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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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Lake Michigan Circle Itinerary: A 7-Day Road Trip Through 4 States

• 20 July 2021 16 May 2023

The Lake Michigan Circle is one of the quintessential, must-do American road trips . You’ll find beaches, forests, dunes, and plenty of local breweries and wineries during your 24-hour drive. The trip spans 4 different Midwestern states and dozens of different cities. Read on for a detailed 7-day Lake Michigan circle road trip itinerary !

Last updated: 9 April 2023

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. When you purchase through links on my site, I may make a small commission (at no extra cost to you!).

Where to stay in Grand Haven

Where to stay near sleeping bear dunes, book a tour in traverse city, where to stay on mackinac island, where to stay on the upper peninsula, where to stay in milwaukee, book a tour in chicago, planning your lake michigan circle road trip.

This itinerary assumes that you’re starting in Chicago, but you can start from any part of the circle! You can also add or remove days based on how much time you have. I don’t recommend trying to do this in less than 5 days, however, as that would be too much driving at once to be enjoyable. Summer and fall are both wonderful times to take this trip since many of the activities are outdoors.

Lake Michigan circle road trip itinerary

Day 1: indiana dunes, holland, & grand haven.

From Chicago, drive 45 minutes over the state line to the Indiana Dunes. The Indiana Dunes National Park takes up 15 miles of shoreline around Lake Michigan and features a unique ecosystem with lots of native birds and plants. Spend the morning here either relaxing by the beach or doing something a bit more active. Afterwards, stop by the nearby town of Michigan City, IN for lunch at Shoreline Brewery.

Fun fact: the Indiana Dunes just became a National Park in February of 2019, making it the third-newest park after White Sands (December 2019) and New River Gorge (December 2020)!

Things to do at Indiana Dunes National Park

• Relax on one of the 8 beaches
• Hike through dunes, forest, or wetlands
• Kayak or canoe on Lake Michigan

Once you’ve gotten enough beach time, drive 1 hour and 40 minutes along the Dunes Highway to Holland, a city in the state of Michigan. Holland (you can probably guess by the name) is a former Dutch settlement in Michigan. The town could be mistaken for one in the Netherlands , with plenty of tulips, windmills, and European-style architecture. Spend some time exploring the town, and make sure to check out the Windmill Island and Tulip Gardens.

If you have some time, make a quick detour to Grand Rapids — there, you can check out the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, appreciate art at the Grand Rapids Art Museum, and have a drink at one of the many breweries.

After exploring Holland, drive thirty minutes to Grand Haven. There are plenty of delicious dinner spots here — Rustic Roots, Mamas Thai Cafe, and Righteous Cuisine are some good options. Catch the sunset at the Grand Haven State Park Lighthouse, then head over to the Musical Fountain in town (it plays nightly at dusk).

• Looking Glass Beachfront Inn
• The Harbor House Inn
• Washington Street Inn

Day 2: Silver Lake & Sleeping Bear Dunes

From Grand Haven, drive 55 minutes north to Petite Pointe Au Sable Lighthouse (Little Sable Point Lighthouse) in Mears, Michigan. Built in 1874, this lighthouse is a great place to take in the grandeur of Lake Michigan and the surrounding sand dunes. Drive a bit farther to get to the town of Ludington, where you can stop for coffee and some pastries at Red Rooster Coffee & Community or relax at Ludington State Park.

After your morning pick-me-up, continue driving north until you reach Inspiration Point. This viewpoint off of the main highway is one of the best places to get a bird’s eye view of the Lake Michigan shoreline. There are a few stairs to reach the top, so make sure to wear some comfortable shoes!

A 45-minute drive from Inspiration Point will bring you the main attraction of the day, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The park encompasses hundreds of acres of sand dunes, lakeshore, and forest. There are plenty of activities to keep you busy, so spend your afternoon doing whatever sounds the most fun.

Things to do at Sleeping Bear Dunes

• Dune Climb: uphill sand climbs and hiking
• Walk or bike the Heritage Trail
• Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive
• Canoe the Crystal and Platte rivers
• Camping : on the mainland or on North and South Manitou Islands
• Chimney Corners Resort in Frankfort
• Sylvan Inn Bed & Breakfast in Glen Arbor
• Cedar Ridge Cabins in Honor

Day 3: Traverse City & the Leelanau Peninsula

From Sleeping Bear Dunes, drive 45 minutes to Traverse City. Make sure to stop at Cherry Republic Gift Shop and Pyramid Point Trailhead along the way. You’re in wine country now — sampling some locally-produced bottles is a must today!

