Quick Facts

Free Visitor Brochures Available:
Vacation Guide, Fall Color, Golf and more.

Lodging assistance:
The Petoskey Area Visitors Bureau office will direct visitors to lodging suited to their needs. Call 800.845.2828 toll-free (U.S. and Canada) 8:00a.m. to 4:00p.m.

Petoskey Area Visitors Bureau
401 East Mitchell Street Petoskey, MI 49770
Telephone: 800.845.2828 ~ Toll-Free / U.S. and Canada or call
Phone: 231.348.2755
E-mail:  info@PetoskeyArea.com

Location:

The Petoskey Area includes a 30-mile corridor located in northern Michigan along U.S. 131 near Little Traverse Bay. It stretches from Boyne Falls and Boyne City at the south end to Petoskey, Alanson and Harbor Springs in the north.

Distance to the Petoskey area:

Chicago 347 miles Indianapolis 440 miles
Cleveland 420 miles London, Ontario 330 miles
Detroit 243 miles Mackinac Bridge 35 miles
Ft. Wayne 335 miles Port Huron 265 miles
Grand Rapids 185 miles Toledo 310 miles

Area Description:

Petoskey and Harbor Springs are on the shore of Lake Michigan’s Little Traverse Bay. Boyne Falls is located south of Petoskey, and Boyne City is on the southern tip of Lake Charlevoix. The area is characterized by rolling hills, wooded terrain and inland lakes, including a 38-mile inland waterway. The Petoskey area includes Village Suites Bay Harbor with luxurious amenities and private yacht club. There is world-class golf at Bay Harbor Golf Club and upscale lodging and dining at Inn at Bay Harbor, Autograph Collection.  The area is also home to the internationally-known BOYNE ski and golf resorts, Boyne Mountain and Boyne Highlands, as well as Nub’s Nub, the area’s third ski area.

Yachts

Accommodations:

More than 2,800 rooms in the area. Ranges from hotels, condominiums, country inns and four-season resort complexes to budget motels. Many offer meeting rooms and convention facilities.

Transportation:

Pellston Regional Airport of Emmet County is served by Delta Air Line. Indian Trails offers service out of Petoskey. Rental cars are available. Air strips for non-commercial planes are located at Boyne Mountain and in Boyne City and Harbor Springs.

Boyne City Airport:  231.582.0377

Boyne Mountain Airstrip: 231.549.6000

Delta Air Line: 231.539.8365

Harbor Springs Airport:  231.347.2812

Pellston Regional Airport: 231.539.8441

Outdoor Recreational Activities:

Warm weather recreation in Boyne Country includes fishing, canoeing, boating, sailing, beachcombing, golfing, hiking, cycling, in-line skating, camping, picnicking, and mushroom hunting. Winter activities include Alpine and Nordic skiing, snowmobiling, ice skating, snowshoeing and ice fishing. The area also features exclusive shops and boutiques, dining and entertainment facilities.  Check out our Things To Do section

Skiing:

Boyne Highlands – 600 Highland Drive, Harbor Springs 49740
1.844.773.8320 (U.S. and Canada).

55 trails, 4 terrain parks, 430 skiable acres, 552 feet vertical drop, 35 kilometers of cross-country and snowshow trails. 13-foot halfpipe. Tubing park and FREE 16 acre ski and snowboard area for beginners. Ability to transport 17,400 skiers per hour.

Skiing

Boyne Mountain – 1 Boyne Mountain Road, Boyne Falls 49713
1.844.773.8321 (U.S. and Canada).

60 trails, 7 terrain parks, 415 skiable acres, 500′ vertical drop. Boyne Nordican Center with 35 kilometers of tiller-groomed cross-country trails, five kilometers lighted for night skiing. Tubing park. FREE 14 acre ski and snowboard area for beginners. Ability to transport over 19,000 skiers per hour.

Nub’s Nob – 500 Nub’s Nob Road, Harbor Springs 49740
1.800.SKI.NUBS or 231.526.2131.

The Midwest’s most award winning resort.  53 runs, 9 chairlifts and 2 surface lifts, 427 foot vertical drop, 28 kilometers of power-groomed cross-country trails with 2 kilometers lit for night skiing. 3 terrain parks rated best in the Midwest by Outside Magazine.  FREE Learn-to-Ski area. Ability to transport over 18,000 skiers per hour.

Cycling/In-line Skating:

Cycling and in-line skating are permitted in all 5 state parks on interior roads. Fisherman’s Island and Wilderness State Parks have designated “non-motorized” trails. Several bicycle and electric bike rental companies in the area. Shoreline Cycling Tours – spring, fall. Tours start in Harbor Springs and run through the Tunnel of Trees route. North Western State Trail, Little Traverse Wheelway, etc.

