Traveling michigan coast

Rick,

Michigan is not rife with huge vistas as it is flat....
The shore roads are usually good, but you can run US 23 most of the Huron shore and not see water. If you have the time to take a run around the thumb and the peninsulas around Traverse City, they are good.

There are multiple Dark Sky Parks along the Huron shore and up by the straight.

Mackinac Island is a tourist trap and will be about closed after Labor Day. Both Beaver and Bois Blanc islands are not much interest without a native guide. Both require a ferry ride.

I almost forgot to mention Sleeping Bear Dunes. That is a great ride. There is a lot to see there. Try to get in to see the Ghost Forest, it is strange.

I can't begin to suggest where to camp, we don't we just blacktop or boondock where we can.

If you are any kind of a car-guy, look up the Gilmore Collection in Hickory Corners.

Matt

what part of Michigan and what lakeshore? Michigan (i am a native Michigander) has a few thousand miles of lakeshore. How much time do you have allocated for your travel in Michigan?

I, personally, would head to the upper pennisula

I have to agree with smarty. The Lake Michigan shore and the UP are probably your best bets.

Google Lake Michigan Circle Tour, Lake Huron Circle Tour

They've done all the home work already.

We went to the UP last month. It was great; while everything south was hot and humid, the UP was very pleasant, almost cool in the early AM.

We crossed the Mackinac bridge, then turned left on US2 and stayed in the Lakeshore Campground just a couple of miles from the bridge. Upon leaving, we went west around the top of Lake Michigan, then turned down the west side of the lake. Crossed into Wisconsin at Marinette and turned west away from the lake. It was a great trip. Safe travels to you.

Thanks for the info

You can run US 23 nost of the huron shore and not see water.....

US 23 is well inland in fact parts of it are also I-75,, I do not think any part of US-23 is near a great lake.. On the other hand there are other roads.. On the east side Jefferson Ave in Detroit follows the detroit river (Just a couple blocks from the river) and with name changes it then follows lake St. Clair the St. Clair River, Lake Huron and around the Saginaw bay up to the tip of the lower mitten and then with many more name changes the Lake michigan shore down to Indiana. But that's a lot of it's not even close to a freeway driving as not one foot of that trip is freeway once you leave I-75.

Liewise there is a shoreline drive around the UPPER mitten as well.

About the only place freeway and water intersect is the Big Bridge.

Buy,,,, Lots of campgrounds along the shoreline Some state parks, Some private. and lots of beauty. Dunes alone Michigan and south of Superior

Sadly I can only name a few but michigan.gov/dnr has a list of state parks.

Us 23 once you're away from the big cities, goes for miles and miles along Lake Huron.

Us 31 hugs the shore of Lake Michigan

M 22 North of Manistee take it all the way past sleeping bear lakeshore

All this is on the circle tour websites

Many places close down after Labor Day.

FYI route 2 will be closed just after labor day to repair Brevort river bridge. It will be down till November