Things to do in Traverse City

• Wander around the charming downtown area
• Get a cider flight at Acoustic Tap Room
• Have a tasting at a winery
• Visit Mission Point Lighthouse

Where to stay in Traverse City

• Chateau Chantal Winery and Inn
• Hotel Indigo Traverse City
• The Spring Lighthouse B&B

Day 4: Mackinac Island

Drive 2 hours from Traverse City over to Mackinaw City. Along the way, you’ll drive through the Tunnel of Trees, one of the most scenic routes that feels like you’re getting swallowed by all the nature around you. When you get to Mackinaw City, you’ll need to take the ferry over to Mackinac Island (pronounced like Mack-i-naw ). Adult tickets cost $27 per person with the option of adding a bike pass for $12.

Buy ferry tickets here

Mackinac Island was founded in 1780 and occasionally, it seems like time has stopped completely. There are no cars allowed on the island, due in part to an 1898 ban on “horseless carriages” that has remained unchanged. You won’t find any chain hotels, either — every accommodation option is unique and family-owned. Biking is a popular way to get around the island, as are horse-drawn carriages. Mackinac Island is the best place in the Midwest to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life!

Things to do on Mackinac Island

• Rent a bike (or bring your own) and bike around the perimeter of the island. The M-185 Bicycle Route is 8.2 miles (13 km) long and takes about an hour to complete.
• Check out Arch Rock
• Take a horse-drawn carriage tour
• Learn some local history at Fort Mackinac
• Sample some world-famous fudge at Murdick’s
• Grab lunch at Mighty Mac Hamburgers
• Pine Cottage Bed & Breakfast
• The Inn at Stonecliffe
• Grand Hotel

Note: Hotels on Mackinac Island are notoriously expensive. To save some money, take the ferry back over to the mainland and stay in Mackinaw City or St. Ignace for the night.

Day 5: Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

Today, you’ll leave the Lower Peninsula and cross over the Mackinac Bridge to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Although it’s only a 15-minute drive across the Straits of Mackinac, the Upper Peninsula feels like a different world from the colonial vibe of Mackinac Island. Its proximity to Canada , heavily forested hills, and lack of decent cell service make it feel like you’re at the ends of the earth. Spend today exploring all of the beautiful marvels of nature the UP has to offer.

Things to do on the Upper Peninsula

• Kayak to Lover’s Leap
• Hike Chapel Basin
• Relax at Miners Beach
• Take in the blue waters of Kitch-iti-kipi, a scenic natural spring
• Explore Fayette Historic Townsite
• Hike up the Porcupine Mountains
• Magnuson Grand Pioneer Inn and Suites in Escanaba
• Kewadin Sault Ste Marie Hotel in Sault Ste Marie
• Landmark Inn in Marquette

Day 6: Wisconsin’s lakeshore

On day 6 of our Lake Michigan circle itinerary, you’ll cross into our fourth and final state — Wisconsin. Land of New Glarus beer, Cheeseheads , and Midwestern hospitality, driving down Wisconsin’s lakeshore is a pleasure in and of itself. Although not quite as scenic as Michigan’s side of the lake, you’ll be sure to soak in some beautiful views along the way regardless.

Things to do on Wisconsin’s eastern coast

• Stop by the historic town of Marinette
• Eat some cheese curds in Green Bay
• Cheer on the Packers at Lambeau Field
• Go swimming at Point Beach State Forest
• Attend a concert at Milwaukee’s annual Summerfest
• Check out some art at the Milwaukee Art Museum
• Hike the Seven Bridges area
• The Muse Gallery Guesthouse
• Ambassador Hotel
• Hyatt Place Milwaukee Downtown

Day 7: Chicago

End your week-long trip right where you started — the Windy City, one of the greatest big cities in the world! Today, you’ll do some sightseeing and finish off strong with some hearty Chicagoan food. You’ve earned it after all that driving!