Cycling

Great scenery makes biking here even better

Boating:

Crafts of all types are available throughout the region including canoes, kayaks, power, sail, pontoon and aluminum boats. . Other water activities to enjoy: jet skiing, tubing, water skiing. Free launch sites throughout the region. Popular areas include the Bear, Sturgeon and Pigeon Rivers. Also the Inland Waterway.

Fishing:

Anglers can fish in Lake Michigan and Lake Charlevoix for chinook salmon, lake trout, blue gill, bass, perch, walleye and steelhead as well as brook, brown and rainbow trout. Trout can also be found in the Maple, Jordan, Boyne and Bear Rivers. Charters and guides available.

Camping/Hiking:

5 state parks feature campsites: Petoskey, Burt Lake, Fisherman’s Island, Young and Wilderness State Parks. Most parks offer swimming, picnicking, hiking and boating. For State Park reservations anywhere within Michigan, 1.800.44.PARKS.

Camp Petosega – 90 RV and campsites and swimming beach on Pickerel Lake. 231.347.6536.

Petoskey KOA Holiday – One mile from Lake Michigan. Several amenities. 888.665.0784.

Jellystone Park Petoskey – On Little Traverse Bay close to downtown. 231.347.1027.

Avalanche Mountain Preserve – Boyne City’s jewel – take the long way up via trails or climb 462 steps to the top of this outlook point.  Views of Lake Charlevoix make it worthwhile either way.

Little Traverse Conservancy Nature Preserves – Protects 70,000 acres of land in this area and 136,000 overall. Activities to enjoy: educational walks, birdwatching, nature study, photography.

Golfing:

Numerous championship courses throughout the area. Boyne Mountain and Boyne Highlands offers a combined ten championship courses. Golf Digest named Boyne’s Heather course and the Donald Ross Memorial among America’s 75 best Resort Courses. Plus, Bay Harbor’s three 9-hole courses are currently available for play. Golfweek says Bay Harbor is one of the most picturesque golf sites in the country.

golf course

Dining:

More than 50 restaurants in the area. Everything from fast food, to gourmet to casual family dining. Chinese, Italian, Mexican and more!

Shopping:

The area features about 90 specialty shops in Petoskey’s Gaslight District. There are delightful stores in downtown Harbor Springs, Good Hart and Boyne City. Upscale shopping is also offered at the Village at Bay Harbor. Boutique type shopping in each area includes high-fashion, specialty foods, unique gifts, art galleries and sportswear.

Store

Petoskey Stones:

Michigan’s state stone, the Petoskey stone, is actually fossilized coral thought to be at least 350 million years old. The Petoskey State Park Beach and Magnus Park are two of the few places in the state where the coral pieces can be found.

Stones

Petoskey Stones

Inland lakes:

From small lakes to large. Walloon Lake is surrounded by 52 miles of wooded shoreline, and Lake Charlevoix is the third largest inland lake in Michigan. Boyne City is on Lake Charlevoix’s southern tip. Approximate maximum depths (in feet): Crooked Lake – 61; Pickerel Lake – 70; Walloon Lake – 100; Lake Charlevoix – 150.

Lake

Inland waterway:

A series of lakes and rivers once used by Indians, French voyageurs, loggers and fishermen to travel along the lower peninsula. This 38-mile water route is located 25 miles south of the Mackinac Bridge, 15 miles west of Interstate 75 and Indian River. Today it provides a leisurely waterway for family boating fun. The Inland Waterway is considered federal waters. It begins in Crooked Lake, connects through Crooked River with Burt Lake to Indian River, then Mullet Lake. Finally, the waterway connects with Cheboygan River out to Lake Huron. Boats up to 30 feet in length may travel the waterway.

Lake

Crooked Lake

Crops and products of the region:

Strawberries, apples, pears, sweet corn, morel mushrooms in the wild and maple syrup. Local products include custom wood furniture, plastic products, cedar and log homes and specialty foods.

Weather Information:

Average Temperatures – Highs/Lows
January 27/14; February 29/13; March 38/18; April 49/30; May 64/43; June 72/52; July 77/58; August 76/57;
September 70/50; October 56/40; November 43/30; December 31/20

Average Rainfall:
May 3.2″; June 3.5″; July 2.3″; August 3.5″; September 3.9″

Average Snowfall:
October .4″; November 9″; December 39″; January 37″; February 25″; March 12″; April 2″

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