Top 5 Michigan Road Trips

Michigan may not seem like an adventure wonderland to those on the outside, but native Michiganders know there is so much to see in our grand state!
There are multiple ways to explore Michigan, but road trips might just be the most fun way to see all Michigan can offer! These are some Michigan road trips that we think you should add to your bucket list!

1. Drive the M22! If you’ve never driven M22, make sure you add this to your bucket list. It is 116 miles long and has everything to make for a great day of road tripping-gorgeous views, delicious food stops, and some interesting sight seeing. It starts in Manistee County and wraps around the Leelanau Peninsula, ending in Traverse City. Some of the best places to stop are Point Betsie Lighthouse, Leland Fish Town and Glen Arbor, Crystal Lake, and Sleeping Bear Dunes! Make it a day trip or spend a weekend in the area to really soak in all the beauty of the area (as well as enjoy a few drinks and food at local eateries). This route is beautiful in all seasons, but if you can tour it in the fall, the colors are spectacular!
2. Red Arrow Hwy in SW Michigan! This highway offers everything from small towns to beach views to antiquing! Take it from St. Joseph to New Buffalo for a great day of exploring the Southwest shoreline. Spend some time in St. Joseph exploring the beautiful, historic, downtown area, stop at Warren Dunes State Park, and every antique store along the way! There are also some great wineries in the area to explore as well.
3. Enjoy the Sunrise and Dark Skies on US23! Maybe an overlooked area of Michigan, the Lake Huron coastline is just as stunning as Lake Michigan or Lake Superior. Also known as the Heritage Route, this is a 200 mile long highway from Standish to Mackinaw City. Stop and see Sturgeon Point Lighthouse, enjoy the views at Thunder Bay, and end the night at the Headlands Dark Sky Park for the best night sky views!
4. Explore 10 of the Most Iconic Lighthouses on the Lake Michigan Coast! Michigan is known for it’s lighthouses. With a large amount of coastlines comes the safety of boats, and lighthouse have been doing that for centuries in Michigan. There are 121 lighthouses in our great state with some that have become so iconic that people from out of state know them. Starting in St. Joseph, travel north to Ludington to hit up 10 of the most iconic lighthouses on the Lake Michigan Coast. The lighthouses include St. Joseph, South Haven, Holland, Grand Haven, Muskegon, White River, Little Sable, Ludington, and Big Sable. This is great to see the variety of lighthouses on Lake Michigan and as a photographer, it’s a fun trip to grab some of your own photos of these icons.
5. See the Best of the U.P.! There are so many wonders in the U.P. to explore! Waterfalls, sandstone cliffs, springs, mountains, and that’s just getting started! This might take a few days to see everything, but if you have a week, make sure you make all the stops! Some of the must sees (even if you’ve seen them before) are Tahquamenon Falls, Porcupine Mountains, Whitefish Point, Pictured Rocks, Miner’s Falls, Mackinac Island, Kitch-Iti-Kipi Springs, and Copper Harbor for some of the most beautiful and interesting spots in Michigan! It’s a trip you’ll remember, and one that will make you appreciate the size and diversity of Michigan. Just know there is a limited window to explore some of these areas as snow tends to come early and linger late in the northern most spots of the U.P.

These are just a few of our favorite road trip ideas to explore Michigan, but there is so much more that these routes don’t even touch! Have you done any of these or which one are you going to do first! Let us know in our Adventure group on Facebook!

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