Things to do in Chicago

• Take cheesy mirror pics at the Bean
• Stroll down Michigan Avenue and do some shopping
• Stand on the edge of the Willis Tower (…ahem… Sears Tower ) Skydeck
• Order some deep dish pizza from Lou Malnati’s or a Chicago-style hot dog from Superdawg
• Ride the ferris wheel at Navy Pier
• Cheer on the Bears at Soldier Field

⇉ Chicago Summer Activities: The 21 Best Things to Eat, See, and Do

⇉ Winter in Chicago: The Best Things to Eat, See, and Do

Where to stay in Chicago

• LondonHouse
• theWit Chicago

If you have more time on your Lake Michigan circle tour

This Lake Michigan circle itinerary can be easily extended by spending a bit more time in each destination. Additionally, you can add stops to your trip in the following locations:

• New Buffalo
• Downtown South Haven
• Benton Harbor
• St. Joseph: Silver Beach County Park
• Silver Lake State Park
• Downtown Muskegon
• Isle Royale National Park
• Door Peninsula, the “Cape Cod of the Midwest”: Door County, Peninsula State Park, Fish Creek, Sturgeon Bay, and Egg Harbor
• Take a boat trip to Washington Island
• Port Washington
• Lion’s Den Gorge Nature Preserve

Things to know before your Lake Michigan circle trip

• If time is not a factor, you can extend your trip to become a full Great Lakes Circle Tour , adding on Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, and the St. Lawrence River! The full drive is 6,500 mi (10,460 km) long and takes over 100+ hours of driving.
• Some of the state highways in Illinois are toll roads. You can pay any unpaid tolls after the fact on the Illinois Tollway website .
• Lake Michigan is the only Great Lake that’s entirely inside the United States! You won’t be needing your passport for this single-nation circle tour.

Thanks for reading this Lake Michigan circle itinerary! I hope you found it helpful for planning your own road trip.

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Join the conversation

Thanks for this itenerary! We did it exactly as is written this past June 2023. We did stay 2 days in Glen Arbor at the Sylvan Inn. We rented bikes in town and rode out on the heritage trail. We also rented kayaks to go down the creek there (can’t remember the name) That was my favorite place! I also really liked Traverse City. Unfortunately we did experience some of the smoke from the Canadian fires in both Milwaukee and Chicago, but it wasn’t horrible. We had beautiful weather on Mackinac Island however. I loved all the cherry stores, but was there too soon for the actual fruit! However we experienced no mosquitos that Michigan is known for. Beautiful sandy beaches, and friendly people!!

Following your itinerary! Shoreline Brewery is a must. Jasmine I’d the best!

Hi Niki! We are planning on using your itinerary this summer for a road trip with our 3 boys (ages 10,8,4). We want to spend a couple days in Chicago to kick it off. Which stops would you cut out while traveling with kids? (least kid-friendly activities). Thanks!

Hey Lauren! That sounds like an awesome trip! I’d say that the majority of this itinerary is actually super kid-friendly, especially if you go at your own pace and leave some extra room to stop between cities. Most of the suggestions I’ve listed are outdoors and/or free which is awesome! Running down sand dunes, exploring Mackinac Island, and camping/biking/hiking around Door Peninsula would be my must-dos with kids. If I had to pick one stop to get rid of, it would be the Leelenau Peninsula — there’s not as much to do and the kids would probably find the wineries/breweries boring. Chicago in particular is a really family-friendly city. Depending on what they’re interested in, I’d recommend checking out Lincoln Park Zoo, the Children’s Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Navy Pier, and the Museum of Science and Industry! Happy travels 🙂

Thanks so very much for your great website…. I was lucky to find you while considering my trip around Lake Michigan next Septembfer

I spend half an hour to read this website’s articles or reviews all the time along with a cup of coffee 🙂

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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.

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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Because life's too short to stay home …, circling lake michigan, a road trip around this sandy inland sea uncovers multiple personalities..

© Beth Gauper

If Lake Superior is the drama queen of the Great Lakes, then Lake Michigan is president of the pep club.

It's beautiful, popular and a lot easier to get along with than its tempestuous sister. Its shores are lined with sand, not jagged cliffs, and its beaches attract festive crowds every summer.

It's the only Great Lake you can circle without a passport, and if you don't want to drive around the whole thing, you can take a short cut on a car ferry.

It's still a little moody, though. Shipwrecks litter the bottom, because sandy shoals can snag a boat as surely as rock.

But Lake Michigan hardly is wild. It's been thoroughly domesticated, with two giant cities near its foot, a bevy of beach towns on the east and a long chain of state and national parks.

The 1,100-mile tour of its shores is a classic road trip, featuring the world's largest freshwater dunes, a fabled island, a restored ghost town, the world's third-longest suspension bridge and one magnificent beach after another.

The route goes through four states — five, if you count the Upper Peninsula — and you can travel from steel mill to heron habitat in 10 minutes.

