lake michigan circle tour itinerary

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Lighthouse Driving Itinerary

Home » Lighthouse Map + Circle Tour » Lighthouse Driving Itinerary

Lake Michigan Circle Tour Itinerary Plan

The Great Lakes Circle Tours are a total of four routes circling each Great Lake, with the exception of Lake Ontario. The State of Michigan has signed each of the circle tours for the Great Lakes the state touches: the Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, and Lake Superior Circle Tours. These tours were originally conceived as an aid for travelers who wished to stick close to the shorelines of the lakes in their journeys. You’ll find the Lake Michigan Circle Tour route below.

Lake Michigan Lighthouse Map & Circle Tour

The Lake Michigan Lighthouse Map & Circle Tour is a free publication available from the West Michigan Tourist Association to accompany the Lake Michigan Circle Tour. Request your free copy of the Lake Michigan Lighthouse Map & Circle Tour .

Lake Michigan Circle Tour Route

Michigan side.

The route of the mainline Lake Michigan Circle Tour in Michigan follows signed state trunkline routes in its entirety, although in some places the nearest state highway to the Lake Michigan may be several miles away. Along with the primary Circle Tour route, several marked “Lake Michigan Circle Tour Loops” have been posted using white-on-brown signs. These loops may follow state highways or utilize city streets and county roads running closer to the shoreline. These loop routes are detailed below the mainline route below:

• The Lake Michigan Circle Tour enters Michigan from Indiana on US-12 south of New Buffalo and proceeds northerly through New Buffalo to I-94.
• The route leaves US-12 and continues northerly on I-94 from Exit 4 toward St Joseph. At Exit 23, the route exits I-94 and continues northerly into downtown St Joseph via BL I-94.
• In St Joseph, the Lake Michigan Circle Tour continues northerly on M-63 into northern Berrien Co.
• At the nothern terminus of M-63, the circle tour proceeds northerly on I-196/US-31 toward South Haven.
• The route leaves I-196/US-31 at Exit 18 and loops through South Haven using BL I-196.
• On the east side of South Haven, where BL I-196 ends at I-196/US-31 Exit 20, the route continues north into Allegan Co on I-196/US-31.
• While the Lake Michigan Circle Tour remains on I-196/US-31 at Saugatuck/Douglas, a locally-designated Lake Michigan Circle Tour Harbor Tour loop route is signed concurrently with A-2/Blue Star Hwy between Exits 36 and 41.
• The circle tour continues northerly on US-31/BL I-196 toward Holland at Exit 44 when I-196 splits off to the east.
• At Exit 47, route signage indicates that the circle tour exits US-31 and loops through downtown Holland following the former route of BUS US-31/BL I-196. However, this business loop route through Holland was removed in August 2004 (signage removed in May 2005), but Lake Michigan Circle Tour markers along US-31 itself still indicates the route exits US-31 onto a business route which no longer exists. Therefore, the new de facto route for the circle tour continues northerly past Holland via the US-31 bypass.
• On the east side of Holland, the route continues northerly following US-31 through Grand Haven and toward Norton Shores.
• At the jct of US-31 & I-96, the Lake Michigan Circle Tour leaves US-31 and follows BUS US-31 through downtown Muskegon.
• Northeast of downtown Muskegon, the route continues northerly via M-120 to North Muskegon and northeasterly back to US-31.
• Back on US-31, the circle tour continues northerly toward Ludington, leaving US-31 twice: once to follow the route of BUS US-31 through the downtowns of Whitehall and Montague in northern Muskegon Co; and again to follow the route of BUS US-31 through downtown Pentwater in Oceana Co.
• At the end of the US-31 freeway near Ludington, the Lake Michigan Circle Tour turns east following US-10/US-31 toward Scottville.
• At Scottville, the circle tour turns northerly again to follow US-31 toward Manistee, although a locally-designated Lake Michigan Circle Tour Loop Route formerly continued east on US-10 into downtown, then northerly via Old US-31 back to US-31 and the Lake Michigan Circle Tour. (NOTE: The Lake Michigan Circle Tour Loop route through Scottville was removed/decommissioned some time in late 2004 or early 2005 and no longer exists.)
• The route continues northerly from Scottville and through Manistee on US-31.
• Northeast of Manistee, the route turns northerly to follow M-22 through Onekama, Frankfort and Empire.
• Northeast of Empire, a Lake Michigan Circle Tour Loop Route leaves M-22 to follow M-109 past Glen Haven, rejoining M-22 at Glen Arbor. (The mainline LMCT remains on M-22 between Empire and Glen Arbor.)
• From Glen Arbor, the circle tour continues northerly on M-22 through Leland to Northport. At Northport, M-22 and the Lake Michigan Circle Tour turn nearly 180 degrees to head southerly into Traverse City.
• At Traverse City, the Lake Michigan Circle Tour returns to US-31 and continues northerly via US-31 through Elk Rapids, Charlevoix and Petoskey and on toward the Mackinac Bridge.
• South of Mackinaw City, where US-31 ends, the route continues northerly on I-75 crossing the Mackinac Bridge and entering the Upper Peninsula at St Ignace. Between Mackinaw City and St Ignace, the Lake Michigan Circle Tour is jointed by the Lake Huron Circle Tour.
• In St Ignace, the Lake Michigan Circle Tour continues westerly along US-2 for more than 140 miles through Manistique and Gladstone to Escanaba.
• At Escanaba, the circle tour continues southwesterly via M-35 along the Green Bay shoreline to Menominee
• The route continues south on US-41 through Menominee and enters Wisconsin at Marinette.

Thanks to Chris Bessert and the Michigan Highways site for the route.

Wisconsin Side

In Wisconsin, the mainline of the Lake Michigan Circle Tour follows signed state highway routes in its entirety, although in some places the nearest state highway to the Lake Michigan may be several miles away. This route listing lists the official route as well as any locally-designated and marked “Lake Michigan Circle Tour Loops,” which are generally posted with brown signs. These loop routes are detailed below the mainline route below:

• The Lake Michigan Circle Tour enters Wisconsin from Illinois via STH-32 and proceeds northerly through the downtowns of Kenosha, Racine and Milwaukee, all the while following STH-32 religiously.
• In northern metropolitan Milwaukee, the LMCT joins I-43/STH-32/STH-57 heading northerly into Ozaukee Co.
• At Grafton, the tour departs I-43 to remain on STH-32 and continues through Port Washington.
• On the north side of Port Washington, the tour rejoins I-43 and contines northerly via I-43/STH-32 toward Sheboygan.
• At Exit 123, the circle tour departs I-43 and continues northeasterly via STH-28 into Sheboygan.
• At STH-23, where STH-28 ends and STH-42 begins, the LMCT continues northwesterly via STH-42 back to I-43 at Exit 128.
• The route continues northerly via I-43 from Sheboygan to Manitowoc.
• At Manitowoc, the circle tour leaves I-43 at Exit 149 and continues into downtown via US-151.
• In downtown Manitowoc, the route continues northerly via US-10 to STH-42. Also in downtown Manitowoc, a rather unique Lake Michigan Circle Tour spur route begins: travelling straight across the lake via Lake Michigan Carferry’s S.S. Badger carferry!
• On the north side of Manitowoc, the tour continues northerly via STH-42 through the communities of Two Rivers, Kewaunee and Algoma into Door Co and the Door Peninsula.
• At STH-57, the Lake Michigan Circle Tour turns northeasterly via STH-42/STH-57 past Sturgeon Bay.
• The route then heads northeasterly along the Lake Michigan side of the peninsula via STH-57 through Jacksonport, meeting back up with STH-42 in Sister Bay.
• In Sister Bay, the Lake Michigan Circle Tour turns back southwesterly via STH-42 through Egg Harbor to Sturgeon Bay once again.
• Southwest of Sturgeon Bay, the tour continues southwesterly via STH-57 into Green Bay.
• At Green Bay, the circle tour transitions to the final seven miles of I-43 northwesterly to that highway’s northern terminus at US-41/US-141.
• The Lake Michigan Circle Tour then turns northerly via US-41/US-141 in Howard.
• A the US-41/US-141 split in Abrams, the circle tour veers northeasterly to follow US-41 through Oconto and Peshitgo on its way to Marinette.
• At Marinette, the Lake Michigan Circle Tour enters Michigan on the US-41 Interstate Bridge linking that city with its sister, Menominee, on the other bank.

Thanks to Chris Bessert and the Wisconsin Highways site for providing the route.

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Travel the Lake Michigan Circle Tour

The Lake Michigan Circle Tour is roughly 1,100 miles long and would take 14.5 hours with no stops.

Northern Lake Michigan Circle Tour

Northwest Michigan

Michigan's Upper Peninsula

Northeastern wisconsin.

Southern Lake Michigan Circle Tour

Southeastern wisconsin, northern illinois, northern indiana, southwest michigan, central west michigan, thank you for visiting our website www.lakemichigancircletour.com please "like" us at facebook.com/lakemichigandestinations.

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How to make the most of the Lake Michigan Circle Tour

• April 12, 2018

When it comes to Great American road trips along the water, California’s Pacific Coast Highway gets all the press. But I say the middle coast is incredibly underrated. Why not drive around Lake Michigan?

There are two ways to tackle this 900-mile, 14.5-hour drive. The first is to complete it all at once. The other? Break it into two separate trips—the north loop and the south loop. A ferry between Manitowoc, WI and Ludington, MI make it easy to bisect the huge body of water. The 620 passenger vessel can accommodate tour buses, RVs and cars, and takes about four hours. Sounds like a fun adventure to me!

In addition to resources on GoRVing.com , both Michigan and Wisconsin’s tourism boards do a great job of pointing you toward RV campgrounds along the route.    

Tackling the serene North Loop

Kick off your trip in Ludington, Michigan, heading north toward Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, and Traverse City. With its rich blue waters, white sand beaches and nothing but water on the horizon, it’s easy to see why this town is called the Caribbean of the North.

If you can, allot a few days here. Explore Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes, the five local lighthouses (I have a thing for lighthouses!), and explore many great restaurants. From breakfast at the Grand Traverse Pie Company to Asian-inspired food at Alliance Restaurant, there’s no shortage of great places to grab a bite.

Next, it’s on to the “Tip of the Mitt” (aka the top of Michigan—you’ll notice locals regularly use their palm to denote locations within the state). Stop in Petoskey’s downtown, which overlooks Lake Michigan and offers terrific shopping, then continue on to Mackinaw City. From here, you must must must take the ferry to famous Mackinac Island. It’s one of my favorite places in the country. Touristy, sure, but I adore any place where no cars are allowed (here’s my travel guide to the island ). Simply leave your camper or RV on the mainland and head over for the day or even overnight.

From Mackinaw City, you’ll cross the “The Mighty Mac,” the 10th largest over water suspension bridge in the world. Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (aka the U.P.).

For one of the strangest attractions in the area, visit Saint Ignace’s Mystery Spot , an area where gravity, allegedly, seems to have gone haywire. Is it a natural phenomenon… or cheesy tourist roadside stop? Hmm… maybe both. The route through the U.P. is quite rural, but offers many opportunities to immerse yourself in nature. Fall colors explore here, and there’s tons of great hiking and mountain biking.

Continue on to Marinette, WI. This area is known for its series of scenic and accessible waterfalls, located primarily in Marinette County’s Parks System. From there, it’s on to Green Bay, home of the Packers and historic Lambeau Field.

If you can, allocate a few days to picturesque Door County, WI. A weekend and holiday playground for Milwaukee and Chicago residents, you’ll find quaint shops, wineries, restaurants, pretty campgrounds and more on this peninsula. And with that, you’re headed to Manitowoc, home to the largest maritime museum on the Great Lakes, and where you can hop aboard the ferry back to Ludington.

Exploring the scenic South Loop

The south loop kicks off in Manitowoc. Head south down I-43 Sheboygan and into Milwaukee. If you’re lucky enough to drive through on a Friday, hit up one of the city’s many fish frys. In fact, no matter where you are in Wisconsin, this happens every single Friday. Think fried cod or perch served with tartar sauce, potato pancakes, apple sauce and coleslaw. Paired with a Wisconsin brewed beer or an old fashioned, it’s the quintessential ‘Sconnie meal.

Next stop? Chicago. Route 137 joins Lakeshore Drive (US-41), taking you past the Lincoln Park Zoo, Navy Pier and the Shedd Aquarium. Indiana is but a blip on the Circle Tour, passing through industrial Gary (birthplace of Michael Jackson), then onto Dunes Highway near the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. If weather permits, stretch your legs along the sandy shoreline, or hike the West Beach Dune Succession Trail and boardwalk. Nearby you’ll find the town of Beverly Shores, where you may view the five historic Century of Progress Homes from the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair.

The Dunes Highway continues on to Michigan City (which is actually in Indiana), then into the Great Lakes State. Explore the Riviera of the Midwest’s charming towns, like the wine lover’s haven of New Buffalo; St. Joseph and its delightful lighthouse and beach; and Holland, known for its Dutch heritage, quaint shops and restaurants, and its annual springtime Tulip Festival . Both Grand Haven and Muskegon are great stops for beach adventures, spectacular views of lakeside dunes, wilderness trails and more. There are plenty of places to park your RV for a night or extended stay.

The farther north you drive, the more scenic and less populated the landscape. Meander through the communities of Whitehall, New Era, Shelby, and Hart, as well as Silver Lake Sand Dunes. The blue waters adjacent to the dunes are so crystal clear, you can actually view a wreckage of three ships that sunk on November 11, 1940. Art lovers will adore Pentwater, which hosts arts and crafts fairs all summer long. Fifteen minutes north of Pentwater, you’ll be in Ludington, where you may catch the ferry back to Manitowoc.

