearby. The building’s upper railing was crafted out of inverted stove legs…thus the name, Legs Inn. Smolak—a self-trained artist—then used driftwood, tree roots, and limbs to create whimsical furniture and décor that adorn every nook and cranny of the building. In addition to its expansive dining room and bar area, Legs Inn, which opens for the season on May 22, boasts a welcoming outdoor eating area and lush gardens. Seating is first-come, first-served, and no reservations are accepted. Due to spring flooding, M-119 heading into Cross Village from the south has been closed, but detour routes are well noted.

 

Farm Markets

Bear Creek Organic Farm in Petoskey has opened its farm market, food truck and greenhouse for the season (Monday through Saturday, 11am-6pm). Recognized as Michigan’s first 100% USDA Certified Organic Farm and the first B Corp Certified farm in the state of Michigan, this agritourism destination—owned and operated by Anne and Brian Bates—is focused on a stainable future where the arts, education and organically grown food enrich the local community.

Bill’s Farm Market in Petoskey is a historic family-owned centennial farm located about four miles east of the weather-tempering Little Traverse Bay. In addition to more than 20 varieties of fresh and dried flowers, visitors will find herbs, vegetables, fruits and other agricultural items that are sourced from the estate farmland and orchards. Open Monday through Saturday beginning June 12.

Coveyou Scenic Farm Market, conveniently located on US-131 between Walloon Lake and Petoskey, is open seasonally seven days a week, from April to October (as well as for the winter holidays). This historic family farm offers breathtaking views of the rural countryside as well as all kinds of plants, produce and other “Up North” treats like jams, salsas, meats, snacks and gifts. The elevated deck, attached to the massive white wooden barn, is the perfect venue for special events and live music throughout the warmer months.

 

Attractions

Bay View Association has opened its grounds for the season and will soon begin welcoming summer residents back to its 440+ quaint Victorian-era cottages. A designated National Historic Landmark, Bay View was formed in 1875 by the Methodists as a seasonal retreat facility focused on the four Chautauqua pillars: education, recreation, arts/performing arts, and religion (worship/spiritual life). Most events—including concerts, lectures, classes, and recreation—are open to the public. Visitors are also encouraged to take a self-guided walking tour through the beautiful campus.

Little Traverse Bay Ferry is planning its first sunset cruise of the season on Friday, May 22 – weather permitting. A two-hour excursion aboard the 49-passenger Harbor Princess is a great way to end the day, with views of the shoreline between Bay Harbor, Petoskey, and Harbor Springs. There’s even a cash bar to add to the merriment. A century ago, visitors to northern Michigan were often shuttled around by ferry, and today this nostalgic mode of transportation allows for a slower-paced experience. Throughout the summer, service is offered between the three Little Traverse Bay communities, giving passengers the opportunity to explore each without having to get out on the road and drive between them.

 

Little Traverse History Museum in Downtown Petoskey opens for the season on Tuesday, June 9. Constructed in 1892 by the Chicago and West Michigan Railroad, this building later operated as the primary Pere Marquette Railroad station. It was converted into a museum in the 1960s and boasts several historical collections including one highlighting Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winning author and former northern Michigan summer resident Ernest Hemingway.  Every Saturday at 2pm, museum volunteers lead guided walking tours through the downtown Petoskey area for a more intimate historical experience.

McGulpin Point Lighthouse in Mackinaw City is one of more than 125 historic beacons throughout Michigan (and among more than 350 in the Great Lakes region). Sitting on a 10-acre parcel, sprawled out along the western Straits of Mackinac, this 1869 lighthouse operates as a maritime museum and is open daily for tours, from 9:30am to 5:30pm. Step back in time to learn why lighthouses were so important to the safety of mariners out on the water and what the daily lives of their keepers were like.

Oden State Fish Hatchery and Michigan Fisheries Visitor Center, about eight miles north of downtown Petoskey on US-31 in Oden, is a popular family destination shedding light on the ecological history of the area. There are weekly nature programs, guided hatchery tours, interpretative exhibits and interactive displays, as well as picturesque nature trails waiting to be explored. This is also a popular birding area, especially as spring turns into summer. Visitors have even reported seeing osprey or bald eagles while on their hikes through the area. This site, maintained by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, is open Saturdays and Sundays in May and into early June, then Tuesdays through Sunday from June 10 through September 30, and back to Saturdays and Sundays for the month of October.

Rocky’s Beer Garden & Mini Golf, on M-119 in Harbor Springs, is the newest seasonal business…enhancing the existing bowling, arcade, laser tag and pool table games offered inside the Northern Lights Recreation Center. This 9-hole mini golf course is fully wheelchair accessible and is fun for the entire family. The adjoining outdoor beer garden provides a large patio, with fire pits and TVs, making it a hot spot for summer gatherings…especially on nights with live music.

 

Pirates Cove Adventure Golf, on US-31 north of Bay View/Petoskey, opened for the season May 14 with daily hours from Noon to 8pm to start the season, expanding to 10am to 10pm on Friday, May 22 until Labor Day weekend. This national chain, which plays on the lore and legend of notable pirates and piracy, was founded in the early 1980s in Traverse City, Michigan and today is recognized as a premier family and even date night activity for locals and summer visitors alike.

The Pointer at The Pier in Harbor Springs launches its season on Sunday, May 17. This historic 34-foot vessel was originally built in 1943 and lovingly restored in 1989. This 12-passenger boat offers one-hour shoreline excursions past notable sites like Harbor Point and the red brick 1884 Little Traverse Lighthouse where one of Michigan’s most noted female lighthouse keepers—Elizabeth Whitney Williams—once served. In addition to its daily scheduled trips, The Pointer is also available for private charters including food and beverage offerings.

 

 

About the author: Dianna Stampfler is the founder of Promote Michigan and the author of Michigan’s Haunted Lighthouses and Death & Lighthouses on the Great Lakes.