Old school roadside tourist attraction for just $1!!! Nothing costs one dollar. Sure you have to…read morehoof up 170 steps but on a nice day the view is great. Plus they have a big statue of Paul Bunyon and Babe. The gift store is total tourist kitch and junk but it's all part of the charm. I wouldn't go out of my way to see this but if passing by take a few minutes to enjoy this blast from the past.

We were driving through the UP looking for some activity for the kids. Climbing castle rock was the…read moreperfect experience. It was quick, affordable and provided a nice break from our drive. It won't blow you away but the view was fantastic from the top. It's a short hike up some somewhat steep stairs, kids will be fine with it. Not handicap accessible. It will take maybe 15mins to get up. Only costs $1pp! There's a gift shop at the bottom that sells touristy items. Also large statues of bunyon and blue at the bottom. It's not going to fill your whole day but a nice rest stop adventure.

I love this place. And hesitate making it more known. But this place, even with the summer crowds…read moreis extremely peaceful and soul feeding place. It's beautiful and relaxing. I've had my kids get their senior photos taken here. It's out of the way, but it's so beautiful, it's a place you have to go to. Historical information, the falls are one of the key locations that the lamprey were discovered to be in the Great Lakes and a great deal of research still takes place within a few miles of this location.

Fun place to explore and very beautiful. You don't have to walk that far to get to the falls.read more

I was made aware of Fort Mackinac when I heard a loud boom coming from the direction of a hill. I…read morethought something had exploded on the island, but no: it was just Fort Mackinac doing their thang. Apparently, they have rifle and cannon firing demonstrations here, which are scheduled, so if you want to see one while you're visiting the fort, make sure to meet at the allotted time. This is a living history museum, and you'll learn a lot about American and British military history. I mean, you probably will, because you'll read the signs and information that's posted. I mostly looked around and admired the architecture and the view, and took photos of pretty or interesting things that I saw. So from my perspective, Fort Mackinac is a cool and visually interesting place to spend an hour or two. You are basically walking into and out of different houses and structures on what used to be a military outpost. Each building has something new to learn about military life, with exhibits that appeal to all ages. I was surprised by how many interactive and hands-on exhibits there were for kids. Keep in mind that some of the buildings are very airy, so if you visit on a cold day, it might be a little chilly. Plus, you're walking in and out a lot, so if you visit during the fall like I did, you might need a jacket. The gift shop is pretty big, with lots of souvenirs to remember your visit not just of Fort Mackinac, but Mackinac Island, as well.

This is a historic fort located in the island. I would suggest this is your first attraction. Two…read morereasons to visit first - it has a back gate connect to the remaining attractions and the elevation different for easy climb to remain attractions in the island. The ticket can be purchased at bottom entrance. The elevation different is 150 feet from ticket booth to entrance. From sea level is 320 feet. The fort has 20 point of interest. That includes store house, bathhouse, reading room, block house, old hospital, gun platform and more. The experience includes dress up historic solder uniforms. There are several buildings that can be explored. That includes some film explaining the fort. This historic British military fort is important high point in the island. Now it is important tourists attraction and historic center.

This is a great state park northern lower peninsula ( roughly 8 miles from Mackinaw city) with…read moremany camping areas, swimming areas, beaches, and trails. They also rent cabins at the park. The park has great fishing off of Wakashanks point and the home to a bird preserve for nesting Piping Plovers and many other wildlife.

This place used to be great, we've been coming here for ten years. Every year I get the same site…read morewhich is the only walk in site you can hang a hammock. It was perfect, until this year. I was told I wasn't allowed to have my hammock up and had to remove it. Since I couldn't use my hammock I couldn't use the site and asked for a refund No refund was given, they just cancelled it and returned 40 percent of what I paid. The ranger was rude and unhelpful. So frustrating to have a terrible experience after 10 years of enjoyment.

Such a beautiful state park, whether you are looking for a perfect beach, clean campgrounds or just…read morea place to relax during a hike, this park is perfect. The beach has a concession stand with basic snacks, flush toilets, shower house and kayak rental. The campground is your typical Michigan State Park design - just double check your RV length. Would highly recommend stopping here any time of the year. Great place to spend a day at the beach.

When you first enter, they check if you have a recreational passport. If you do, it is free. When…read moreyou drive in there's a turn for the canpground. We went straight to the beach. They had a volleyball tournament. It was still a little cold so we had jackets and pants on the kids. It was their first time at a beach playing in the sand. The water was freezing and my kids wanted to put their feet in. The beach was nice and empty. We have been coming here for years. We love rock picking here.