Have you driven the Lake Michigan Circle Tour? Any tips for making the most of the experience?

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This Post Has 15 Comments

Do have a map of this tour?

Try this link. https://www.wmta.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Lighthouse-Map-for-Web-2018.pdf

I loved the info. I grew up in Zion IL. Do you have a map of this tour?

I loved this info and grew up 50 miles north of Chicago in Zion. I wondered if you have a map of this tour?

I did this trip late last Sept in my T@b camper for 2-1/2 weeks. Made it as far as Mackinaw Island, but not the upper peninsula, It was the hottest two weeks MI had experienced all summer. Stayed in state parks all around the lake down to Holland. Let me just say, Lake Michigan is absolutely beautiful and the beaches and clear water made for some great swimming! I highly recommend Sleeping Bear Dunes Nat Park, the wineries on Traverse Bay, and the trip back in time on Mackinaw Island! Can’t wait to go back and go up into the Upper Peninsula!!!

@Kathy – Hello! I will be driving a camper for a 5 day trip around Lake Michigan, coming from Chicago. I saw your comment and was wondering if you had any additional suggestions/tips for camping. Sleeping Bear is definitely on the list already. I’m just trying to research easy places to stay for a night or two on the trip. Any advice is greatly appreciated! Stephanie

Try this on a Harley….. so much more fun.

I would love a paper map of the circle tour. Is that available? Been looking at lots of sites and see nothing. Thanks for any help.

My husband and I took a week’s vacation to drive around Lake Michigan a number of years ago – stopping and staying in many of the lakeside towns along the way. Even though we’ve vacationed in west and northern Michigan our whole lives, we discovered things we had never seen before or hadn’t seen in years. Shopping in Saugatuck, swimming in Lake Michigan all along the way, seeing Dorr County, WI, Lambeau Field and New Buffalo for the first time. Driving through the Tunnel of Trees along Lake MIchigan north of Harbor Springs (and lunch or dinner at Legs Inn in Cross Village on a shelf overlooking the lake.) Hanging out in Chicago. But somehow we missed Silver Lake Sand Dunes, still need to go back to see them! If you’re going now, check out some of the many craft breweries along the way — Greenbush (Sawyer, MI), New Holland (Holland, MI), Founders (Grand Rapids, MI), Right Brain, Workshop, & North Peak (Traverse City, MI), Short’s (Bellaire, MI), 3 Floyds (Munster, IN) — and tour the not-so-small Miller brewery in Milwaukee! And those are just the ones we’ve been to – there are many more. It’s a great trip, so beautiful!

Great tip. Harbor Spring Michigan is a must-do. Don’t forget Johans Backereys in Petosky and Harbor Springs!

Teri. I liked your comment around the Lake Michigan tour that you and your husband did, that is some thing that me and my wife would like to do this coming week, do you have a map or places that you may recommend to stop by. will appreciate if you can share it.

Alfredo & Austria

I would like a paper map, how do I get one?

West Michigan provides a paper map of the circle tour. It also shows most of the Lake Michigan Lighthouses on the route. You can print off your own map by downloading it or send a request and they will mail one to you. https://www.wmta.org/lake-michigan-lighthouse-map-circle-tour/lighthouse-driving-itinerary/ You can also visit the: State of Michigan Historical Markers web site for additional places to visit: State of Wisconsin Historical Markers: https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS15267 State of Illinois Historical Markes: http://www.historyillinois.org/HistoricalMarkers.aspx State of Indiana Historical Marker: https://www.in.gov/history/2350.htm I am also going to suggest a side trip to Beaver Island, Michigan which is the largest inhabited island in Lake Michigan, with a year round population. You can fly there from Charlevoix airport (15mins) or take the ferry from Charlevoix (2 and 1/2 hours) leave your car in Charlevoix you can rent a car (advance reservation suggested or rent a bike). There are a couple of primitive campgrounds that are only $10 a night both right on Lake Michigan! Thank you Samantha for your suggestions as well.

As a lifelong Mighigander, I have a few must see places that I visit whenever I vacation on the Lake Michigan shoreline: 1) Horizons bookstore in Traverse City- one of America’s great bookstores 2) Northern Latitudes Distillery in Leland 3) Scalawag’s Seafood in Traverse City and Mackinaw City 4) The Omelette Shoppe in Traverse City 5) Grand Traverse Winery in the Old Mission Peninsula

I grew up in Muskegon, Michigan, so I’m glad Sam mentions it. Pere Marquette beach there is indeed beautiful. Downtown is a short exit off US-31 and has a great brewery, Pigeon Hill, and I believe a distillery nearby as well. South of downtown is the excellent Hearthstone restaurant, from which you can easily get back to US-31. Head north on US-31, between Muskegon and Whitehall, and you’ll find Michigan’s Adventure Amusement Park and water park. There are several camping options in the area, including Duck Creek RV Resort, which is across the street from Michigan’s Adventure.

I currently live in Chicago, where I’ve been for several years. I love the city, but it’s probably not the best place to visit on this driving tour. You can get around best without a car, and parking is really expensive. Also, since there’s a lot to do here, I think it warrants more time and thus a separate visit. If/when you do come to Chicago, my advice is to also get out of downtown and into the real neighborhoods, as they all offer cool restaurants, shops, pubs, festivals, etc. and more character.

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Must-visit stops along the Lake Michigan Circle Tour

By: The Outbound Collective + Save to a List

Any season can be road trip season! Are you feeling lost or craving something fun to do with friends, but don’t quite know where or how to start planning? We’ve got you. The Lake Michigan Circle Tour is a ~1,100-mile loop that passes through Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Indiana following the shorelines of Lake Michigan. 

Lake Michigan is the fifth largest lake in the world! Among the five Great Lakes, it’s the second largest in volume and the third largest in surface area. Don’t underestimate the beauty and magnetism of this Midwestern body of water. Along the drive, you'll experience beaches, forests, dunes, local breweries, delicious food joints, National Parks and National Lakeshores.

Since the route is a loop, you can start anywhere you want (Chicago is popular)! Below are some places you should check out in each state you’ll pass through! Download the Outbound Collective app to find even more popular and hidden adventures along your route. 

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria – Chicago, IL

Satisfy your hunger by indulging in deep dish pizza for a true Chicago experience. Lou Malnoti's is run by the oldest family name in Chicago pizza history! The 9-inch-deep 'zas are made fresh and are the perfect easy meal to share among friends while getting a taste of Chicago.

Starbucks Reserve Roastery – Chicago, IL

Coffee lovers will enjoy the opportunity to visit the largest Starbucks in the world! Built in 2019, this Starbucks Reserve is four-stories-high – definitely not your average coffee shop! Right in the heart of Michigan Avenue, you can order any of your favorite classic Starbucks drinks, and can also choose from a selection of gourmet coffee, food, and alcoholic beverages. Grab a latte before hitting the road or stay for a while to fully experience the roastery.

Ice Skate at Maggie Daley Park – Chicago, IL

As winter is approaching, what better way to get into a festive spirit than to go ice skating? Chicago is home to the longest ice skating ribbon in the U.S. at a total distance of a quarter-mile. This year, the skating ribbon opens November 18, 2022. If you take this road trip during the warmer months, the ribbon is used for rollerblading instead! Admission is free, and rental skates are available. Not only will you have fun doing something active outdoors in a major city, but you’ll also bask in incredible views of the city skyline and lights.

Mars Cheese Castle  – Kenosha, WI

When you think of Wisconsin, what comes to mind? …. CHEESE! Wisconsin is the #1 cheese-producing state in the country and it wouldn’t be right to pass through the state without having a cheese-related experience! Stop by this unique castle stocked with all the cheese you can imagine, plus baked goods, meats, and popcorn! It’s about an hour drive north of Chicago.

Milwaukee Public Market – Milwaukee, WI

Not sure what to eat for lunch? People in the car arguing over what they’re in the mood for? The Milwaukee Public Market is sure to have something that will satisfy everyone! Get inspired by a plethora of food vendors from seafood to Thai to Middle Eastern and plant-based options! Then, take your food up to the Palm Garden seating area on the second floor. If you have the time or are stopping for the night, try out one of the hands-on or demonstration classes  and learn how to make coffee toffee and hot cinnamon peanut brittle, curate your own bottle of gin, etc. Reserve your spot ahead of time - class tickets sell out!

Point Beach State Forest – near Two Rivers, WI

This state forest boasts roughly 3000-acres of land and 6 miles of beach along the Lake Michigan coast. It’s a great spot to stop to go swimming in the hot summer months. Hike along the Ice Age Trail , visit the Rawley Point Lighthouse , or stay overnight at one of the family campsites.

Grand Traverse Pie Company – Traverse City, MI

Transport yourself to grandma’s kitchen with a trip to this pie-lovers destination! Inhale the fresh baked smells wafting your way and delight in the joy of sharing a pie with your traveling companions. The Grand Traverse Pie Company is committed to using Michigan products and suppliers whenever possible, which you can taste with each rich and flaky bite. Choose from a wide selection of options like the blueberry lemon silk pie, vernors cherry pie, and lakeshore berry crumb. They also make sandwiches, salads, quiches, and pot pies!

Great Wolf Lodge – Traverse City, MI

You can enjoy summer fun activities even in the cold weather right here at the Great Wolf Lodge’s 37,000-foot indoor water park! Stay overnight or purchase a full or half-day pass to dip your toes in the warm waters and scream your way down waterslides. 

Sleeping Bear Dunes – Glen Arbor, MI

Located in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, this National Lakeshore features truly stunning sandy dunes and forests. Hike the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore  or  Drive the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive  to get a taste of this beautiful area. Michigan Ice Fest – Munising, MI

Anyone who interested in ice climbing, whether you’re someone who has no experience, some experience, or an expert, should definitely check out this renowned ice climbing event! It’ll be held from February 8-12, 2023. The south shore of Lake Superior has some of the country’s best ice climbing. Learn more advanced skills and receive instructions during courses, clinics, and socials to connect with people in the climbing community! Some of the world’s best alpinists and ice climbers will be there. How often will you have the opportunity to grab a drink after a day of activity with a professional athlete?!Even if you aren’t a climber, the event is fun to spectate or attend for climbing photography experience. Online registration is $65 and $85 at the door.

Veldheer Tulip Gardens – Holland, MI

Did you know you can have a very European experience right in the state of Michigan? Holland is an extremely charming town featuring European-style architecture, tulip fields, and windmills that could easily be mistaken for a village in the Netherlands. The tulips are at their most vibrant in May while lilies flourish through the spring and summer. The town is still a unique and cute stopping point even in the winter months.

Mackinac Island

You’ll need to take a ferry from Mackinaw City, MI to arrive at the beautiful and serene Mackinac Island. There are no cars or chain hotels here, just charming and family-owned accommodations. Biking (rent a rig on the island) and walking are the best ways to get around. Mackinac Island State Park , which features trails and woods, covers most of the island. Hike to Arch Rock to check out a distinct geologic natural limestone arch formation.

Other Michigan Adventures:

Winter Hike Empire Bluff Trails – Honor, MI

This popular and relatively short hike will reward you with an overlook of Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes, South Bar Lake, and Lake Michigan.

Winter Hike Pyramid Point Trail – Maple City, MI

This adventure offers panoramic views of Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes, North and South Manitou Islands, Lake Michigan, and Leland, MI. If you plan to hike in the winter, it’s recommended that you bring crampons or microspikes since conditions can be icy.

Indiana Dunes National Park

Explore 15 miles of the southern shore of Lake Michigan featuring a unique ecosystem with native birds and plants. Kick back and relax on one of the 8 beaches or hike through dunes, forests, and wetlands. Kayaking and canoeing are also great ways to explore the lake. Camp overnight to extend your time enjoying all this place has to offer like: Hike the Cowles Bog Trail , Photograph the Chicago Skyline , Hike the Dune Succession Trail .

Shoreline Brewery – Michigan City, IN

After a long day of driving and adventuring, stopping for a cold one and some contemporary American food can really hit the spot!

Road trips are the perfect time to take it easy, be present, and enjoy the ride. There are plenty of places, like the ones on this list, that are worth stopping to check out along the way. But, don’t forget that the best parts of road trips are often the spontaneous stops and unexpected treasures that you just so happen to stumble upon. Keep your eyes open!

Need more suggestions for your route? Download the Outbound app  and input your starting point and ending point. It'll suggest a route and include some awesome adventures along the way like hiking, biking, and paddling!

Cover photo: Aaron Burden

We want to acknowledge and thank the past, present, and future generations of all Native Nations and Indigenous Peoples whose ancestral lands we travel, explore, and play on. Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

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Wandering Michigan Wisconsin

Road Trip Around Lake Michigan: The Ultimate Itinerary

Lake Michigan, also known as the ‘Caribbean of the North’ is a perfect destination for a road trip. Blue-green waters, hundreds of lighthouses, spectacular beaches, scenic towns rich in history, and delicious food await you on this epic adventure.

During this “circle tour” of the lake, you’ll drive over one thousand miles through two time zones and four states. You can do the full loop in as little as four days , do it in a more leisurely seven to ten days , or go all out exploring for a month or more.

Are you ready for your road trip around Lake Michigan? Let’s dive into the ultimate itinerary!

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Road Trip Around Lake Michigan Itinerary

In this itinerary, your road trip adventure begins in Chicago, where you’ll enjoy deep-dish pizza and catch amazing views of Lake Michigan from the top of Willis Tower.

Next, you’ll head north, visiting the scenic and historically fascinating towns of Wisconsin (and sampling cheese!).

Then, you’ll drive through upper peninsula Michigan, visiting a turquoise spring and eating famed Michigan pasties.

