Main St & M-55 Intersection

Drive your car through this iconic canopy of towering black willow trees and you feel like you’re in a fairytale for a few moments.

If you’re lucky, you’ll see deer at the end of the road like we did.

This is a great spot for photos – the road isn’t very busy – but do be on the lookout for other vehicles when you stop.

Locals call this road Bullfrog Highway because the frog noises from the nearby Big Manistee River are so audible here.

If you can find the Manistee Meijer, you’re close to the Tunnel of Trees. To get there from Meijer, head SW on M-55 (Caberfae Highway) for 0.8 miles and then turn right onto N Main St (aka Eastlake Rd). That’s where you’ll find the Tunnel of Trees.

Arcadia Marsh, 16791 Northwood Hwy, Arcadia, MI 49613

It’s not every day you get to hike through a marshy nature preserve and get the perfect IG backdrop.

Tucked away in the most unexpected place, the Arcadia Marsh Boardwalk. A beautiful, hidden nature preserve treasure.

At just under a mile, this universally accessible pathway system travels over diverse wetlands and all, but guarantees abundant wildlife viewings.

Arcadia Dunes & Old Baldy at C.S. Mott Nature Preserve
Gilbert Rd, Arcadia, MI 49613

If filling your lungs with fresh air makes you smile, head on over to Arcadia Dunes in the C.S. Mott Nature Preserve just north of Manistee MI.

With over 15 miles of trails, you might wonder where to start adventuring. Don’t worry – we’ll help!

If you’re using a stroller or wheelchair, you’ll want the Overlook Trail. This one-mile roundtrip trail uses a wooden boardwalk system and a series of switchbacks to get you up to a great Lake Michigan overlook.

If you’re up for a little off-road adventure and don’t mind a sandy hike with stairs, adventure over to Baldy Dune for even bigger Lake Michigan views.

Michigan Champion Giant Sequoia Tree at Lake Bluff Bird Sanctuary
2890 Lakeshore Rd, Manistee, MI 49660

Yep, Manistee MI has a Giant Sequoia Tree.

Come for the giant tree, stay for the views, birding, and hiking.

The Michigan Giant Sequoia was planted as a seedling in 1949 after being carried back to the state from California in a coffee can. Today, the champion tree towers above the other trees at the sanctuary and already makes humans feel very small by comparison.

When you’re done getting photos of the Giant Sequoia – if you can fit the whole tree into a photo – see if you can find the Giant Sycamore tree on the property.

First Street Beach, Cherry Rd, Manistee, MI 49660

Not many of these old wooden playgrounds are still in existence. Happily, this one is still standing and is in good repair.

My kids gasped with delight when they saw this at Lighthouse Park in Manistee and instantly resumed a game of tag leftover from the last time they found a play structure like this.

Starts in downtown, north of River St

You can walk along the river from downtown Manistee all the way to Lake Michigan via the riverwalk.

That’s 1.75-miles one way.

It’s a hike, but it’s a fun walk that will let you see the city in a whole new way. While you walk, read the markers and learn more about how the river impacted the development of Manistee over the years.

8567 Portage Point Dr, Onekama, MI 49675

Hop aboard for a private sightseeing cruise with Tonya and Kevin’s Inn Fun Cruises. Cruises leave from downtown Manistee.

Kevin captains the boat while Tonya narrates your two-hour journey around the waterways of Manistee. She’s truly a wealth of information and you can tell she loves where she lives.

As you motor around, Tonya might disappear for a moment or two. That’s because she’s grabbing a surprise for you – customized to whatever it is that you’re celebrating that day. This boat is where memories are made, so don’t be afraid to let Tonya know the reason for your visit.

BYOB for the trip. They’ll provide light locally-sourced refreshments – we suggest Taco ‘Bout It Mexican Fusion chips and guac, as well as some tasty items from Wee Bee Jammin’, among other things.

Orchard Beach Aviation at Manistee County Blacker Airport
2323 Airport Rd, Manistee, MI 49660

Sign up for a 15 minute aerial sightseeing tour with Orchard Beach Aviation.

Choose your three-person friend group to pack into the four-seater airplane, tell the pilot what you’d like to see, and get ready to be wowed. If you need a surprise birthday or anniversary gift, this might just be it.

You’ll likely fly over Lake Michigan beaches, the city of Manistee, or Portage Lake and surrounding areas for a bird’s eye view of the area.

Flights are available for anywhere from 1 – 6 people at a time. Book online,  call (231-723-8095), or stop in for more information.

Flights are offered year round.

SS City of Milwaukee
99 Arthur St, Manistee, MI 49660

The SS City of Milwaukee invites you aboard to learn more about how a steamship of this size spent decades on the water of Lake Michigan.

If you do the tour, you’ll get an inside look at the ship’s mechanicals as well as an idea of how people living and working on the ship passed the time. Some of the occupations back then were pre-OSHA – you’ll be surprised to hear how dangerous some daily tasks were.

Bring your kids on this tour – it’ll open their eyes to a piece of history they won’t get to experience anywhere else.

Visit on a Friday or Saturday night in October see this big boat transformed into a Haunted Ship.

Hoxeyville Outfitters
8027 Grandview Hwy, Wellston, MI 49689

Most people don’t realize that there is a place in lower Michigan where you can go whitewater rafting. There is – and it’s on the Pine River, which runs through Manistee County. Hoxeyville Outfitters offers 5 different rafting trip options and is a great option for families.

The rapids here are small – class one – and in August, they’re usually pretty tame. That makes renting a raft a fun family thing to do on a warm afternoon.

While the Pine River is not recommended for novice canoe or kayak operators, running a raft down the river is a lot easier to do. The raft lends stability – it’s very hard to tip over.

That doesn’t mean the swift current won’t run you into a tree or two – that’s happened to before – but you will have a blast paddling for 3.5 hours and your crew might even be begging to do it again.

To do this trip, you need at least 4 people old enough to handle a paddle well. All of our rafters were over 10 years old. We took turns rotating the rider.

While we toured with Bosman’s (now going by the name Hoxeyville) and had a fantastic experience, there’s another reputable outfitter in the area as well: Pine River Paddlesports should one or the other be booked up.

First Street Beach & Douglas Recreation Area
110 S. Lakeshore Dr, Manistee, MI 49660

The First Street Beach sits opposite of the 5th Avenue beach, across the Manistee River channel.

It’s much larger, with a variety of picnic pavilions and play areas. There’s also a large fish cleaning station.

Waves here can get big – it’s important to heed the flag color when thinking about a swim in Lake Michigan.

One thing you might love is the massive retro slide at the playground. We haven’t seen a slide this tall anywhere else in Michigan.

First Street Beach also has a beach house with concessions.

8925 Norconk Rd, Bear Lake, MI 49614

Wee Bee Jammin’ is an adorable shop featuring yummy artisan jams they craft on-site themselves and label with clever names like Toe Jam (this kind tastes good!) and Razzle Dazzle.

They make their own honey, too, from bees that they raise themselves. That’s probably why their Flower Power Honey will knock your socks off.

If you can get there in person, do it. The little storefront boutique is stocked with their own creations as well as fun and interesting Michigan-themed boutique finds.

If you can’t get there in person, shop their online store – it’s got a great selection of their artisan jams and jellies – and it would make a great stocking stuffer or housewarming gift.

If you’re looking for something really unique, get yourself the Wild Flower Comb Honey.  It’s taken straight from the hive, cut, packaged, and sent right to you. Grab a honey dipper and enjoy!