It's never boring, that's for sure.

We traveled it the third week in June, right before the tourist season started in earnest.

Seven years earlier, we'd done the half-Circle Tour, cutting off the southern part by taking the car ferry between Ludington, Mich., and Manitowoc, Wis.

This time, we wanted to see the famous beaches between Ludington and Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. We wanted to stay overnight on Mackinac Island and spend time in Traverse City. We wanted more of everything.

A Circle Tour is drive-by tourism; the first time, you can't do much more than gape, snap a photo and move on.

The second time, you try to catch what you missed the first time. But you still have to keep moving.

Starting on the Wisconsin-Michigan border

We started at the Menominee River, where Marinette, Wis., and Menominee, Mich., sit on opposite sides.

The working-class Upper Peninsula is far removed from the wealthy enclaves of Lower Michigan; its spiritual home is Green Bay, not Grosse Pointe. Much of the land was tax-forfeited during the 1930s and now is state and national forest.

Our first stop was J.W. Wells State Park, where we stayed in the first of a string of very nice state-park cabins.

For details, see Michigan's great lake cabins .

The next day on the beach, we ran into a couple from Manistique who love to explore the area.

They mapped out the things they thought we should see: Fayette Historic Townsite on the Garden Peninsula, Kitch-iti-kipi Spring near Indian Lake, the hiking trail down the 100-foot gorge of the Cut River near Naubinway.

U.S. 2 hums with vehicles heading cross-country, but few stop at nearby attractions.

You have to drive 17 miles down the Garden Peninsula to see the Fayette Historic Townsite , but once there, it's easy to imagine the description in the 1882 Schoolcraft County Pioneer: "Fayette looks like a little Chicago this week; the harbor is full of boats and business is brisk."

The little company town on the cliff-lined bay was a boom town in the 1870s and '80s, when its giant furnaces smelted ore into iron.

Today, visitors wander paths between the preserved music hall, hotel, bank, superintendent's home and boardinghouse, each with exhibits on the people who lived, worked or entertained there.

Thirteen bottles that once contained 9,000 doses of morphine were found behind the walls of one house, and visitors can try to answer the question, "Who do you think was the morphine addict?"

We were barely back on the highway before we made the 11-mile detour to Palms Book State Park and Kitch-iti-kipi Spring .

From our raft, we gazed at its bubbling bottom through a viewing well. We were propelled by a 10-year-old girl from Victoria, B.C., who liked to crank the cable along which it rode.

Ten thousand gallons a minute hurl themselves upward through a limestone fissure, making the white sand on the bottom dance and swirl. It was hypnotizing, like watching an emerald-tinted aerial view of an erupting volcano.

We continued east through Manistique, whose high-school teams are called the Emeralds after the spring. There's a lovely beach there, right around the corner from the red pierhead light, but we were headed for St. Ignace and the ferry to Mackinac Island.

Mackinac Island by bicycle

We'd brought our own bikes, and as soon as we arrived on the island, we circled it on the eight-mile Lake Shore Road, also known as M-185, the only state highway in the nation that doesn't allow cars.

In the golden light before dusk, it seemed sun-kissed and magical.

There's more to this fabled island than fudge shops and Fort Mackinac, which I toured on my first visit. This time, we poked into every nook and cranny, from wooded nature trails to the ruins of a British fort.

We crossed paths with the crowds only on Main Street and the path to Arch Rock, to which most tourists ride on horse-drawn trolleys.

Toward the end of Sunday afternoon, we returned to watch the big Lilac Festival parade, featuring the cross-dressing Scottsville Clown Band.

After two nights, we returned to St. Ignace and crossed the five-mile Mackinac Bridge, thinking about the Yugo that was blown over the side in 1989 by gale-force winds. Luckily, it was calm that day.

Colonial Michilimackinac, a re-created British fur post, is right on the strait in Mackinaw City and a great stop for families, especially those with kids who might like to see soldiers fire cannons and muskets.

For more about the Circle Tour with children, see Lake Michigan with kids .

We kept going to Cross Village and the Legs Inn, a folk-art landmark whose fieldstone façade is lined with white stove legs.

It was founded by a Polish immigrant in 1921, and we guessed, correctly, that it would be showing World Cup soccer games. So we settled at the bar to eat a plate of pierogis and watch Spain play Honduras.

Nearly everyone else was on the flower-filled patio, sampling some of 100 beers served by young, dirndl-clad waitresses from Poland. Just beyond, the lawn rolled to the shore of Lake Michigan.