After that, you’ll cross the awe-inspiring Mackinac Bridge into the lower Michigan peninsula. Lighthouses, pristine beaches, cherry pies, and tulip festivals make for an amazing time!

To finish out the trip, you’ll circle through Indiana, visiting the sweeping beauty of Sand Dunes National Park.

Road Trip Around Lake Michigan Itinerary: Illinois

You can start your road trip around Lake Michigan at any point along the route, but if you’re flying in, I recommend starting in Chicago. It’s a major hub, flights are cheap, and there are plenty of car rental options.

Chicago offers a host of awesome activities to get your road trip off to a winning start.

1. Willis Tower

Welcome to Chicago! Home to amazing pizza, bustling Michigan Avenue, and the famous Bean.

To start, head over to Willis Tower. This famous skyscraper is a main feature of the Chicago skyline, soaring 1,450 feet into the atmosphere. And what better way to appreciate the views of Chicago and Lake Michigan than from the glass ledge of the Skydeck?

Note : You must book tickets to the Skydeck in advance. It costs $30-40 for people ages 12 and up, and $22-36 for people ages 3 to 11.

Next, check out Michigan Avenue, the Bean, and have lunch or supper at Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria. Yum.

2. Illinois Holocaust Museum

Another must-see stop in Chicago is the Illinois Holocaust Museum in Skokie. This museum has many powerful displays about the holocaust, including an interactive hologram exhibit which allows you to ask questions to a holocaust victim and hear their answer. It is a moving and deeply meaningful experience.

The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm.

There is free parking.

Three hours is a good average for this stop.

Admissions costs $18 for adults (ages 12 and up) and $6 for children (ages 5 to 11).

The Museum offers free admission to all on the last Friday of every month.

3. Chicago Botanical Garden

If you enjoy botanical gardens, you’ll love the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe! Explore 385 acres of footbridges, waterways, and lush plant life.

Depending on the time of year, you may get to enjoy the butterfly garden, sensory garden, model railroad, tram, vegetable garden, and library. There are also dining options and a shop.

The Chicago Botanic Garden is about 25 miles north of downtown Chicago. Grab a map of the gardens when you get there, or opt for a guided tour.

The Gardens are open from 10 am to 6 pm daily.

Prices vary by date, but range from $14 to $18 on average. Parking costs approximately $8.

Route Tip : As you leave the garden, stay on Highway 41 north. Then, if you’d like to stick near the lakeshore, take Highway 137 through Waukegan. In Kenosha, deke back over to I-95 for a stop at Mars Cheese Castle. Or, take I-95 the entire way for the most direct route to Milwaukee.

Great Places to Stay in Chicago

Sentral Michigan Avenue  is a lovely apartment in Chicago near Grant Park and the Buckingham Memorial Fountain. Choose between the studio, 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom, and deluxe apartments.

It comes fully furnished with an equipped kitchen, living area, washing machine, wifi, garden with a grill, lake views, and access to a gym and pool.

Check Rates and Book a Stay at   Sentral Michigan Avenue

Road Trip Around Lake Michigan: Wisconsin

Now that you’ve enjoyed Chicago and its surroundings, it’s time to head north to Wisconsin, home of cheese, frozen custard, a maritime museum, and the Green Bay Packers.

4. Milwaukee

Before reading Milwaukee, I recommend stopping at  Mars Cheese Castle . This castle is loaded with (you guessed it!) cheese, fried cheese, cheese spreads, meats, popcorn, and a deli with sandwiches. It is open from 9 am-7 pm every day. (It’s also the perfect bathroom stop).

Continue into Milwaukee for a stop at famed  Kopp’s Frozen Custard . They have several flavors of the day in addition to chocolate and vanilla. This shop dates back to 1950, when it began as a simple roadside stand. There are three different locations in Milwaukee, open 10:30 am to 10:00 pm.

Another great stop in Milwaukee is  Grant Park , one of the oldest parks in the county. It dates back to 1911 and was home to German horticulturalist Frederick C. Wulff.

Be sure to walk the Seven Bridges Trail while you’re there. It is a two-mile nature trail that crisscrosses ravines.

If you’re planning your trip for late June or early July, don’t miss the  Milwaukee Summerfest , the largest music festival in the world.

And if you need to fuel up on food, check out the  Milwaukee Public Market . It is similar to Seattle’s famous Pike’s Place Market, with vendors, restaurants, classes, and more. It is open 10 am to 8 pm Monday through Saturday, and 10 am to 6 pm on Sundays.

Getting thirsty? Wet your whistle at any one of Milwaukee’s top craft breweries, such as  Rock Bottom Brewery  or  Sprecher Brewery .

Route Tip:  Take I-43 north from Milwaukee for easy access to Harrington Beach Park and Sheboygan.

Great Places to Stay in Milwaukee

Kinn Guesthouse Bay View  in Milwaukee is a great hotel with a cool concept. Guests loved the amazing aesthetics, big windows, and awesome location. It is within walking distance of many restaurants, shops, and a theater.

Check Rates and Book a Stay at  Kinn Guesthouse Bay View .

5. Harrington Beach

Continue north, with an optional stop at  Harrington Beach . This state park has a mile-long stretch of sand along the Lake Michigan shore and a lovely limestone quarry lake. It’s a perfect spot to picnic or camp. Admission is $11 per car.

If you’re looking for something more upscale, keep going north to Sheboygan.

6. Sheboygan

Sheboygan is home to the World Bratwurst Eating Contest, the tallest flagpole in the United States (338-feet high), and the Dairyland Surf Classic (the largest lake-surfing competition in the world).

If you want to stay in a resort, I recommend visiting  Destination Kohler , a ritzy complex with its own spa and golf course.

Looking for a more local experience? Head to the popular  Majerle’s Black River Grill . Reserve ahead, as this place gets hopping. Go through the bar to the restaurant in the back. They are usually open Wednesday through Sunday from 4 pm to 9 pm. Try a brat, or the tasty perch.

7. Wisconsin Maritime Museum

Continue your journey to Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Originally a ship-building community, Manitowoc is home to the  Wisconsin Maritime Museum .

 This Smithsonian museum has amazing guided tours, an incredible WWII submarine (the USS Cobia), interactive exhibits, and stories from people who served on submarines.

The museum is open from 10 am to 4 pm. If you can, take one of their Nook & Cranny tours. It’ll be well worth it! Check  admission and special tour ticket prices .

Route Tip:  If you choose to visit Door County, get off Interstate 43 in Manitowoc. Take Highway 42 north through Two Rivers and onto Sturgeon Bay.

8. Door County

Door County is a gorgeous peninsula with beaches, parks, theaters, farms, wineries, and art galleries.

You don’t  have  to go to Door County on your road trip around Lake Michigan, in fact, it’s easy to bypass. Many itineraries skip it altogether. However, if you have the time for it, you should definitely visit. It’s a lovely area with plenty of activities to enjoy.

Some of the places you should consider visiting on your foray into Door County include:

✔️ Cave Point County Park, Sturgeon Bay  – Famous for its underwater caverns, picturesque coves, and plethora of activities. Visitors to this park can enjoy many water sports (kayaking, snorkeling, scuba diving, canoeing), hiking, boating, and rock climbing.

✔️ Northern Sky Theatre, Fish Creek  – This professional theater company operates during the summer season, offering spectacular live shows in an outdoor setting in the woods.

✔️ Door County Trolley, Egg Harbor  – This popular tour agency gives tours in their iconic red trolleys. You can choose between any number of tours, such as their scenic lighthouse tours, wine tours, pub crawls, and ghost tours (visiting haunted houses). 

9. Green Bay

Green Bay, home to the Green Bay Packers, is your next stop. This city is also known as Titletown.

If you’re coming in from Door County, stop for a picnic and stretch break at  Wequiock Falls . This small county park features a ravine with a Niagara escarpment rock formation and a waterfall. The falls is at its fullest in the spring, but is also very beautiful surrounded by autumn-colored trees or frozen into a frosty wonder in winter.

Depending on your interests, you can tour  Lambeau Stadium and the   Green Bay Hall of Fame.  Alternatively,   visit the  Art Garage , an NGO focused on creativity and community. Enjoy the live music, take a dab at painting, and enjoy the surroundings in this converted cannery.

If you’re in Green Bay on a Thursday, don’t miss the  Titletown Night Market , complete with food trucks, live music, and happy hour specials.

Route Tip:  From Green Bay, take Highway 41 towards Marinette, Wisconsin and Menominee, Michigan.

Great Places to Stay in Green Bay

Astor House  in Green Bay is a unique hotel only 8 kilometers from the Railroad Museum. There is a hot tub available for guests, and each unit comes with a seating area, TV, wifi, air conditioning, and cozy bed. Some also have dining areas and balconies.

Check Rates and Book a Stay at  Astor House .

Road Trip Around Lake Michigan: Upper Peninsula Michigan

It’s time to leave Wisconsin behind and head into Upper Peninsula Michigan. Cities are few and far between, but there are still plenty of things to see, from historic downtowns to lighthouses to turquoise springs.

10. Menominee

Just across the border from Marinette, Wisconsin, you’ll enter Menominee. The city was named for an Indian tribe and means “Wild Rice.”

Check out the historic downtown and stop for fluffy doughnuts at  Stephenson Bakery Inc .

Route Tip:  From Menominee, take Highway 35 through Escanaba.

11. Escanaba

One of the best sights in Escanaba is  Sand Point Light House . This fully restored and furnished lighthouse was built in 1867.

Nine keepers and their families lived in the lighthouse and kept the light burning to warn ships away from treacherous Sand Point. One of the first female lighthouse keepers kept vigil here. How cool is that?

Check for the most updated hours, but the lighthouse should be open for visitors from Memorial Day through Labor Day from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Route Tip:  Take Highway 2 through the rest of the Upper Peninsula, with a side trip on Country Road 442 if you’re visiting Kitch-iti-kipi.

12. Kitch-iti-kipi

Another must-see spot on your road trip around Lake Michigan is the state’s largest natural spring:  Kitch-iti-kipi . Although it means going slightly off route, I think it is worth a bit of deviation!

This spring in Palms Brook State Park is 40 feet deep, 200 feet wide, emerald green, and so clear that you can see down to the limestone bottom. Gorgeous!

One of the nicest ways to enjoy the spring is by taking a clear-bottom raft across the pond. Keep an eye out for sunken logs and lake trout!

This park is open from 8 am to 10 pm year-round. Day passes cost $9. Expect to spend one or two hours enjoying the spring before continuing your journey.

13. St. Ignace

Drive on to St. Ignace, one of the oldest cities in Michigan. Visit  Wawatam Lighthouse , then pick up some of Michigan’s famous pasties at  Lehto’s Pasties  (pronounced pass-tees) to keep your body fueled.

If you like, get them to go and eat them at  Bridge View Park . Here you’ll get a bit of history and splendid views of the “Big Mac.”

Crossing the  Mackinac Bridge  is a rite of passage during your road trip around Lake Michigan, so getting some pictures ahead of time will add to the fun.

The bridge is 5 miles across (1.5 miles suspended), making it the third-longest total suspension bridge in the world. It took four years to build.

Be ready for high winds as you cross which will add a dose of adrenaline to your trip.

✔️ Interested in seeing Mackinac Island? Check out this guide to Visiting Mackinac Island In October .

Great Places to Stay in St. Ignace

Bavarian Haus Lakefront Inn  in St. Ignace is a beautiful hotel on the shores of Lake Huron (yup, just around the corner from Lake Michigan). The rooms are bright and spacious, with wifi, a TV, and a fridge.

You can also enjoy the hotel’s fitness center, indoor pool, whirlpool tubs, and sauna. They offer a free shuttle service to the Mackinac Island Ferry.

Check Rates and Book a Stay at  Bavarian Haus Lakefront Inn .

Road Trip Around Lake Michigan: Lower Peninsula Michigan & Indiana

You’ve come a long way on your road trip, and now it’s time to explore Lower Peninsula Michigan and Indiana, with their beaches, festivals, sand dunes, and more.

14. Mackinaw City

Although Mackinaw City is really only a village of approximately 800 or so people, it’s one of Michigan’s most popular tourist destinations. There are more lighthouses to see here, including  Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse . Enjoy the informative visit and amazing views of the strait.

Mackinaw City is also a great place to delve into history, with a visit to  Fort Michilimackinac . Costumed interpreters demonstrate various trades. There are exhibits in each of the sixteen buildings, including a movie. From June to mid-August, you can witness archaeologists continuing excavations that began in 1959.

The Hours at Fort Michilimackinac vary by season, so check before you go. Admission costs $14.50 for adults (ages 13 and up) and $8.75 for kids (ages 5-12).

Route Tip:  If you have the time for a meandering journey from Mackinaw City to Traverse, consider cutting over to Cross Village on W Levering Road, then taking Highway 119 towards Harbor Springs. This lovely scenic highway will give you great views of the shore, farms, and a wooded section known as the Tunnel of Trees. Then, take Highway 31 into Traverse City.

15. Traverse City

Now it’s time to enjoy Traverse City, Cherry Capital of the World!

No visit to Traverse City would be complete without eating a cherry pie. Head to  Grand Traverse Pie Company  for a slice of Old Mission Cherry, Cherry Peach, Cherry Rhubarb, or Lighthouse Cherry Apple Crumb pie.

And if you aren’t a fan of cherries, don’t worry, they have other pie flavors, as well as savory quiches, pot pies, salads, and more.

Consider visiting the  Acoustic Tap Room , home of the original Northern Michigan Mead. They offer a hard cider and mead sampling flight (like wine tasting for mead) which could be fun.

