What to Do in Bay View

The Petoskey Area is a major year-round destination, but summer seems to trump the other three seasons when it comes to visitors. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, Northern Michigan experiences a massive influx of vacationers and seasonal residents exploring all the nooks and crannies, restaurants and shops, and beaches and bike trails our area has to offer.

A coveted location, bursting with amenities, deep history, and a culture all its own, is the Bay View Association—a traditional summertime community that has thrived since 1876. People flock to Bay View to see its colorful collection of Victorian homes, experience its diverse programming for all ages, and to stay and dine within its confines. For those intrigued readers, here’s what to do in Bay View.

 

A Brief History

Let’s start at the beginning and set the tone for this destination. The Bay View Association is a National Historic Landmark that celebrates its origins in the Methodist camp meeting tradition and in the independent Chautauqua communities that once flourished in our country. At Bay View, the religious, cultural, social, and educational sectors intersect, creating a beautiful and artistic community that emphasizes being together.

Since the late 1800s, people have readily come to the Petoskey Area in general, and to Bay View in particular, to embrace a culture most unique and somewhat untouched by the passage of time. Bay View is a place to disconnect and reconnect, simultaneously, while surrounded by nature.

 

Dining & Lodging

Now that you know a bit more about Bay View, let’s discuss the on-site options for resting your head and attending to your appetite.

In the heart of Bay View, resides The Terrace Inn, which welcomed its first visitors in June 1911—115 years ago this month! Inn operations have changed hands a few times since then, with the establishment being under the purview of Mary Beth and Matt Bennett since 2024. This boutique hotel offers 38 guest rooms, suites, apartments, and cozy cottages, and your stay includes a complimentary continental breakfast with a rotating selection of pastries, yogurt, granola, cereal, and quiche.

As for dining, located at The Terrace Inn is 1911 Restaurant, helmed by Northern Michigan native and executive chef Randy Hopkins, serving inventive dishes with seasonal, locally sourced ingredients.

Slightly north of The Terrace Inn, and right on the shores of Lake Michigan, is the Bay View Inn, another National Historic Landmark in the Petoskey Area. For more than 140 years, this inn has welcomed visitors and vacationers, providing respite and reprieve from everyday life. A beautifully restored Victorian structure, the Bay View Inn is now owned by Jon and Lauren Cotton after decades under the Stafford family’s tenure, where the tradition of hospitality lives on.

With a healthy mix of cozy and spacious rooms and suites, the Bay View Inn ensures its guests are comfortable from check-in to check-out. On-site amenities include gorgeous views of Little Traverse Bay, an afternoon social hour, all-day coffee and tea service, complimentary bikes, and EV charging stations.

The Roselawn Dining Room is where you’ll find locally inspired dishes and regional favorites served daily, including whitefish, chilled cherry soup, and classic cocktails. Dine indoors or take a seat on the Lakeside Deck for an al fresco experience.

The Bay View Inn and The Terrace Inn both hold a partnership with the Bay View Association; therefore, guests have access to the community’s activities and offerings, such as live music and entertainment, pickleball and tennis courts, paddleboards, hiking and biking trails, and use of Bay View’s private beach.

Another option for snacks and coffee is The Gathering Post within Bay View, which is another right of passage of staying in this storied community. And you can find fun Bay View merch to take home as a souvenir!

 

Bay View Woods

For those wishing to connect with nature, the Bay View Woods is one of the major draws to this historic community. The 168-acre nature preserve is bursting with flora, fauna, and diverse landscapes. Walkers and hikers and their leashed four-legged friends can explore low-lying bogs, hilly terrain, and hardwood forests through the area’s four miles of trails.

Each trail is well-marked with signs denoting difficulty—one hiker icon means easy, so the more hikers on a sign, the harder the hike. The Gateway and Memorial trails are less than a half mile long and flat for an easygoing experience. The Old Indian Trail and the Deer Trail traverse marshy and wooded lowlands, while the Algonquin Trail is hilly, winding, and steep. There are additional trails throughout the Bay View Woods, but these are the most popular paths. Remember: While on the trails, please refrain from picking flowers, disturbing wildlife, and leaving dog waste.

 

Events & Activities

If you’re looking for things to do or experience, you came to the right community—the Bay View Association is known for its extensive programming through the summer months. During its annual Bay View Music Festival, more than 30 professional faculty artists and over 75 collegiate musicians are featured, with several major pops concerts to attend. Bay View also hosts Chamber music concerts, theater and opera productions, and youth-centric performances each year, presenting impressive talent for all in the Petoskey Area community to enjoy.

Some events that are free and open to the public include Monday Night Movies, screened in Voorhies Hall at 7:30pm, and The Scarrow Friday Forum, from 10:00 am to 11:00 am, featuring a wide array of speakers—two weekly events that run all season. Sunday morning worship services and Religion and Life Lectures with nationally known speakers are also free and welcome everyone.

The Bay View Library is also a must-see. With its more than 9,000 books, wi-fi (if you have to get some work done), children’s storytime, and cozy atmosphere, any bookworm will feel right at home in this on-campus treasure!

If you’d prefer to move around rather than sit, Bay View’s Education Program offers opportunities for all ages to learn in an active, engaging environment. Those visiting Bay View can participate in classes covering culinary arts, health and wellness, and fine arts and crafts, or drop in on a book club meeting or a current events discussion group. Kids’ classes and programs are quite popular and tend to fill up quickly, so be sure to do some research before arriving for your stay in Bay View to see what’s available for the young travelers in your group.

And, if you didn’t get enough walking in while exploring the Bay View Woods, you can also do a self-guided historic walking tour of Bay View to discover why this spot in the Petoskey Area received the country’s highest designation as a National Historic Landmark in 1987.

 

Reaching the Outside Community

We’ve spent a lot of time talking about Bay View and all its amenities and nearby lodging and dining establishments, but when you visit Bay View, you’re so close to all the surrounding communities of the Petoskey Area, too!

The Little Traverse Wheelway—a 23-mile paved trail—conveniently passes through Bay View to guide you on further adventures. You can hop on the wheelway and walk or bike south into downtown Petoskey for more dining, shopping, and activities, like Art in the Park, Concerts in the Park, or Movies in the Park at Dark. Experience the beautiful waterfront and maybe even walk out onto the breakwall pier to catch a stunning sunset—a personal favorite of many locals.

Heading north on the Wheelway, you can get to the Petoskey State Park on M-119 or even make it all the way to Harbor Springs around the Little Traverse Bay!

Bay View is a centrally located place to set up a home base when you visit the Petoskey Area, providing amazing amenities, fun for all ages, and easy access to Alanson, Bay Harbor, Boyne City, Boyne Falls, Harbor Springs, and beyond.

Plus, if you want to send a postcard to a friend back home about how awesome your time up north was, Bay View has its own post office—what more could you ask for?

 

About the Author: Alex Dailey is a long-time Northern Michigan resident who happily calls Petoskey home. When she isn’t at her computer writing and editing, you can find her taste-testing craft cocktails, patronizing downtown shops (especially bookstores), and participating in as many local literary events as possible. She looks forward to sharing her Petoskey Area favorites with you!