Down the Tunnel of Trees

We couldn't imagine a better place to while away an afternoon, but we kept going down M-119, also called the Tunnel of Trees.

The twisting road, barely wide enough for two cars to pass, has views of Lake Michigan and is famous for its spring wildflowers and fall color.

But it was June and we'd just spent two days bicycling on Mackinac's more-scenic M-185, so we weren't that impressed.

The drive ends in the old-money enclave of Harbor Springs. We drove on to the new-money enclave of Petoskey, where we tried in vain to find a trailhead of the 23-mile Little Traverse Wheelway, thinking one of us could ride it to Charlevoix.

We rode it later, one May, and it was beautiful. For more, see Bicycling in western Michigan .

Charlevoix is a pleasant tourist town squeezed between Lake Michigan and big Lake Charlevoix.

It's known for its ties to Ernest Hemingway, who spent his boyhood summers there, and for the stone "mushroom houses" designed and built by local resident Earl Young.

From downtown, we took a stroll along the channel to Lake Michigan, past Young's Weathervane Inn. As we left town, we wound through the adjoining neighborhood, past some of his whimsical homes.

On Grand Traverse Bay

Traverse City is the first of the big beach towns. For more, see America's freshwater Riviera .

We checked into a cabin in Traverse City State Park, just across the highway from the beach on the East Arm of Grand Traverse Bay.

The 10½-mile TART Trail runs alongside the park, so we hopped on and rode to the West Arm beaches, the marina, the adorable downtown and the Old Town district.

People can and do spend a week or more here. It's both beach town and cultural capital, with free music and festivals all summer, including the giant National Cherry Festival in early July.

Bicyclists like to ride its trails and also the roads around nearby Torch Lake and up the Old Mission Peninsula, which separates the two lobes of Grand Traverse Bay, and the Leelanau Peninsula, between the bay and Lake Michigan.

When we drove up the Old Mission Peninsula , ripening cherries were bright red in the orchards, and roadside stands sold strawberries.

Local farmers also grow grapes on this water-wrapped finger of land; at Chateau Chantal Winery, we stopped for a taste of the local pinot blanc.

We visited the Old Mission Light on the tip of that peninsula, and the Grand Traverse Light at the tip of the Leelanau Peninsula.

In Leland, we stopped at touristy Fish Town, whose weathered shanties now are occupied by T-shirt shops.

Playing in a giant sandbox

From Leland, it's not far to Empire and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore . Kids adore this giant playground of sand, and we spent several days there on the first trip.

Nevertheless, we stopped to do the classic Dune Climb and hike the Empire Bluff Trail again. We hit them in the golden hour before dusk, when the vast swath of sand glowed.

In Manistee, we stopped to tour the 1930 steamship S.S. City of Milwaukee , beached on the shore like a whale with its mouth propped open.

Once, this boat transported entire freight trains across Lake Michigan. Today, it's also a bed-and-breakfast, with rooms outfitted with antique-store finds from the era and a lake view from every angle.

In Ludington, we picked up a picnic lunch downtown and took it to Ludington State Park, one of the most popular in Michigan.

It's like a little resort, with four campgrounds plus tubing, canoeing, swimming, bicycling, a store and evening music and stories in the amphitheater.

"People come for 50 years, and then they bring their grandkids," said friendly campground host Stub Willick. He turned out to be a drummer in the Scottville Clown Band, founded in 1903; we'd seen them performing, memorably, in Mackinac Island's Lilac Festival parade.

We rode our bikes through the dunes to the 1867 Big Sable Point Lighthouse and caught the last tour. Volunteer keeper Larry Gorsh took us up the 132 steps to the catwalk, which had a sweeping view of dunes and water.

"I've often caught myself saying to visitors, 'Look out at the ocean,' " he said.

Our next stop was Muskegon, a working port where it's not so easy to find the beach.

Winding our way through town, we finally found the long beach at Pere Marquette Park, and nearby the World War II submarine U.S.S. Silversides, part of the Great Lakes Naval Memorial & Museum.

Sleeping on the beach

We washed up for the night at Holland State Park in the Dutch town of Holland, where we had a camper cabin at the edge of the beach, with a view of the beloved Big Red lighthouse.

When everyone else had to leave for the day, we got to stay, and we were first on the beach in the morning.

Just south of Holland, Saugatuck is another popular beach town. Its streets were thronged with shoppers and strollers, many sampling fudge. In Lower Michigan, eating fudge is a required tourist activity, much as eating pasties is on the U.P.