I'm not much of a nature walking person, but it's been a very long time since I've been up to this…read morepart of Michigan. We discovered this place while on our way to the tunnel of trees, and I said "hey, let's stop here and check it out!" So we did. Pulling in, the parking and area isn't all that huge, but it's cute none the less. It's kind of an off shoot of the Tunnel of Trees, and we also wanted to catch a glimpse of the water if possible. There was a nice gentleman who greeted us and told us about the paths. He said to stay on the trails, check out the water and it's about a mile and a quarter of a walk. So, off we went. There's a nature center at the front with bathrooms and some educational stuff, but we skipped it and went right to the trails. They have a little map area at the front, but basically this place is one big circle and a designated path so you can't really get lost here. While it is cool to look at, it's also a lot of dead and down trees. They have signage throughout about what you're looking at, and tells you a little bit about it. Things like flowers, trees, bugs and birds. It was pretty busy even for a cooler September day, which was impressive. The coolest part of the walk was getting to see Lake Michigan. It was really super cool and you walk right onto the beach. It's not a huge area at all, literally enough to have one person at a time. There's some great photo opportunities along with a view of the lake and boats, which was fabulous to see. Overall, the place is a good stop to get some exercise at if you've been cooped up in the car and start getting antsy like me. LOL. There is a bathroom along the trail, but it's not a flushing toilet one of those holes in the ground with very little privacy. No doors just walls. Kind of weird because I was afraid someone was going to walk in. Anyway, go check it out, you can do this in less then an hours time!

Our family never tires of visiting Thorne Swift. The pathways are easy to walk, some are wood and…read moresome mulch. There are steps down to the beach area and an overlook of the dunes. The pond is lovely. If you are fortunate, you may catch a glimpse of some wildlife, today there were a number of cedar waxwings at the pond. All the paths are mostly shaded. Caretakers are on hand to answer questions and give information. The nature house features some interesting animal facts and specimens. Monarch butterfly releases are scheduled and an aquarium with the caterpillars is just inside the door. A variety of classes and talks are offered. Informative signs are scattered along the trails, some with photos. Many of the trees and plants are labeled with signage. There is a donation box in front of the nature house, and ample parking.

Great spot - stayed one night on our way thru. Pull thru site, didn't even have to unhook camper…read more Hiking trails in park taking you to beach with beautiful view of the bridge.

This is a great state park to visit. I haven't camped here yet, but I've visited multiple times to…read morewalk on the (admittedly short) trails. The trails are well maintained with gravel, although some parts can be muddy if it had rained recently. At this time of year, be sure to bring plenty of bug spray! You can see views of the bridge from several view points, or soak in the woods and wildflowers. If you're not sure what to do, the park ranger in the fee booth has great recommendations, as well as lawn games if you're bored when camping. Note you need to pay an entrance fee if you don't have the Michigan recreation passport (you pay when you register your car in Michigan).

I didn't know this existed but Nate had us stop when we were traveling through the U.P. last fall…read more I appreciated the clean bathroom facilities and a nice spot to stretch our legs. There are some great views of the bridge when you go underneath it. We also took a second to walk across part of the bridge, but honestly it was a little scary with how fast the cars were whipping by us up there! You can take a path down under the bridge and then even further down to the water - we didn't make it all the way but you'll definitely get your blood flowing doing this! Lots of steps and even though it was shady and not super hot, I was sweaty afterwards! This was a nice place to get out of the car and I'd stop here again on this drive.

Cute little roadside Park. They call it a million dollar bridge over a 10-cent River, but you're…read morenot there for the river you're there for the views of lake Michigan. There are 263 steps to go down and then come back up and there are decks with seating all the way down, and up, so you can take a rest if you need to. Definitely not handicap accessible. The park itself has vaulted toilets, glorified outhouses, picnic area and a few trails. There's also a door under the bridge with the name of troll door so if you're from the lower peninsula you can get your picture taken with it cuz you're essentially a troll, I got my picture done. Would get 5 stars, Just the one star off for not being handicap accessible, but overall a great free roadside Park and an awesome view of lake Michigan.

Mountain Bikes trails are hard to follow and aren't any good ! No single track that I could findread more

Well-maintained state trails. Shady, soft forest surface. Hilly and scenic. Lots of ORV trail…read morecrossings; I imagine it can get loud when the riders are out, but it was quiet and peaceful the day we went. My current favorite northern Michigan hike.

We found the sawmill while driving along the coast from Cheboygan. We decided to stop as it said it…read morewas historic site and place to visit. This place was great! The tour guide was just very enthusiastic and really into milling. She was able to explain everything and it was quite fascinating to see. Well worth the price of the admission tickets. Definitely a must do when in this area.

This is a historic park on route 23 - about 5-10 minutes drive SE of Mackinaw City. There are a…read morehandful of structures restored from the 1800s. The main focal point is a water powered sawmill that existed there - where one can see the engineering skills of the day. This was the first industrial-like setup of the time. There are scheduled demonstrations run by people who help out at the park to first explain the wood cutting, first the manual effort, then the new way. For our tour, the demonstrator asked for a small child to help - making it interactive in a way. Beyond the tour there are hiking trails - complete through the woods, around, up and down hills and around ponds. For $9 per person additional, there is an adventure tour - great for older kids. Includes ziplining, treetop walking, rock climbing, and a view from the tower. Be prepared though, we showed up at 3:30 (the adventure tours are on the hour) and the last tour (5:00) was already sold out. Very shaded throughout, well maintained... allow 90 minutes without the adventure tour unless you get ambitious and do hiking trails... Allow 2.5 hours otherwise (either hiking or adventure tour).