North Central

North Central Michigan covers the northern half of the Lower Peninsula, the lake-and-forest country running from Saginaw Bay west across to Lake Michigan and north to the Mackinac Bridge. The terrain is glacier-shaped — sand dunes along the Lake Michigan shoreline, rolling forested hills inland, hundreds of inland lakes, and the Au Sable River cutting east across the eastern half. The region is the heart of Michigan’s vacation country. Twenty-five counties cover the region. Grand Traverse holds Traverse City, the largest city; Emmet holds Petoskey and Harbor Springs; Charlevoix holds Charlevoix; Cheboygan holds Mackinaw City (the southern terminus of the Mackinac Bridge); Antrim holds Bellaire and the Shanty Creek resorts; Leelanau holds Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Hartwick Pines State Park (with old-growth white pine) and the Au Sable Scenic Byway round out the public lands. Most trips here run cottage-and-cherry focused. Traverse City anchors the largest single visitor stream — the National Cherry Festival each July, the wineries on Old Mission and Leelanau peninsulas, and Sleeping Bear day trips. Petoskey and Harbor Springs run quieter resort weekends; Mackinaw City handles the southbound ferry traffic to Mackinac Island.