On our way to lunch, we walked past the S.S. Keewatin, a passenger liner that once sailed between Thunder Bay and Port McNicoll on Lake Superior.

We would have liked to visit Oval Beach, reached via hand-cranked chain ferry across the Kalamazoo River, but we had to move on.

In South Haven, we spotted the Friends Good Will , a replica of an 1810 square-topsail sloop, coming into the harbor and its berth at the Michigan Maritime Museum .

There was a beach downtown, and also beaches all the way down the shore, each populated with sunbathers and swimmers.

It seemed to extend all the way to Warren Dunes State Park, where the beach seemed to go on forever. Giant dunes rose behind it, with paths lined by wildflowers. It was a balmy evening, and we weren't the only ones who stayed well into dusk.

On the Red Arrow Highway

From nearby Sawyer, we traveled on an old stretch of the Red Arrow Highway, part of the 1922 West Michigan Pike between Chicago and Mackinaw City.

Parallel I-94 now carries most of the traffic, but this stretch is fun for its old-time roadhouses, fruit stands and antiques stores.

Around Harbert, art galleries and an Italian ristorante appeared, signs of the Chicagoans for whom this area is a favorite weekend getaway.

In Union Pier, we stopped and bought plump berries and baked goods at the Saturday-morning farmers market.

Near the Indiana border, we stopped in New Buffalo , the closest town to the Indiana border, and spent an hour swimming at the town beach.

Then we crossed the border and started looking for Indiana Dunes National Park, which looked large on the map but turned out to be elusive.

We finally found a beach where we could park. It was beautiful, but it was flanked on both sides by steel mills, and we could see the outline of Chicago in the haze. Created by a swap with the steel industry, the park is an oasis that harbors wetlands and wildlife.

U.S. 12 through Gary was a trip through the Third World, though we still were following Circle Tour signs. An astringent smell hung in the air, and the only nice building we saw was a shiny blue-glass casino.

Chicago has gorgeous beaches. But the next time we saw Lake Michigan, it was on the other side of the city at Illinois Beach State Park, near Waukegan.

It's big, with a 6-mile-long beach, trails through nature preserves, wildflowers and a campground.

Park facilities have had problems with maintenance, due to underfunding, but the beach itself is beautiful. And for campers who don't want to cook, there's a conference center with a restaurant.

Lighthouses in Wisconsin

Ahead of us lay Kenosha, Racine and Milwaukee, all with gorgeous beaches and lighthouses.

The beach in downtown Kenosha stretches from two adorable, candy-striped pierhead lights, and the 1866 Southport Lighthouse is up the hill. The Electric Streetcar Circulator makes a two-mile loop along the shoreline and through downtown and historic districts.

In Racine, the 1880 Wind Point Lighthouse is a classic Poe tower that's one of the tallest on the Great Lakes. If you're there on the first Sunday of the month from June through October, you can tour it.

A bike trail connects North Beach to the Racine Zoo and downtown, where kids can run through the multi-jet fountain at Pershing Park without getting sandy.

Like Chicago, Milwaukee is a destination in itself. Its lakeshore is lined with tourist attractions and is fun to cruise either in a car or on a bike.

Port Washington is a stop on the Interurban bicycle trail and a good place to charter a fishing boat.

Sheboygan has a lovely beach at Deland Park and is famous for its free John Michael Kohler Arts Center, the nation's premier steward of outsider art.

Manitowoc, where the Wisconsin Maritime Museum includes the U.S.S. Cobia submarine, and Two Rivers are linked by a bicycle trail right on the lake.

Point Beach State Forest, just north of Two Rivers, has perhaps Wisconsin's loveliest beaches and a lighthouse whose elegance rivals Racine's.

Like Milwaukee, Door County is a destination well worth a week to itself; it's very popular, like Michigan's beach towns all pushed together on one peninsula.

If you're closing the loop, your next stop will be Green Bay , in Packer country.

It's crawling with football fans every day, but if you're there in August, you can join the festivities around the Packers' training camp , which Sports Illustrated calls one of the best and most fan-friendly in the nation.

More information

Want to do the Circle Tour? See Planning a Circle Tour of Lake Michigan .

For details on making a half-Circle Tour, see Lake Michigan with kids .

For a nine-day sample itinerary, see Lake Michigan's greatest hits .

For more on camping, see Camping around Lake Michigan .

For more on staying in Michigan state parks, see Michigan's great lake cabins .