Another amazing thing to do in Traverse City is have a blast at the  Great Wolf Lodge Indoor Water Park . Rafts, rivers, slides, and hot tubs, what more can I say?

If you’re a foodie, try to get a reservation at the exclusive  The Cook’s House,  by Chefs Patterson and Blakeslee. This fine-dining experience features an incredible menu that changes daily and only 26 seats.

Route Tip:  If you don’t mind a scenic route (and side trip), take Highway 22 out of Traverse and go to the wine country of Leelanau. You can go all the way to Grand Traverse Lighthouse, then continue on the peninsula’s westward side until you reach Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore. If you’d rather a more direct journey, leave Traverse City and cut across the peninsula on Highway 72 until you reach Empire, then head north on Highway 22 to Sleeping Bear.

Great Places to Stay in Traverse City

Cherry Tree Inn & Suites   in Traverse City is a laid-back resort-style hotel with amazing views of East Bay and the Old Mission Hills. The rooms come with a TV, DVD player, video games, microwave, fridge, wifi, and air conditioning. Kids will love the nautical-themed playground.

Check Rates and Book a Stay at  Cherry Tree Inn & Suites .

16. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

After enjoying all Traverse City has to offer, it’s time to shake things up and head to one of the best beaches in America:  Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore . The drive alone is stunning. Add in sweeping dunes, towering bluffs, historic farms, and incredible views of the lake, and you have a recipe for a fabulous time.

You can hike, camp, stargaze, fish, hunt, and backpack at Sleeping Bear.

The entrance costs $25 per car for one to seven days.

17. Ludington State Park

If you haven’t had enough of beaches (and I hope you haven’t), consider making  Ludington State Park  the next stop on your Lake Michigan road trip itinerary.

It’s a perfect spot for nature lovers. It has incredible beaches, hardwood forests, sand dunes, and marshlands. It’s also a very popular camping destination.

Rent a kayak, paddleboard, or canoe your way around Hamlin Lake, or swim along the seven miles of Lake Michigan shoreline.

Another great activity at Ludington is the hike to  Big Sable Point Lighthouse . If you’re there between May and the end of October, take one of the tours that runs between 10 am and 5pm.

In the evening, enjoy a folk music performance in the outdoor amphitheater.

If you’re there in winter, try snowshoeing!

18. Holland Michigan

Holland Michigan, famed for its tulip festival in May combines small-town charm with over 100 specialty shops. Eat, shop, and meander your way through the cobblestone sidewalks of  downtown , then head to  Windmill Island Gardens .

This scenic, but operational, Dutch windmill still grinds wheat into flour to this day. Check out the Netherlands-style buildings, gift shop, and gardens.

In summer and early fall, enjoy an amazing flower display. Or, if you’re on your road trip around Lake Michigan in the spring, you’re in for a treat, as the beds are planted with approximately 150,000 tulips!

The Gardens are open 9:30 am to 6 pm. Admission costs $12 for adults and $6 for kids ages 3-15.

Route Tip:  From Holland, follow I-196 south to South Haven, Benton Harbor, and New Buffalo. (The New Buffalo Beach and Lighthouse make for a nice stop).

Great Places to Stay in Holland, Michigan

Staybridge Suites  is a nice hotel in Holland, Michigan. It is only a couple miles from the town center with easy access to the main street, shops, restaurants, and attractions. Guests loved the location, comfy rooms, friendly staff, ample breakfast, and amenities.

Check Rates and Book a Stay at  Staybridge Suites.

19. Indiana Sand Dunes National Park

It’s time to finish your road trip around Lake Michigan with one last state: Indiana! And what better way to enjoy it than by visiting  Indiana Sand Dunes National Park ?

Soak in the scenic vistas from the dunes or hike one of the nature trails.  Heron Rookery Trail  is especially nice in the spring when the wildflowers bloom. However, if you’re there in the fall, consider the  Glenwood Dunes Trail  for the best views of autumn colors.

The park charges an admission fee of $25 per family vehicle.

How Long Does It Take To Drive Around Lake Michigan?

If you were to drive around Lake Michigan without stopping, it would take approximately 17 hours.

Although you can catch beautiful views from the road, stopping is a big part of the Lake Michigan Circle Tour’s attraction!

You can spend anywhere from several days to several months traveling around the lake, shopping, exploring museums, camping, trying local fare, and enjoying the outdoors.

What Road Goes Around Lake Michigan?

There is no single road that goes around Lake Michigan. Instead, there are a variety of different interstates and highways.

Choose the best route for you based on what stops you’re making and how much time you have to take scenic byways.

I go into more detail about which roads I recommend in my “route tips” in the itinerary above.

Conclusion: Road Trip Around Lake Michigan

There are thousands of possibilities when it comes to what to do, where to go, where to stay, and what to eat on your circle tour of Lake Michigan!

Use this itinerary as a guide, follow it to a tee, or mix and match as you see fit. The important thing is to tailor the journey to your interests and hobbies, whether that’s hiking, wine tasting, history, water sports, or something else entirely.

As you can see, taking a road trip around Lake Michigan is an epic adventure! Trust me, it’s going to be awesome!

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• Take a Circle Tour Around the Lake
• All SW Michigan Destinations
• New Buffalo, MI
• South Haven, MI
• Benton Harbor, MI
• St. Joseph, MI
• Douglas, MI
• Saugatuck, MI
• All Central West Michigan Destinations
• Grand Haven, MI
• Holland, MI
• Muskegon, MI
• White Lake Area, MI
• Silver Lake Area, MI
• Pentwater, MI
• All NW Michigan Destinations
• Ludington, MI
• Manistee, MI
• Onekama, MI
• Arcadia, MI
• Elberta, MI
• Frankfort, MI
• Glen Arbor, MI
• Northport, MI
• Suttons Bay, MI
• Traverse City, MI
• All Northern Michigan Destinations
• Elk Rapids, MI
• Charlevoix, MI
• Petoskey, MI
• Mackinaw City, MI
• Mackinac Island MI
• All Upper Peninsula Destinations
• St. Ignace, MI
• Manistique, MI
• Gladstone, MI
• Escanaba, MI
• Menominee, MI
• All NE Wisconsin Destinations
• Marinette, WI
• Peshitgo, WI
• Green Bay, WI
• Door County, WI
• Kewaunee, WI
• Two Rivers, WI
• Manitowoc, WI
• All SE Wisconsin Destinations
• Kenosha, WI
• Milwaukee, WI
• Port Washington, WI
• Sheboygan, WI
• All Illinois Lakeshore Destinations
• Chicago, IL
• Evanston, IL
• Winnetka, IL
• Highland Park, IL
• Lake Forest, IL
• Waukegan, IL
• Winthrop Harbor, IL
• All Indiana Lakeshore Destinations
• Whiting, IN
• Michigan City, IN
• Hammond, IN

Journey the Circle Tour around Southern Lake Michigan

For the purpose of this article, we are starting the Southern Lake Michigan Circle Tour in Manitowoc, Wisconsin , and continuing south (counter-clockwise) around Lake Michigan, eventually ending in Ludington, Michigan , where you can ride the S.S. Badger carferry back to Wisconsin.

Southeast Wisconsin

• After leaving Manitowoc , travel on I-43 south through to Sheboygan .
• Continuing south out of Sheboygan, and into Milwaukee , the largest city in Wisconsin and famous for its breweries.
• Leaving Milwaukee, you will get on WIS-32 and travel to the Wisconsin-Illinois state border.

Illinois Lakeshore

• The short stretch of the Lake Michigan Circle Tour through Illinois travels along Route 137 and then joins Lakeshore Drive (US-41) right at the Lake Michigan coastline through the suburbs of Chicago . You pass by famous landmarks such as Navy Pier, Soldier Field, Lincoln Park Zoo and Calumet Park. It’s a spectacular view of the City of Chicago, as well as the splendor of Lake Michigan.
• The circle re-joins US-12 south of Chicago, and takes you into Indiana.

Indiana Lakeshore

• Indiana has the shortest amount of miles along the Lake Michigan Circle Tour . It follows both US-12 (also known as the Dunes Highway, closest to the lake) and I-94, which parallel each other and begins in Hammond on the westerly side.
• It continues through Gary , which is a major industrial area. 
• After Gary, the Circle Tour follows the Dunes Highway near the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. At County Line Road, you’ll find a location for parking at the entrance to the Marquette Hike/Bike Trail.
• The Dunes Highway takes an eastern route through the towns of Burns Harbor, Porter and Chesterton.
• Before leaving Indiana, you enter Michigan City , the east end of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore at Mount Baldy.
• You then travel northeast into Michigan.

Southwest Michigan

• After leaving Indiana, the Michigan route of the Lake Michigan Circle Tour begins. The Circle Tour enters Michigan on US-12 just south of New Buffalo, and continues north on US-12, into New Buffalo .
• After traveling through New Buffalo, the tour leaves US-12 and continues north on  I-94 (Exit 4) toward St. Joseph.
• At Exit 23, the route exits I-94 and continues north through downtown St. Joseph by following BL I-94.
• From St. Joseph, continue north on M-63.
• At the northern terminus of M-63, the tour continues north on I-196/US-31 toward South Haven.
• At Exit 18, the Lake Michigan Circle Tour route leaves I-196/US-31 and takes you into South Haven via BL I-196.
• Exit 20 on the east side of South Haven marks the end of BL I-196, at which point you will continue north on I-196/US-31 into Allegan County, and on toward the Saugatuck / Douglas area.
• The Lake Michigan Circle Tour remains on I-196/US-31 at Saugatuck / Douglas , and there is also a locally-designated Harbor Tour loop route which follows the A-2 Blue Star Highway between Exits 36 an 41. Blue Star Highway presents a more leisurely route as opposed to strictly following I-196/US-31.
• Continue north on I-196/US-31 toward Holland Exit 44, when I-196 splits off to the east, and brings you into the Central West Michigan segment of the Lake Michigan Circle Tour.

Central West Michigan

• Following I-196/US 31 north, you enter Holland, known for its Dutch heritage and the famous Tulip Festival in May. Downtown Holland has various shops and eateries that will keep you entertained for hours.
• Heading north, the Lake Michigan Circle Tour follows its lakeshore route on US-31 through Grand Haven , home of the Coast Guard Festival. Here you can visit the beaches, book a charter boat or dine at one of the fantastic restaurants in the area.
• Continue up to Muskegon , home to beaches and dunes, wilderness trails, and the P.J. Hoffmaster State Park.
• After heading north beyond Muskegon, you will leave the city traffic behind and enter a more scenic and leisurely stretch of US-31. Along this highway, there are many exits to visit communities of the White Lake Area (Whitehall and Montague) and the Silver Lake Area (Silver Lake Sand Dunes, Mears, and Hart).
• The Silver Lake Sand Dunes area is a great place to find adventure and fun, with both Silver Lake and Lake Michigan in close proximity.
• Further north you’ll discover Pentwater —an artsy little community along Lake Michigan and Pentwater Lake.
• Just 15 minutes north of Pentwater brings you back into Ludington , and the Southern Lake Michigan Circle Tour is complete. 

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Lake Michigan Circle Tour Camping Itinerary

By: Author Diana Hansen

Posted on Last updated: January 21, 2024

Categories Camping Destinations

Camping Destinations » Lake Michigan Circle Tour Camping Itinerary

Enjoy a vacation around America’s third coast with this Circle Lake Michigan Camping Trip itinerary. Short, medium, and long itineraries are included to match your availability. There is a reason why the Great Lakes are termed as great. These huge lakes offer beautiful views and boundless recreation opportunities.

Lake Michigan Circle Tour Map

Lake Michigan offers an expansive coastline that touches Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana.  There are camping opportunities in each one of these states.

Circle Lake Michigan Camping Tour

We circled Lake Michigan counterclockwise a few years ago, starting and ending in Illinois.  We used that experience and additional trips along this inland sea to assemble this camping itinerary for you.

This camping trip plan starts in Indiana and ends in Illinois. Reverse it or do parts of it as you see fit. We have included suggestions for shortening the trip.

Add UP destinations to your trip with our Upper Peninsula Michigan Camping Guide or our Lake Superior Camping Guide .

Campgrounds Near Lake Michigan

We are starting out the long itinerary, which takes about three weeks. We have included some attractions and opportunities for you to do along the way. If you only have one or two weeks off work, see our recommended Lake Michigan road trip plans at the bottom of the post. Please note: Entry fees or passes are required for most national and state properties we recommend. Save with a Michigan Recreation Passport, or as we call it, our Fun Pass.

Lake Michigan Road Trip Itinerary

Best lake michigan camping indiana, indiana dunes national park or state park.

Indiana Dunes is located at the southern edge of Lake Michigan. This large area comprises both the Indiana Dunes National Park and Indiana Dunes State Park , which means two choices for camping. The state park campground has direct access to the beach.

The national park has 66 reservable campsites spread over two loops. All sites are non-electric, and only 53 allow RVs. Reservations can be made six months in advance.

Indiana Dunes National Park spreads across 15 miles of the Lake Michigan shoreline. It has beach access, hiking trails, and biodiverse habitat. Birders delight in seeing Sandhill Cranes and many other birds.

The state park at Indiana Dunes has 147 reservable campsites, 134 of which are electric. The state park also has a six-month reservation window.

Indiana Dunes State Park has 16 miles of hiking trails, a nature center, and a beach with a lot of parking.

The beaches at each park are popular in the summer, so the parking lots fill quickly. Early morning arrival is recommended. Enjoy views of the Chicago Skyline from the beach.

