Surrounded by pure blue and aquamarine freshwater, Michigan brings a pleasant, satisfying sigh of relief as you breathe in scents of pine and walk its shorelines. Michigan's peninsulas have the longest freshwater coast in America at 3,288 miles of wave crashing, picturesque beauty. No matter where you are in the Great Lake State, you can always get to the "big" lakes in an hour and a half drive or less. Harbor towns provide a home base for boaters looking to fish for salmon, steelhead, whitefish and lake trout. Or just cruise and enjoy a sunny day on the water. Michigan's 124 active lighthouses — there's more lighthouses here than in any other state — bring an iconic maritime feel to the state.
Michigan is a state that defines an outdoor lifestyle. There's so much beauty and opportunity to fish, hunt, camp, boat and explore. Michigan has been known for years as a water and wildlife wonderland. It's the land of 11,000 inland lakes and hundreds of rivers and streams. You’re never more than six miles away from one of them. Ease of accessibility means fishing for bass, bluegill, perch, crappie and more is something that can easily be done daily or for a weekend getaway.
Hunting Michigan's Lower Peninsula brings opportunity for healthy populations for whitetail deer, wild turkeys, black bear and small game. Even elk near Gaylords Huron National Forest draws hunters from across the state for a coveted resident tag. Oak ridges, birch, walnuts, aspens and towering pines fill these forests as swamps and streams intertwine to establish incredible habitat diversity, ideal for bedding, natural forage and security cover. Campgrounds, parks, hiking trails, kayaking, and canoeing pepper the state with nearly endless opportunities to create memories and experience the outdoors in special ways.
Crossing the Straits of Mackinac on the Mighty Mackinac Bridge is like taking a step back in time. The pace of life slows down, wilderness expands and it's not uncommon for local store owners to post signs in the middle of the day declaring they've "gone fishing," and they’ll be back in a few hours to open again.
Natural attractions like Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in the east and Porcupine Mountains Wilderness Area in the west overlook the rocky shores of Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake in the world. These family destinations are just a few of the places popular among summer travelers every year.
Black bear and whitetail deer are hunted in the Hiawatha and Ottawa National Forest, and backpackers hike the North Country Trail through the forests, almost 2 million acres combined.
Also well known for its agriculture, Michigan’s 9 million apple trees in commercial production grow the third-most apples in the nation. Michigan grows 70% of the nation's cherries, many on Lake Michigan's Leelanau Peninsula where Traverse City holds its cherry festival each year. Southwest Michigan has perfect soil and an ideal climate for growing a third of the nation's blueberries. Meanwhile, the shores of Lake Huron are ideal for growing sugar beets, corn and soybeans. Michigan's giant interior forests have been providing lumber for hundreds of years, and the state still ranks fifth in timber production.
The list goes on in Michigan. Experiencing these great peninsulas is nature at its best, pure and unfiltered.