For more about the beaches and beach towns, see America's freshwater Riviera .

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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

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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.

Free 2022 Edition of “Lake Michigan Lighthouse Map & Circle Tour” is Now Available

Home » Free 2022 Edition of “Lake Michigan Lighthouse Map & Circle Tour” is Now Available

PHOTO COURTESY OF WEST MICHIGAN TOURIST ASSOCIATION

The poster-sized publication, “Lake Michigan: Lighthouse Map & Circle Tour,” detailing various lighthouses located on the shores of Lake Michigan as well as the famous Lake Michigan Circle Tour driving route is now available for free from the West Michigan Tourist Association.

Since its creation in the 1980s, the Circle Tour route has delighted travelers with its many Michigan sites, including over 100 lighthouses, many islands, and a host of attractions, including parks, natural areas, beaches, quaint towns and the famed Mackinac Bridge.

The cover of this year’s map features an aerial photo of the South Haven Lighthouse by Dan Zeeff. In addition to the map, the West Michigan Tourist Association is releasing 24 new free digital jigsaw puzzles showcasing many of the featured lighthouses.

Access the full circle tour driving route around Lake Michigan online, and download a PDF of this year’s “Lake Michigan: Lighthouse Map & Circle Tour” guide , or request that a free copy be mailed to you at wmta.org/lake-michigan-lighthouse-map-circle-tour/

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The 9 Best Towns Along Lake Michigan

The state of Michigan rubs up against four of the five Great Lakes : Superior , Huron , Erie , and Michigan . The latter, in conjunction with the long western flank of the Lower Peninsula (better known as the "Sunset Coast"), creates one of the most attractive and congruous shorelines that The Great Lake State has to offer. There are large swaths of sandy beaches (oftentimes backdropped by ancient freshwater dunes) and plentiful waterfront towns that accent the landscape and the experience all the more. In order from south to north, these are nine of the best Michigan towns along Lake Michigan .

Tucked in the southwest corner of Michigan, St. Joseph, aka "St. Joe," is a viable beach town not only for those landlocked on the Lower Peninsula but also for residents of northern Indiana or Illinois. Split by the St. Joseph River, just as it empties into the vast blue waters of Lake Michigan, this small Berrien County city not only has an attractive pier (complete with two historic lighthouses), but popular beach parks on either side. Silver Beach County Park, which sits on the south side, blends into the downtown core, where both family-friendly and adult-appropriate attractions can be found. Be sure to catch a sunset at the aptly-named Lookout Park, and if you get the chance to make a small side trip, scoot down to Warren Dunes State Park to see the colossal sand dunes in all their glory.

South Haven

Less than 30 miles up Lake Michigan's coast from St. Joseph, the triple threat that is South Haven emerges. This Van Buren County community has a magnetic downtown core, a storybook Old Harbor Village, and two inviting beaches (South Beach and North Beach) that are once-again divided by a long pier (stemming off the Black River), that is this time tipped by a bright-red lighthouse. The intersection of Water and Center Street is where the shopping, coffee, and culinary explorations can begin, with each surrounding square block unveiling new independent businesses. The Old Harbor Village, which has been sculpted to mimic an old-fashioned fishing enclave, adds even more artisanal shops into the mix, as well as riverside eateries and accommodations. Like St. Joe, South Haven also has a sand-dune-themed state park (i.e. Van Buren), just a few minutes drive south of the city.

Saugatuck/Douglas

The sister villages of Saugatuck and Douglas await another 20 miles up the road from South Haven, in a section of Michigan known as "The Art Coast." Based around either side of Kalamazoo Lake/Kalamazoo River (Douglas on the south shore, Saugatuck on the north), but still adjacent to Lake Michigan, these Allegan County communities offer ample waterfront experiences. Each downtown core (which feels like a single unit separated by a short bridge) is colorful, creative, and quirky. Many local eateries/breweries participate in what is known as the Social District - meaning that beverages can be purchased from one establishment and enjoyed in the common areas of another (while waiting on a table, perhaps). Boating and paddling outlets exist along the Kalamazoo waterways, and distinct beaches service both Douglas and Saugatuck (Douglas Beach and Oval Beach, respectively). Alternatively, another 2.5-mile sandy stretch sits just north of the collective at Saugatuck Dunes State Park.