Indiana Dunes State Park 1600 N 25 E, Chesterton, IN 46304

Michigan Campgrounds Along the Lake in the Lower Peninsula

The eastern side of Lake Michigan is a popular vacation destination due to its beauty and population proximity. Make sure to jump on the six-month reservation window to secure a camping spot, particularly on weekends.

Warren Dunes State Park

Warren Dunes is a popular state park because of its sandy beach and proximity to Chicago. There are 219 campsites spread over two camping areas: Mount Randall and Hildebrandt. Mount Randall has electrical hook-ups, modern bathhouses, and a gift shop that sells souvenirs and camping essentials. Hildebrandt only has non-electric tent sites. The beach area is huge, with four large parking lots. The buildings, which include bathrooms, a gift shop, and numerous food opportunities, are open during the summer.

Take a long walk along the beach or enjoy a game of volleyball. Opposite the beach is a large dune to climb.

We were not fans of Warren Dunes when we first visited because I had bruised ribs, and it was raining. Two weeks later, we stopped by on our way back to Illinois after circling the mitten of Michigan. It was sunny and felt magical. We fell in love and have returned since.

Warren Dunes State Park 12032 Red Arrow Hwy, Sawyer, MI 49125

Stops Along Lake Michigan

Thirty minutes North of Warren Dunes is the Saint Joseph lighthouse. Walk along the breakwater and take a lighthouse tour. There is (paid) parking in the Tiscornia Park lot. We could park there in our small motorhome on a mid-week visit.

Stop at Saugatuck State Park and enjoy a hike up and over the dunes to the beautiful beach overlook.

Holland State Park

Holland was one of our favorite stops on our trip. We liked it so much that we are returning this summer and staying in the exact same camping spot. Holland State Park offers two campgrounds: Beach and Lake Macatawa. The beachside campground is a parking lot with spots very close together. Perfect for beach bums! The Lake Macatawa campground is wooded, with more space between sites. We stayed in spot 108 of the lakeside campground and have that spot reserved again in June.

Kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards can be rented across the street from the Lake Macatawa campground. A nearby general store is popular for ice cream. Explore the area on foot or by bicycle. We rode our bikes to the beachside of the state park and watched the sunset each night. There is so much to do in and around Holland, which is about 6 miles away.

Holland State Park 2215 Ottawa Beach Rd, Holland, MI 49424

Alternate Campgrounds: Hoffmaster State Park (where we served as Campground Hosts in 2023) or Muskegon State Park

Ludington State Park

Ludington, located in Central Michigan, is known as one of the best campgrounds on Lake Michigan. There are 373 campsites over four campgrounds. Pines, Cedar, and Beechwood are modern, with many of the sites close together. Jackpine is a primitive hike-in tent-only campground. There is so much to do in this park: visit Big Sable Lighthouse, go to the beach, float down the river, fish or boat, hike, or enjoy a beautiful Lake Michigan sunset.

The nearby town of Ludington is a fun place to visit. The car ferry, SS Badger, crosses Lake Michigan from Ludington to Manitowoc, Wisconsin.

Ludington State Park 8800 M-116, Ludington, MI 49431

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Sleeping Bear Dunes is a large park that is known for its towering dunes. The Dune Climb is up and over, down to Lake Michigan. It is quite an arduous hike all the way down to the lake and back, so we recommend just going to the top to see the expansive views for those who do not want to do the full hike.

The park has two main campgrounds: Platte River and DH Day. Platte River Campground has 179 campsites, of which 96 have electricity. DH Day Campground has rustic, non-electric sites with dirt roads and pads.

Reservations are required from May 1 through October 15 and can be made six months in advance for both campgrounds. Platte River Campground is open year-round.

Numerous hiking trails and overlooks are spread throughout the park. Other activities include kayaking, canoeing, river tubing, going to the beach, viewing dark sky views, taking scenic drives, and exploring Glen Harbor and Glen Arbor.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore 9922 Front St, Empire, MI 49630

Drive the popular M-22 north out of the park and around the peninsula to Traverse City, which is a fun place to stop and explore.

Petoskey State Park

We love the charming town of Petoskey. There are great restaurants and shopping. The waterfront area is beautiful!

Petoskey State Park is located on the eastern edge of Little Traverse Bay. There are 178 modern campsites spread over two loops adjacent to the beach.

If you cannot get a spot at the state park, consider the municipal campground at Magnus Park. We have been to both.

The most popular activity is looking for Petoskey stones at the water’s edge. Take a ferry or drive around to see the quaint town of Harbor Springs, which is located across the bay.

Petoskey State Park 2475 M-119, Petoskey, MI 49770

Lake Michigan UP Camping

Cross the Mackinac Bridge to enter the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Here is where we suggest a slight deviation from Lake Michigan so that you can visit Mackinac Island. If you do not want to cross our bridge, check out this Lower Michigan Camping Itinerary .

Straits State Park

Straits State Park is technically located in Lake Huron at the northern base of the Mackinac Bridge and offers amazing views of the Mackinac Bridge. See our Lake Huron Camping Guide .

The modern campground has 270 campsites spread out over three areas. Sites closer to the water have great views.

Straits State Park 720 Church St, St Ignace, MI 49781

Visit Mackinac Island

The ferry terminal for Mackinaw Island is about a mile from Straits State Park. You may be familiar with this island from the movie Somewhere in Time with Christopher Reeves. Its real claim to fame is that it does not allow cars. Horses do a lot of the work that vehicles cannot.

Biking around the island is so much fun. You can bring your bikes on the ferry or rent them when you arrive. We took our bikes and rode clockwise, making many stops along the way to check out many great views. Make sure to check out Arch Rock.

The island also offers shopping, great restaurants and fudge, and beautiful views of the surrounding lake.

As you head out of St. Ignace, stop at Lehto’s for a pasty.

Hog Island Point State Forest Campground

Head west along Highway 2, which parallels the lake, and spend the night at Hog Island Point State Forest Campground.  It is located on the northern side of Lake Michigan, where you can enjoy paddling or hiking.

This primitive campground is right on the shoreline. The 42 sites are first-come, first-serve. Potable water and vault toilets are available.

Hog Island Point State Forest N7590 Hiawatha Trail, Naubinway, MI 49762

Kitch-iti-ipi Spring

While located 9 miles inland from the lake, the Big Spring of Kitch-iti-ipi is a MUST-see!

The beautiful emerald-green spring is Michigan’s largest freshwater spring. Float out over the spring on the floating platform operated by a pull cable. View the bottom of this crystal clear spring through the open windows of the platform.

Fayette Historic State Park

Fayette is located on a peninsula on Lake Michigan. Check out the historic town with a guided or self-guided tour.

The modern campground has 61 electric sites. Hiking to the edge of the limestone cliffs affords amazing views of Lake Michigan.

Fayette Historic State Park 4785 II Rd, Garden, MI 49835

Wells State Park

JW Wells State Park is located on the western side of Lake Michigan in Green Bay. The modern campground has 153 campsites.

Three miles of sandy beach and the old buildings built by the Civilian Conservation Corps make for an interesting stay.

Wells State Park 7670 M-35, Stephenson, MI 49887

Camping on Lake Michigan in Wisconsin

Wisconsin has fewer campgrounds along the lake, but that does not make them any less desirable to visit.

Peninsula State Park

A visit to Door County is a must; the best camp place is Peninsula State Park. You could easily stay a week on the peninsula, but for this Lake Michigan Circle Tour, we recommend 2-3 nights.

There are 468 campsites spread out over five campgrounds at this massive state park. South Nicolet is popular due to its proximity to the beach, gift shop, and boat rentals. We prefer the centrally located Tennison Bay, which provides easy access to both sides of the peninsula.

Park activities include biking, hiking, fishing, boating, and watching the sunset over the lake. There is much to do in the many towns dotted along the peninsula.

Peninsula State Park 9462 Shore Rd, Fish Creek, WI 54212

Make sure to head over to the east side of the peninsula to Cave Point County Park and see the cliff jumping. Even if you do not jump yourself, it is fun to watch others jump. We enjoyed jumping in, although the water was chilly in early August.

Kohler-Andrae or Harrington Beach State Park

Just south of Sheboygan are two state parks that offer great camping. To the north is Kohler-Andrae State Park, which offers 137 campsites, 52 having electrical hookups. Harrington has 69 campsites, of which 31 have electricity.

Kohler-Andrae has dunes and a nature preserve. Harrington has swamps, wetlands, and an observatory. Both have dwindling beaches due to the rising Lake Michigan waters.

Camping Along the Lake in Illinois

Our final stop is in Illinois, which has just one state park on Lake Michigan.

Illinois Beach State Park

Most of the Michigan lakeshore in Illinois is industrial or municipal, but there is a little tucked-away haven called Illinois Beach State Park. This park is divided into north and south sections.

The modern campground, which has 241 campsites, is located in the south part of the state park. The Illinois camping reservation window is six months, but the waterside spots are non-reservable.

Illinois Beach State Park is a great place to enjoy nature, swim, bike, hike, and fish.

Illinois Beach State Park 1 Lake Front Dr, Zion, IL 60099

Shortened Lake Michigan Itinerary

Is your time to camp along Lake Michigan limited? Only have a week off work, giving you 7-9 days to travel? We have a few alternatives for you.

Quick Circle Tour Lake Michigan

Trying to figure out what to cut out of this trip plan is hard. It is kind of like picking your favorite child. No, seriously, there are many great things to see and do around the lake.

We will divide this into a few focuses: civilization and getting away from it all.

Suppose you like attractions, gift shops, and ice cream mixed in with your camping adventure. In that case, we recommend you hit the following from our itinerary: Holland, Petoskey, Straits with Mackinac Island, Kitch-iti-kipi, and Peninsula State Park.

If you like nature, views, and outdoor activities, then make sure you get to Ludington, Sleeping Bear Dunes, and Kitch-iti-kipi. While the area around the ferry terminal is busy, you can still escape the crowds on Mackinac Island by biking or hiking.

Ferry Across Lake Michigan

There is also the option of not going all the way around the lake and camping in the UP . Then, take the ferry across Lake Michigan. Hit the first few stops, then after camping at Ludington, head into town and hop on the SS Badger, which takes you across to Wisconsin. Then, resume the itinerary at Harrington Beach or Kohler-Andrae.

It is hard to get everything in on one trip. We excluded a few things from this itinerary and have gone back and visited both sides of the lake. You can also just camp along the Great Lakes in Michigan .

Have a wonderful trip!

More Nearby Camping

• Shabbona State Park , Illinois
• Wyalusing State Park , Wisconsin
• Decorah Camping , Iowa
• Turkey Run State Park , Indiana
• Fisherman’s Corner Campground , Illinois

• Tour Overview
• Tour Highlights

Tour Dates & Pricing

Day itinerary, departure cities.

Choose Your Departure Year:

Experience the beauty of Lake Michigan and scenic locales in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Illinois including two nights on Mackinac Island. Begin with a tour of Lambeau Field and the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Next we arrive in Door County, the Cape Cod of the Midwest, for a classic Wisconsin fish boil, a tour of the famous Eagle Bluff Lighthouse in Peninsula State Park, and more. Travel through Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to Mackinac Island for old-world charm and lakeside leisure with two nights on the island and a tour of the island by horse-drawn carriage. After completing the full circle around Lake Michigan arrive back in Chicago for a tour of the Windy City before we return home.

The Holiday Advantage

You can earn a $100 Travel Show Credit good for your next trip with Holiday Vacations by simply clicking the photo to watch the online travel show! The show is about 10 minutes long and at the end, you'll have the ability to submit your contact information and receive a travel credit which can be applied to this or any Holiday Vacations tour. Get started now!

Additional Tour Information

Your holiday vacations experience includes:, all accommodations featuring.

• 1 night at the Sonesta Chicago O’Hare Airport Hotel
• 2 nights at Stone Harbor Resort in Sturgeon Bay
• 2 nights on Mackinac Island
• 1 night at the Embassy Suites Grand Rapids Downtown
• 1 night at Sonesta Chicago O’Hare Airport Hotel

Attractions & Highlights

• Lambeau Field guided tour
• National Railroad Museum
• Door County
• Peninsula State Park feat. Eagle Bluff Lighthouse tour
• Door Peninsula Winery
• Door County Maritime Museum
• Mackinac Bridge
• Scenic ferry ride to Mackinac Island
• Mackinac Island horse-drawn carriage tour
• Scenic Lake Michigan shoreline
• Charlevoix Mushroom House Tour
• Music House Museum
• Chicago guided city tour feat. Navy Pier

10 Excellent Meals Featuring

• Traditional Door County fish boil
• Grand Luncheon Buffet at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island
• Holiday Vacations Farewell Dinner in Chicago

June 23, 2024 - June 30, 2024

Price Per Person

Final Payment Date: 04/24/2024

August 25, 2024 - September 1, 2024

Final Payment Date: 06/26/2024

September 15, 2024 - September 22, 2024

Final Payment Date: 07/17/2024

September 22, 2024 - September 29, 2024

Final Payment Date: 07/24/2024

Day 1 : Fly to Chicago

Our tour begins with a flight to Chicago, Illinois. We have overnight accommodations near the O’Hare airport.

Day 2 : Lambeau Field & Fish Boil

We travel through scenic countryside to Green Bay and tour storied Lambeau Field, home to Wisconsin's pro football team! Experience the rich history of railroads in America at the National Railroad Museum through a series of fascinating displays and actual railroad cars including the Big Boy and Dwight D. Eisenhower’s command car. We continue to picturesque Door County and check in for our stay in Sturgeon Bay. For this evening’s Welcome Dinner we are guests at a fish boil, a scrumptious tradition from Door County’s Scandinavian settlers. The catch of the day is fresh Whitefish from Lake Michigan. We are invited to watch as it is prepared with potatoes and onions over an open fire! Enjoy delicious Door County cherry pie for dessert, a regional treat.

