From climbing a 145-year-old lighthouse to standing under the Milky Way at a Bortle-2 dark-sky park, the Sunrise Coast keeps you busy across all four seasons.
Peak season in accent. Shoulder season in lighter accent. Off-season blank.
Quick answers about what to do, when, and how.
Climb a historic lighthouse, take a glass-bottom shipwreck tour in Thunder Bay, paddle the AuSable River, swim at Tawas Point, stargaze at Headlands International Dark Sky Park, and drive the US-23 Heritage Route for fall color. These are the six most cited highlights across the 200-mile coast.
Yes — fishing, lighthouses (some), and stargazing are year-round. Beaches, kayaking, and most lighthouse climbs run May through October. Winter brings snowmobiling, ice fishing, and snowshoeing as the dominant activities, especially around Cheboygan and the Mackinaw State Forest.
Very. Tawas Point and Oscoda city beaches are shallow, sandy, and lifeguarded in season. Most lighthouses are open to climb with kids, the AuSable High Banks paddle is Class I (suitable for first-timers), and Headlands Dark Sky Park hosts free family astronomy nights.
Fishing requires a Michigan DNR license. Shipwreck diving in Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary requires a NOAA permit for some sites. ORV trails require an ORV license sticker. Most other activities — lighthouses, beaches, hiking, stargazing — are free or require only a small state-park day-use fee.