Next, let's scoot 12 more miles northward (and ever so slightly inland) to the cultural haven of Holland . This Dutch-immigrant town, or rather, small city (many of the cute towns along Lake Michigan are technically cities) wears its European heritage on its sleeve. Traditional windmills, tulips galore (during the spring bloom, that is), local festivals, specialty shops, and even the general aesthetic of downtown (hued here and there with hints of orange) all mirror that of the Netherlands . But since this article is all about Lake Michigan, no visit to this Allegan/Ottawa County hub would be complete without following the north shore of Lake Macatawa to Holland State Park, the hearty Ottawa Beach, and the red-lighthouse-tipped pierhead.

Grand Haven

Grand Haven is one of Michigan's quintessential beach towns. For a wet and wild summer, join the fun-loving crowds at Grand Haven State Park, Grand Haven City Beach, or North Beach Park, or sneak off to one of the many smaller outlets in the surrounding area. If sunbathing isn't your thing, catch a ride on the Lakeshore Trolley, or take a stroll along the Grand River Boardwalk (complete with a musical fountain) and into the exciting and well-stocked downtown districts. Paddlers will appreciate the protected waters and maze-like routes through the Grand River bayous, anglers will have plenty of prime spots to cast a line along those same shores, and boaters let er' rip across the full expanse of the Great Lake.

Though it is the most populous city along Michigan's Lake Michigan shore, do not overlook Muskegon this summer. In terms of outdoor recreation, this seat of the namesake county has three state parks (Muskegon, Pj Hoffmaster, and Duck Lake), several subsidiary lakes, two paddle-worthy rivers, 65 miles of multi-use trails, and 26 cumulative miles of soft sandy beaches. Muskegon also specializes in extracurricular fun - thanks to Michigan's Adventure (the largest amusement/water park in the state), a robust nightlife (especially in the libation department), and a lively arts & entertainment scene, complete with live performance venues, ambitious outdoor sculptures, and countless street murals (be sure to download the art walk map to see them all).

Traverse City

Jumping well into the upper half of the Lower Peninsula, Traverse City teases the wild and wondrous landscape of northern Michigan. This Grand Traverse County gem is situated at the base of the West and East arms of Grand Traverse Bay (i.e. a substantial Lake Michigan inlet), which are divided by a long, vineyard-lined peninsula (aka, the "Traverse Wine Coast"). Sommeliers can tour the various award-winning wineries, and make pit stops at the many scenic lookouts, historic lighthouses, and lush parks along the way. Those open to a moderate, but unforgettable side adventure, can traverse the Traverse Highway for about 30 minutes to reach the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Shoreline - with its windswept, mountain-like formations and pristine beaches. Last but not least, consider timing your visit for the National Cherry Festival (June 29th-July 6th, 2024). Traverse City, after all, is known as the "Cherry Capital of the World."

As we continue our charge toward the tip of Michigan's Lower Peninsula, a stop in Charlevoix is a must (at least it was for Ernest Hemingway, who often summered here). The tapered site plan of this charming city accommodates a significant stretch of Lake Michigan shoreline, as well as the one-two punch of Round Lake and Lake Charlevoix . The beloved Michigan Beach Park sits equidistant from two other natural coastal attractions: Fisherman's Island State Park (to the west) and North Point Nature Preserve (to the east). When not on the water, be sure to check out the famous "mushroom houses" - 30 distinct properties designed by architect Earl Young, who utilized Northern Michigan stones and cedar-shake roofs to bring his earthy creations to life.

Mackinac Island

The geographical (and perhaps, emotional) pinnacle of our Lake Michigan East Coast road trip brings us to Mackinac Island . Yes, this slightly more than four-square-mile island does actually tilt into Lake Huron's domain, but given the magic of the region, and lack of clear demarcation between the two Great Lakes, I trust that readers will forgive the transgression. Park at Mackinaw City and take the ferry over to this car-free enclave, where you can travel about on foot, bike, or even a horse-drawn carriage. Explore the titular state park (which dominates the majority of the island), visit historic forts, play a few rounds of golf (mini, disc, or regular), embrace spa life, or simply surrender to the resort town's world-famous fudge. You can't go wrong on this idyllic and old-fashioned rock.

Parting Thoughts

The eastern shore of Lake Michigan is one of several substantial Great-Lake-shorelines under Michigan's rule, but it is a tough one to top. The "Sunset Coast" is saturated with paradisiacal beaches, replete with state parks, and blessed with unique small towns. There are always more nooks and crannies to explore along Michigan's slice of Lake Michigan, but these nine towns are some of the absolute best. Where will you find yourself this season?

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