Day 3 : Door County

Enjoy a full day discovering Wisconsin’s Door County, the Cape Cod of the Midwest. Door County has more miles of shoreline, lighthouses, and state parks than any other county in the United States. Wave-battered cliffs, sun-kissed beaches, wooded retreats, quaint farms, and lush orchards await us. We travel into Peninsula State Park to tour the Eagle Bluff Lighthouse and view the beautiful woodland and scenic shoreline within the park. Enjoy time at leisure to explore the charming waterfront community of Fish Creek, and afterward, visit Door Peninsula Winery for a true taste of regional flavors. Located along Sturgeon Bay’s busy waterfront, the Door County Maritime Museum highlights the area’s intriguing maritime roots. We explore the unique exhibits and learn about the rich shipping and fishing industries of the area.

Day 4 : Mackinac Island

This morning we depart Sturgeon Bay and travel through Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Our route passes through evergreen forests, hardwood forests, and along portions of Lake Michigan’s scenic shoreline. Soon we approach the Straits of Mackinac, the waterway connecting Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Here, we drive across the Mackinac Bridge, one of the largest suspension bridges in the world. The bridge opened in 1957 and connects Michigan’s Upper and Lower peninsulas. At the southern end of the bridge is Mackinaw City, where we board a high-speed ferry for our crossing to Mackinac Island. This charming island is three miles long by two miles wide and transportation on the island is limited to carriage, bike, horse, or foot! Our accommodations for the next two nights are on Mackinac Island.

Day 5 : Tour by Carriage

We depart our hotel this morning in horse-drawn carriages for a tour of Mackinac Island. The island’s Victorian architecture recalls a time of days gone by. Our carriage tour ends at the elegant Grand Hotel for a sumptuous lunch! This succulent feast includes garden fresh salads, savory cheeses, slow roasted meats, seafood, and fresh baked pastries. After lunch there is time to unwind and enjoy the marvelous views of the Straits of Mackinac from the rocking chairs on our hotel's 660-foot porch. You may also browse several interesting areas of the hotel that are open to the public. The afternoon is free to relax, sightsee on your own, or visit historic sites. You may choose to visit Fort Mackinac where costumed guides, memorabilia, and original buildings recall military life during the War of 1812. Tonight, we enjoy our second evening on the island.

Day 6 : Charlevoix

After a delicious included breakfast, we board a ferry and return to the mainland. We travel south along the scenic Lake Michigan shoreline to the charming waterfront town of Charlevoix. Enjoy a guided tour of architect Earl Young’s “mushroom houses,” famously custom built to fit natural landscapes resulting in a fairytale appearance. Next, step back in time at the Music House Museum to explore a unique collection of rare antique musical instruments including nickelodeons, music boxes, and pipe organs. We arrive in Grand Rapids for a restful evening.

Day 7 : Chicago

Following breakfast we head south towards the Windy City. A relaxing drive brings us to Navy Pier in the heart of Chicago’s lakefront. There is time for lunch on the pier before a local guide joins us to view many of Chicago’s famous landmarks. After settling into our hotel, we enjoy a Holiday Vacations Farewell Dinner.

Day 8 : Fly Home

Fly home from Chicago, long remembering our adventures in the Upper Midwest.

Airport Pickups

Choose a State:

Birmingham - Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport

Bentonville - Northwest Arkansas National Airport

Little Rock - Little Rock National Airport

Phoenix - Sky Harbor International Airport

Los Angeles - Los Angeles International Airport

Orange County - John Wayne Airport

San Diego - San Diego International Airport

San Francisco - San Francisco International Airport

Denver - Denver International Airport

Hartford - Bradley International Airport

Washington - Ronald Reagan National Airport

Washington - Washington Dulles International Airport

Fort Lauderdale - Fort Lauderdale International Airport

Fort Myers - Southwest Florida International Airport

Jacksonville - Jacksonville International Airport

Miami - Miami International Airport

Orlando - Orlando International Airport

Tallahassee - Tallahassee International Airport

Tampa - Tampa International Airport

West Palm Beach - Palm Beach International Airport

Atlanta - Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

Cedar Rapids - Eastern Iowa Airport

Des Moines - Des Moines International Airport

Boise - Boise Airport

Chicago - O'Hare International Airport

Moline - Quad City International Airport

Evansville - Evansville Regional Airport

Fort Wayne - Fort Wayne International Airport

Indianapolis - Indianapolis International Airport

South Bend - South Bend International Airport

Wichita - Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport

Lexington - Blue Grass Airport

Louisville - Louisville International Airport

Baton Rouge - Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport

Lafayette - Lafayette Regional Airport

New Orleans - Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport

Shreveport - Shreveport Regional Airport

Boston - Boston Logan International Airport

Baltimore - Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport

Detroit - Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport

Grand Rapids - Gerald R. Ford International Airport

Saginaw - MBS International Airport

Duluth - Duluth International Airport

Minneapolis - Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport

Kansas City - Kansas City International Airport

Springfield - Springfield-Branson National Airport

St Louis - St. Louis Lambert International Airport

Gulfport - Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport

Jackson - Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport

Billings - Billings-Logan International Airport

Bozeman - Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport

Missoula - Missoula Montana Airport

Charlotte - Charlotte Douglas International Airport

Greensboro - Piedmont Triad International Airport

Raleigh - Raleigh-Durham International Airport

Bismarck - Bismarck Airport

Fargo - Hector International Airport

Grand Forks - Grand Forks International Airport

Omaha - Eppley Airfield

Newark - Newark Liberty International Airport

Albuquerque - Albuquerque International Airport

Las Vegas - McCarran International Airport

Albany - Albany International Airport

Buffalo - Buffalo Niagara International Airport

New York - Kennedy International Airport

New York - La Guardia Airport

Rochester - Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport

Syracuse - Syracuse Hancock International Airport

Cincinnati - Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport

Cleveland - Cleveland Hopkins International Airport

Columbus - John Glenn Columbus International Airport

Dayton - Dayton International Airport

Oklahoma City - Will Rogers World Airport

Tulsa - Tulsa International Airport

Portland - Portland International Airport

Allentown - Lehigh Valley International Airport

Harrisburg - Harrisburg International Airport

Philadelphia - Philadelphia International Airport

Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh International Airport

Charleston - Charleston International Airport

Greer - Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport

Rapid City - Rapid City Regional Airport

Sioux Falls - Sioux Falls Regional Airport

Knoxville - McGhee Tyson Airport

Memphis - Memphis International Airport

Nashville - Nashville International Airport

Austin - Austin-Bergstrom International Airport

Dallas - Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport

Houston - George Bush Intercontinental Airport

San Antonio - San Antonio International Airport

Salt Lake City - Salt Lake City International Airport

Norfolk - Norfolk International Airport

Richmond - Richmond International Airport

Seattle - Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

Spokane - Spokane International Airport

Appleton - Appleton International Airport

Baldwin - Groome Transportation

Eau Claire - Groome Transportation

Green Bay - Austin Straubel International Airport

Hudson - Groome Transportation

Madison - Dane County Regional Airport

Menomonie - Groome Transportation

Milwaukee - Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport

Charleston - Yeager Airport

Lake Michigan Circle Tour

• Ports of Call:

Stories from Western & Midwestern USA

Activity levels.

Tour days tend to be shorter in length, at a relaxed pace, and include lots of unscheduled time for leisure. Expect standing and walking for extended periods of time on flat surfaces, mostly low altitudes, and consistent temperatures.

Tour days usually move at a leisurely pace. Some days’ scheduled activities last longer than others. Expect standing and walking for long periods of time on occasionally uneven terrain. You may experience changes in altitude or temperature.

Tour days tend to be long, move at a consistent pace, and may include long travel days. Expect standing and walking for long periods of time on uneven surfaces. Some destinations may have changes in altitude and/or temperature.

Tour days tend to be long, move at a brisk pace, and may include lengthy travel days. Expect long periods of walking and standing on uneven surfaces. Scheduled activities may require physical effort or have distinct changes in altitude or temperature.

Very Active

Tour days tend to be long, move at a vigorous pace, and may include lengthy travel days. Expect long periods of walking and standing on rough surfaces. Scheduled activities may require physical effort or have distinct changes in altitude or temperature.

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Driving Lake Michigan’s Circle Tour

Posted By: Julie Henning October 17, 2022

Connected to the Atlantic Ocean by a system of locks, canals, and channels along the Saint Lawrence Seaway, a popular Midwest road trip is the Great Lakes Circle Tour, a designated scenic road system connecting all of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River. The Great Lakes Circle Tour consists of routes for circumnavigating the Great Lakes, either individually or collectively. The Lake Michigan Circle Tour is part of this system.

Lake Michigan Circle Tour

With 1,640 miles of shoreline touching Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin, the Lake Michigan Circle Tour exists within the Great Lakes Circle Tour. First published by the Michigan Department of Transportation and the West Michigan Tourist Association as a 52-page guide book in 1899, the Lake Michigan Circle Tour was replaced by a website in 2007. However, you can order a printable copy of the map to be sent to your home address (we have this and like it).

Marked with this scenic road marker every ten miles, the Lake Michigan Circle Tour is roughly 1,000 miles long, the drive would take about 14 hours to complete without stopping. A key attraction on the tour is 105 Lake Michigan lighthouses, some of which are accessible only by boat. Brown “Harbor Tour” signs are intended to direct travelers on a side trip into one of the many port communities along the lakeshore.

Lighthouse map, courtesy of https://lakelandboating.com/lake-michigan-lighthouse-map-updated/

Key Stops on the Lake Michigan Circle Tour

Having completed the entire trip over the span of several years and several road trips and in different seasons, there’s something about Lake Michigan that sort of gets in your soul. Here are some of our recommended key stops along the route, with links embedded to more detailed stories previously published on Road Trips for Families.

West Michigan

I grew up in West Michigan, so let’s start there. Sand dunes, boardwalks, and beaches. These three things are fundamental to the childhood of anyone living within 40 miles of “The Lake.” In Holland, Tunnel Park has an amazing playground, beach, and campsites. Duck Lake State Park , north of Muskegon is an excellent spot to try skim boarding (pick your own board up at Meijer or purchase one before your trip ).

I Love Grand Haven Sandcastle at Grand Haven State Park

Grand Haven has a lovely boardwalk and popular state park. We visited last year and went on a sunset cruise (read more in this story ). Hug the lakeshore and continue north on M31 and you’ll pass through Ludington (where the SS Badger car ferry crosses the lake into Manitowoc, Wisconsin). Before you leave, however, be sure to stop and see the lighthouses here (we recommend a visit to Ludington State Park ).

Big Sable Point Lighthouse, Ludington State Park

M22 and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Arguably the most popular tourist destination in Michigan is the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore , Traverse City and the Leelanau Peninsula. Once a month I see a M22 sticker on a vehicle out here in Oregon; a testament to the fact that so many of us Michiganders have moved west but still have a formative connection to this part of the world. The Oregon Dunes National Lakeshore is as close as it gets. As I mentioned earlier, some of the stops on the Lake Michigan Circle Tour are only accessible by boat/ferry, namely the Manitou, Beaver, and Squaw Islands.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

I have strong family ties with the Manitou Islands; my great great grandparents settled there after immigrating to America; read about making your own day trip to South Manitou Island in this story.

South Manitou Island Lighthouse

Door County, Wisconsin

Considered the Cape Cod of the Midwest, Door County, Wisconsin is the Wisconsin tourism equivalent of Michigan’s Leelanau Peninsula. Also known for wine, cherries, sailing, and shopping, over ten lighthouse stops are noted on this section of the Lake Michigan Circle Tour.

Scenic Views of Door County, Wisconsin

Because the wind typically travels West to East across Lake Michigan, you won’t find the spectacular sand dunes (when I first moved to Wisconsin in 1995 I was not expecting a quick and steep drop off into the water at Bradford Beach in Milwaukee – one can easily wade slowly out into Lake Michigan for several hundred feet on the opposite shore). That said, spectacular winds and deep water help put places like Sheboygan, Wisconsin on the map as the Surfing Capitol of the Midwest.

Travel south from Sheboygan and make a stop in Port Washington, home of the famous Pirate Festival . As spectacular as Michigan’s dunes are Wisconsin’s bluffs.

Bluffs Overlooking Port Washington, Wisconsin

Bottom of the Lake

The bottom, or “foot” of Lake Michigan is about the opposite experience from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula as it gets (we don’t have any published stories on the U.P, but we’ll fix that soon, eh!) If you have never been to Milwaukee , add it to your bucket list. Milwaukee is one of the most underrated cities in America and has lots to offer for families from museums to parks, sports, festivals, events, tours, and loads of regional, ethnic, non-chain restaurants.

North Port Lighthouse Museum

A lovely stop on the Lake Michigan Circle Tour is the the North Point Lighthouse Museum is a lighthouse built in 1888, located in the picturesque Lake Park and now on the National Register of Historic Places. For more ideas on what to do in Brew City, check out my insiders guide here . Approximately 30 minutes south of Milwaukee in the town of Racine the Windpoint Lighthouse, another lighthouse/museum worth checking out.  We had a nice picnic on the beach here despite visiting in early spring when the wind can still be bitter cold from the recent ice melt.

Windpoint Lighthouse in Racine, Wisconsin

Kenosha , Chicago , South Chicago , and Norther Indiana have stops along the route; the Indiana sand dunes and Indiana Dunes National Park is most definitely on our bucket list.

Kenosha lighthouse. Kids for scale.

