Northern Michigan is an outdoor recreation destination on a scale that most people who've never been don't fully appreciate. The Manistee National Forest covers nearly a million acres. The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore stretches 35 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline. The Jordan River Valley is one of the most breathtaking landscapes east of the Rockies. And it's all accessible, largely uncrowded, and free.
Outdoor events here put you in the middle of it: trail runs through hardwood forests, paddling tours on inland lakes, guided hikes to overlooks most people never find, and fishing tournaments on world-class trout streams. These aren't manufactured adventure experiences — they're the real thing, in places that will genuinely take your breath away.
Every season delivers something new. Spring wildflower hikes, summer kayak tours and beach bonfires, fall color trail runs through canopies of orange and gold, and winter snowshoe treks into silent frozen forests.
What to Expect
- Trail runs through Manistee National Forest
- Kayak and canoe tours on inland lakes and rivers
- Guided hikes in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
- World-class trout fishing tournaments and clinics