Before You Drive the Lake Michigan Circle Tour

Before you visit Wisconsin and Michigan, be sure to read these funny insider tips in these stories:

• 15 Important Things You Need to Know Before Visiting Wisconsin
• 15 Important Things You Need to Know Before Visiting Michigan

About the Author

Julie henning.

Michigan Highways: Since 1997.

• Introduction
• Michigan's Route Systems
• Michigan's Route Markers
• Master List 1913-Present
• Historical Overview
• The History of Roads in Michigan
• Act 51 of 1951
• Who Maintains the Highways?
• Related Links
• Individual Route Listings
• Routes 10-19
• Routes 20-29
• Routes 30-39
• Routes 40-49
• Routes 50-59
• Routes 60-69
• Routes 70-79
• Routes 80-89
• Routes 90-99
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• Routes 160-179
• Routes 180-199
• Routes 200-229
• Routes 230-249
• Routes 250-696
• Business 2-31
• Business 32-94
• Business 96-496
• County Route Systems
• Intercounty Highways
• Intercounty A-2 - C-81
• Intercounty D-19 - H-15
• Intercounty H-16 - H-63
• Unsigned Trunklines
• Great Lakes Circle Tours
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Michigan Highways > Other Routes > Great Lakes Circle Tours > Lake Michigan Circle Tours

Lake Michigan Circle Tour

Working in conjunction with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), the West Michigan Tourist Association (WMTA) helped to make the first of the official Great Lakes Circle Tours a reality. On the MDOT side, Jack Morgan, assistant to the department’s deputy director, introduced the concept of a Circle Tour in 1987. Just 14 months later, agreement had been reached on a route and signs to be posted along the 1,100-mile tour completely circling Lake Michigan. The WMTA filled the need for a guidebook and when the Chicago Tribune and Milwaukee Journal ran articles in 1988 about the new Circle Tour, 150 callers from the Chicagoland area along deluged the WMTA staff the next Monday morning, requesting the guide. Two days later, 700 guidebook requests came in from Illinois and Wisconsin and the following day an additional 1,000 phone and mail requests poured in to their offices.

Present-Day Concerns and the Tri-Modal Corridor

In November 2012, the inaugural meeting of the Lake Michigan Trails Conference was convened in Saugatuck by Western Michigan University professor Dave Lembeck. Lembeck is championing both the completion of a Lake Michigan “water trail” for kayakers, canoeists and other paddlers around the lake’s entire shoreline as well as an interconnection between the water trail, the new U.S. Bicycle Route 35 (USBR-35) and the existing Lake Michigan Circle Tour. The envisioned “Tri-Modal Corridor” would accommodate non-motorized transportation and recreation via the “water trail” in the Lake and the bicycle route on land. The LMCT would help link the various bicycle trailheads and water access points together.

Unfortunately, actual signage along the Lake Michigan Circle Tour route has deteriorated over time. While Wisconsin has generally kept the Circle Tour reasonably well posted, signage in Michigan and Illinois is lacking and long segments of the LMCT in Indiana are now completely unsigned. Indeed, when the numbered highways that the Circle Tour ran along were rerouted in Northwest Indiana in recent years, the LMCT route markers were regrettably not relocated or replaced. Furthermore, highway signing standards may have changed to the point where including Circle Tour route markers alongside the other numbered highway markers on freeway signage is no longer allowed or encouraged. While hundreds of the standard Circle Tour markers are still found alongside the roadside in Michigan, some locations where the LMCT changes directions (e.g. transitions from one highway to another) are now under-signed or completely unsigned altogether. This was cited as a major concern by the attendees at the 2012 Lake Michigan Trails Conference.

Conference attendees vowed to support the ongoing efforts of the existing organizations assembling the resources necessary to complete the Lake Michigan Water Trail and the signed U.S. Bicycle Route network now underway around the periphery of the Lake. Additionally, attendees citied a need to renew coordination and oversight of the Great Lakes Circle Tour Program within the various state departments of transportation, the Ontario Ministry of Transportation and the de facto coordinating agency, the Great Lakes Commission. Several of those in attendance pledged resources and a commitment to both preserve the Circle Tour routes and look for ways to improve the coordination and signage into the future. Creating background documentation, documenting and recording the officially-adopted Circle Tour route, clarifying route signage standards and formalizing a route maintenance policy are just some of the concepts put forth in the revitalization of these important tourist routes.

Lack of Official Routing & Erroneous Information

Unfortunately, for many years, the Great Lakes Commission's own description of the LMCT was largely incorrect, both in terms of the actual route and because of numerous typos and incorrect community names. For example, for sixteen years (2001–17), the "Lake Michigan Circle Tour Road Route" section of the Commission's LMCT page (archived) gave the following highly-erroneous description of the route in Lower Peninsula:

ROUTE: Follow I-96E to Holland; US-31N to Manistee; MI-22 to Traverse City; US-31 to Petoskey; MI-119 to the town of Cross Bridge; C66 to US-31; cross the Mackinaw Bridge (toll) into the Upper Peninsula

The first major issue is to get to Holland from Indiana, one needs to first follow US-12 East (not listed) before transitioning onto I-94 East (not listed), then exit that route and follow BL I-94 and M-63 through St Joseph and Benton Harbor (not listed), transitioning then onto I-196/US-31 North (also not listed!) with a loop through downtown South Haven via BL I-196 (not listed), then back to I-196/US-31 North, before exiting onto US-31 North to reach Holland. On top of that, I-96 doesn't go to Holland at all!

From Holland to Petoskey the directions are somewhat better, although loops through downtown Muskegon, the downtowns of Whitehall and Motague, and through Pentwater via the respective BUS US-31 routings are omitted. However, from Petoskey, the LMCT has never run along M-119 and even if it did, the directions erroneously call the community of Cross Village , Cross Bridge , instead! (It's never been called Cross Bridge since its was founded in 1830!) But after omitting the connection from US-31 onto I-75 once US-31, the name of one of Michigan's most famous landmarks is misspelled: the Mackina c Bridge! If these directions are this bad—and have been since it was first reported to the Great Lakes Commission in the late 1990s (based on a previous incarnation of the erronous web page)—how could anyone trust the rest of the information?

Lake Michigan Circle Tour Route

The route of the mainline LMCT in Michigan follows signed state trunkline routes in its entirety, although in some places the nearest state highway to the Lake Michigan may be several miles away. Along with the primary Circle Tour route, several marked "Lake Michigan Circle Tour Loops" have been posted using white-on-brown signs. These loops may follow state highways or utilize city streets and county roads running closer to the shoreline. These loop routes are detailed below the mainline route below:

• The LMCT enters Michigan from Indiana on US-12 south of New Buffalo and proceeds northerly through New Buffalo to I-94 .
• The route leaves US-12 and continues northerly on I-94 from Exit 4 toward St Joseph.
• At Exit 23, the route exits I-94 and continues northerly into downtown St Joseph via BL I-94 .
• In St Joseph, the LMCT continues northerly on M-63 into northern Berrien Co.
• At the nothern terminus of M-63 , the circle tour proceeds northerly on I-196 / US-31 toward South Haven.
• The route leaves I-196 / US-31 at Exit 18 and loops through South Haven using BL I-196 .
• On the east side of South Haven, where BL I-196 ends at I-196 / US-31 Exit 20, the route continues north into Allegan Co on I-196 / US-31 .
• While the LMCT remains on I-196 / US-31 at Saugatuck/Douglas, a locally-designated LMCT Harbor Tour loop route is signed concurrently with A-2 /Blue Star Hwy between Exits 36 and 41.
• The circle tour continues northerly on US-31 / BL I-196 toward Holland at Exit 44 when I-196 splits off to the east.
• After splitting from I-196 south of Holland, the route continues northerly following US-31 past Holland and through Grand Haven and toward Norton Shores.
• At the jct of US-31 & I-96 , the LMCT leaves US-31 and follows BUS US-31 through downtown Muskegon.
• Northeast of downtown Muskegon, the route continues northerly via M-120 to North Muskegon and northeasterly back to US-31 .
• Back on US-31 , the circle tour continues northerly toward Ludington, leaving US-31 once to follow the route of BUS US-31 through the downtowns of Whitehall and Montague in northern Muskegon Co.
• At the end of the US-31 freeway near Ludington, the LMCT turns east following US-10 / US-31 toward Scottville.
• At Ludington rather unique LMCT Loop Route begins, although it is currently unsigned: From US-31 , the Loop route continues westerly along US-10 into downtown Ludington, then travels straight across the Lake Michigan via the S.S. Badger carferry!
• At Scottville, the circle tour turns northerly again to follow US-31 toward Manistee, although a locally-designated LMCT Loop Route formerly continued east on US-10 into downtown, then northerly via Old US-31 back to US-31 and the LMCT. ( NOTE: The LMCT Loop route through Scottville was removed/decommissioned some time in late 2004 or early 2005 and no longer exists. )
• The route continues northerly from Scottville and through Manistee on US-31 .
• Northeast of Manistee, the route turns northerly to follow M-22 through Onekama, Frankfort and Empire.
• Northeast of Empire, a LMCT Loop Route leaves M-22 to follow M-109 past Glen Haven, rejoining M-22 at Glen Arbor. (The mainline LMCT remains on M-22 between Empire and Glen Arbor.)
• From Glen Arbor, the circle tour continues northerly on M-22 through Leland to Northport. At Northport, M-22 and the LMCT turn nearly 180 degrees to head southerly into Traverse City.
• At Traverse City, the LMCT returns to US-31 and continues northerly via US-31 through Elk Rapids, Charlevoix and Petoskey and on toward the Mackinac Bridge.
• South of Mackinaw City, where US-31 ends, the route continues northerly on I-75 crossing the Mackinac Bridge and entering the Upper Peninsula at St Ignace. Between Mackinaw City and St Ignace, the LMCT is jointed by the Lake Huron Circle Tour .
• In St Ignace, the LMCT continues westerly along US-2 for more than 140 miles through Manistique and Gladstone to Escanaba.
• At Escanaba, the circle tour continues southwesterly via M-35 along the Green Bay shoreline to Menominee
• The route continues south on US-41 through Menominee and enters Wisconsin at Marinette.
• Continue on the Lake Michigan Circle Tour route into Wisconsin at the Wisconsin Highways website.

Note: The route included on this website has been personally researched by the website author in the field.  

Lake Michigan Circle Tour Loop Routes

Lake michigan circle tour - harbor tour (saugatuck/douglas).

A locally-designated loop route which helps circle tour motorists navigate into and through the off-route communities of Saugatuck and Douglas in northwestern Allegan Co. While most local loops are designated as "Loop Routes" off the mainline circle tour, this particular route is actually designated as a "Harbor Tour," although it behaves like any other Loop Route. Also, as with all Loop Routes, this route is designated with white-on-brown circle tour signs, using the same LMCT "logo." The route is 7.7 miles long:

• The LMCT Harbor Tour begins at I-196 / US-31 /LMCT at Exit 34 near Ganges (south of Douglas).
• The Harbor Tour route proceeds easterly from the freeway along M-89/124th Ave to A-2/Blue Star Hwy.
• The route turns northerly on A-2 /Blue Star Hwy into Douglas, passing just west of the downtown area.
• The loop route then crosses into Saugatuck, still via A-2 /Blue Star Hwy, passing just east of the downtown.
• The route ends when it meets back up with I-196 / US-31 /LMCT at Exit 41 northeast of Saugatuck.

Lake Michigan Circle Tour - Loop Route ( S.S. Badger carferry)

While most Lake Michigan Circle Tour spur and loop routes simply involve an alternate highway routing diverging from the mainline route, this particular spur route is unique among them. On August 29, 1998, Lake Michigan Carferry's S.S. Badger which ferries automobiles, trucks and passengers between Manitowoc, Wisconsin and Ludington, Michigan was officially designated as a Lake Michigan Circle Tour spur route. The route traverses the following path:

• From the mainline Lake Michigan Circle Tour route at the western jct US-10 & US-31 , the route heads westerly along US-10 into downtown Ludington, turning southerly via US-10 /James St to the S.S. Badger carferry docks.
• The route then traverses Lake Michigan itself via the S.S. Badger carferry.
• From the carferry dock in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, the Loop route, following US-10, heads southerly via Lakeview Dr, westerly via Madison St and then northerly along 8th St (with eastbound US-10/LMCT Loop using 10th St) into downtown Manitowoc.
• The LMCT Loop Route ends at jct US-10 & US-151 in downtown Manitowoc.

Former Lake Michigan Circle Tour - Loop Route (Scottville)

When MDOT completed a western bypass of Scottville, taking the high volume of US-31 traffic out of town, a locally-designated LMCT Loop Route was signed, acting as a de-facto Business Routing for US-31 . Note, however, this LMCT Loop route was removed some time in late 2004 or early 2005 and no longer exists. The former route was 1.5 miles long:

• The LMCT Loop Route began at the jct of US-10 & US-31 on the west side of Scottville.
• The route continued easterly via US-10 into downtown Scottville.
• In downtown Scottville, the loop route turned northerly and followed Old US-31 out of Scottville.
• The LMCT Loop Route ended at US-31 north of Scottville.

Lake Michigan Circle Tour - Loop Route (Sleeping Bear–Glen Haven)

While the Lake Michigan Circle Tour generally follows the closest posted state trunkline to its namesake body of water, the Sleeping Bear Dunes area is one exception. Instead of diverting the mainline LMCT off M-22 for only eight miles, it continues via M-22 through to Glen Arbor and on to Leland. However, as M-109 loops off M-22 to the west (lakeside) through the Sleeping Bear Dunes area, it has been designated as a LMCT Loop Route. The route is 6.8 miles long:

• The LMCT Loop Route begins at the southern jct of M-22 & M-109 just northeast of Empire and continues northerly along Dunes Hwy toward Glen Haven.
• At Glen Haven, the loop route turns east and continues on M-109 /Harbor Hwy toward Glen Arbor.
• The LMCT Loop Route ends at the northern jct of M-22 & M-109 in Glen Arbor.

Back to: Great Lakes Circle Tour page .  

Additional Information

• Great Lakes Circle Tour – new website from the author of MichiganHighways.org.
• Lake Michigan Circle Tour History (link broken) – from the West Michigan Tourist Association (WMTA). The WMTA helped to coordinate the first of the Great Lakes Circle Tours in the 1980s.
• Great Lakes Circle Tour – project archive from the Great Lakes Commission . It was the GLC who originally helped establishe the Great Lakes Circle Tours, however as of the early 2020s, the Commission has seemed to have abandoned the concept and no longer supports the Circle Tours in an active manner.
• Lake Michigan Circle Tour (archived) – from the Great Lakes Information Network (GLIN), which "is a partnership that provides one place online for people to find information relating to the binational Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region of North America." Please note that the "Circle Tour Road Route" description from the GLIN site was not only vague, but incorrect! (See description above.)
• --> Shoreline Charms (archived) – an article by Donna Marchetti about the Lake Michigan Circle Tour from the Michigan Living magazine published by AAA Michigan.

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Because life's too short to stay home …, lake michigan with kids, following the sandy shores of this great lake, families find many places to play..

© Beth Gauper

Not many parents would think that a long road trip would be a perfect vacation to take with young children.

But the shore of Lake Michigan is one big sandbox, and on a drive along its shores, you'll hit one big playground after another.

On the east side, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is spectacular, a Disneyland of sand. But the lake also is lined with lighthouses, fudge shops, fur-trade forts and endless beaches.

And at the end — for us, anyway — there was a trip on a cruise ship, because we took the short cut back on the S.S. Badger.

For the full tour, see Circling Lake Michigan and Lake Michigan's greatest hits .

One June, I set out to see Lake Michigan with my daughter Madeleine and my son Peter. We reached the big lake in Green Bay and headed straight for one of Wisconsin's favorite family attractions.

At old-fashioned Bay Beach Amusement Park, we paid 50 cents apiece to ride the Rambler, the Yo-Yo, the Ferris wheel and the train that runs along the bay shore, lined with tall rushes that glowed in the early-evening sun.

Now, the park includes the Zippin Pippin roller coaster, which charges a whole $1.

The beach house with cupola and waving flag, the beehives of blue cotton candy and the 1970s prices were portents of our tour through Michigan's down-home Upper Peninsula, which culturally is much closer to Green Bay than to Lansing or Detroit.

From Green Bay, we headed north to Peshtigo. In 1871, the logging town of 1,700 was consumed by a cyclonic firestorm that approached at 300 mph. Warned only by a mounting roar, townspeople had time only to grab their Bibles and run.

"It's said that the next day, people found so many Bible pages floating in the air, they thought it was the end of the world," said the curator/guide at the Peshtigo Fire Museum.

More than 1,000 people died, a number that still stands as the nation's largest loss of life due to fire. But no one paid much attention because of another fire on the same day: The Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

We crossed into Michigan at Menominee, where we stopped for our first pasty, a beef-and-vegetable miner's lunch that's still found across the blue-collar Upper Peninsula.

Hugging the lakeshore on Michigan 35, we could see the dunes of Door County across Green Bay, and shifting bands of color in the shallow waters offshore: celadon, slate-blue, burgundy.

In Escanaba, we drove past big Ludington Park to the 1868 Sand Point Lighthouse, where a cardboard cutout of Mary Terry stood by the door. Terry, keeper of the light for its first 18 years, lost her life in an 1886 fire whose causes still are being debated.

Muscular Escanaba still ships taconite, which lies in piles around the harbor, but its extra-wide main street and abundance of brownstone storefronts speak of the port's richer days.

In Manistique, we walked along a two-mile boardwalk and out to the 1915 breakwater light. From Manistique, U.S. 2 winds inland to Naubinway, where it rejoins Lake Michigan and winds down to St. Ignace.

From St. Ignace, we got on a ferry and sailed for Mackinac Island . Camera shutters started clicking as we approached the sprawling Grand Hotel on the bluff.

Billowing lilacs lined sidewalks, and baskets of geranium and ivy cascaded from lampposts. As we walked up to the Disneyesque main street, a smiling bride and groom clopped by in a horse-drawn carriage.

"This smells like the State Fair," my son Peter said, sniffing a mixture of caramel corn, suntan lotion and manure.

"We've seen seven fudge shops so far — oh look, eight," Madeleine said. Then she, too, inhaled. "Oh, that's almost cruel — they're blowing the smell out at us."

Mackinac Island is a tourist trap, no question. But on a sunny, breezy day when the lilacs are blooming, it's also astoundingly lovely.

For a while, we sat on a pebble beach and watched the ferries come and go. We walked out to Arch Rock along a path lined with yellow moccasins and pussytoes.

We strolled past frilly Victorian inns and two of its historic churches, both with weddings in progress.

We climbed up to Fort Mackinac, an 18th-century fur-trade depot whose soldiers eventually were put to work taking care of tourists, and had lunch on the terrace of the Tea Room, 150 feet above the harbor.

The next day, we crossed the Straits of Mackinac on the 5-mile-long Mackinac Bridge, suspended 15 stories above the water.

In Mackinaw City , we spent the day watching demonstrations and reenactments at Colonial Michilimackinac, a palisade fort built by the French in 1715 and restored and staffed by interpreters who portray the year 1775, when it was controlled by the British.

From Mackinaw City, we followed the lake down to Harbor Springs, where we drove through the old-money enclave of the Wequetonsing Association, founded in 1880, and into the gleaming downtown of galleries and cafes, ending up on the sugar sand of Zorn Park Beach.

"Everything's perfect," Madeleine noted.

"Everyone's rich," Peter replied.

We'd left the U.P. far behind and entered the orbit of affluent Detroit and Chicago. From Harbor Springs, we drove on to Petoskey, with its Historic Gaslight District and faux-Victorian development just west of town, the Village on Bay Harbor.

In pleasant Charlevoix, which straddles the channel between Lake Michigan and Lake Charlevoix, we took a break to eat frozen custard and stroll downtown, and to wade on the Michigan Avenue beach, a tucked-away pocket of sand across from a cement factory.

We negotiated the busy strip through Traverse City , the first of the great Lake Michigan beach towns , and headed straight west for Empire and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore .

There, we took a few days to play in the sand, along a dramatic coastline the Ojibwe likened to a reclining bear, across from two islands that represent her cubs.

We canoed down the Platte River, then got into its warm, crystal-clear water to swim the rest of the way into icy Lake Michigan.

We scrambled up the Dune Climb, an inland Sahara with a panorama of Glen Lake.

We walked along the top of the "450," a dune that descends into the lake from Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, and swam from the sandbar that separates warm North Bar Lake from cold Lake Michigan.

One day, we drove up the Leelanau Peninsula, a name invented by Henry Schoolcraft, the Indian agent/scholar who also came up with the name Itasca for the Mississippi headwaters.

Considered the little finger of the lower Michigan "mitten," it's a tourist backwater compared with the Traverse City area but still has its share of fudge shops and boutiques.

In Leland, we wandered through Fishtown, a collection of weathered gray fishing shanties that now house gift and candy shops.

From there, ferries take backcountry campers to North Manitou Island and day-trippers to South Manitou Island, which has an 1871 lighthouse, a grove of giant cedars, the visible wreck of the Francisco Morazan and ranger talks that cover island history.

In Northport, we stopped for root-beer floats and to swim at the municipal beach. At the tip of the peninsula, in Leelanau State Park, we visited the 1858 Grand Traverse Light.

Our favorite spot along the lakeshore was Empire, a former logging village named for a schooner that became icebound there in 1865. You could buy pasties, and it seemed the whole town congregated at the municipal beach, where we watched a spectacular sunset.

For now, this part of Michigan is the province of the middle class. As we drove south, we noticed many small resorts on Crystal Lake and Bear Lake.

In the port of Manistee, we walked through the handsome Victorian downtown, all of it on the National Register of Historic Places.

Then we were in Ludington, and it was time to board the S.S. Badger car ferry, a coal-driven behemoth that's been traversing the lake since 1953.

Less than half the size of a Great Lakes ore boat, it's still massive, and we watched in fascination as the gigantic anchor rattled up on oversized chains and the Badger slipped almost noiselessly out of the Ludington harbor.

At first, we made like cruise-ship passengers, basking on deck chairs in the warm morning sun, but the air grew frigid as we sailed into the middle of the lake, and we fled inside.

There, we joined the lounging masses, watching movies and playing a game of "Who Wants to Be a Badger Billionaire."

Then we saw the candy-striped smokestacks of Manitowoc . Our Lake Michigan tour was over, but we hated to say goodbye.

Trip Tips: Circle Tour of Lake Michigan with kids

Adjust time zone: If you're doing the tour clockwise, you'll have to set your watch ahead about half an hour after crossing the Michigan border at Menominee.

When to go: Mid-June and late August are good times to go; the tourist areas are crowded in July and the first half of August.

Allow at least a week, more if you want to add a tour of Door County or a side trip to Sault Ste. Marie (only an hour from St. Ignace).

Planning a trip: For more, see Circling Lake Michigan , Planning a Circle Tour of Lake Michigan and Lake Michigan's greatest hits .

Ferries: Car ferry times may influence the decision to drive clockwise or counterclockwise: From Ludington, the S.S. Badger car ferry leaves at 9 a.m. (you'll be asked to arrive earlier), and from Manitowoc, it leaves at 2 p.m.

Manitowoc and its neighbor, Two Rivers, are well worth a stop. See Two trails from Two Rivers .

To make a longer tour, start in Milwaukee or Muskegon and take the Lake Express High-Speed Ferry across the lake. Crossings take 2½ hours.

© Torsten Muller

Beaches: The entire lakeshore is lined with great sand beaches. See America's freshwater Riviera .

Green Bay : Bay Beach Amusement Park is open daily from Memorial Day weekend through August, then weekends only through September (get off I-43 at Webster Avenue and follow the signs).

Peshtigo: The Fire Museum is open daily in summer and fall.

Mackinac Island : Ferries leave from St. Ignace and Mackinaw City. To give your kids a treat, take them to the island on the pirate ship Good Fortune .

Mackinaw City : This town has lots for kids, including Colonial Michilimackinac , a re-created fur post that offers nonstop reenactments and demonstrations, and the Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park , which has a forest canopy bridge, zip line and climbing wall.

Traverse City : There are a lot of great beaches in and around this town, and a splash pad at Clinch Park, the beach closest to downtown.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore : The visitors center is in Empire; check for daily naturalist programs, which include dune walks, photography excursions and shipwreck-rescue reenactments.

This may be your kids' favorite part of the trip. For more, see Grand Sand .

Ludington : The state park here is one of Michigan's most popular, and there's lots for kids to do: swim, bicycle, tube on the Sable River and visit the Big Sable Point Lighthouse.

For attractions on the lower half of the lake, between Ludington and Manitowoc, see Circling Lake Michigan .

Manitowoc : Don't miss the Wisconsin Maritime Museum and a tour of the U.S.S. Cobia submarine. Families can even stay overnight there on a few dates each summer.

Accommodations: If you can plan ahead — as much as a year — Michigan state parks offer accommodations in cabins and lodges. The price is right, and many are in prime spots on the beach.

For more, see Michigan's great lake cabins .

Just east of Lake Charlevoix in Boyne Falls, Boyne Mountain Resort includes Avalanche Bay indoor water park. The resort and its sister resort, Boyne Highlands near Harbor Springs, both have zip lines.

Traverse City has many large resorts, including Great Wolf Lodge , which includes an indoor water park, and Grand Traverse Resort and Spa on Grand Traverse Bay. The area also has traditional cabin resorts .

At the mouth of the Crystal River on Lake Michigan's Sleeping Bear Bay near Glen Arbor, the Homestead Resort is a large complex of hotels, inns, cottages and condos, plus three restaurants and a deli. There's a spa and schools for golf, fly-fishing and photography.

Between Ludington and Muskegon, Double JJ Resort has horseback-riding and an indoor water park.

In Green Bay, the Tundra Lodge Resort has a small indoor water park.

In Sheboygan , the Victorian-style Blue Harbor Resort also has an indoor water park and is right on Lake Michigan.

Camping: Beautiful state and national parks line Lake Michigan, making camping a good option. For weekends and holidays, try to reserve six months in advance, as soon as the window opens.

Between Mackinaw City and the Indiana border, 18 Michigan state parks line the sandy shores of Lake Michigan, and 15 of them have campgrounds.

There are also campgrounds in four state parks on the U.P., seven in Wisconsin and one apiece in Illinois and Indiana.

For more, see Camping around Lake Michigan .

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Great Lakes Circle Tour

The initial impetus for the creation of this website was the 2014 Great Lakes Coastal Trails Conference held on May 15–16, 2014 in Saugatuck, Michigan. The content and focus of this website will continue to grow and change over time. The navigation tools provided, including the menus across the top of each page, should help you navigate through the website. More content and new information is always in the planning. Please check back regularly to see what has been added!

As always, visitor feedback, comments, corrections and suggestions are eagerly accepted. Follow the various links under the About This Site menu above for more on how to provide your welcomed feedback.

Thanks for visiting, Christopher J. Bessert Cartographer, GIS Specialist, Highway Historian, Webmaster

Copyright © 1997-2014 Christopher J. Bessert. All Rights Reserved.  |   [email protected]   |  Last updated Thursday, May 15, 2014 .