• Welcome Guest! If you are already a member of the BMW MOA, please log in to the forum in the upper right hand corner of this page. Check "Remember Me?" if you wish to stay logged in.

    We hope you enjoy the excellent technical knowledge, event information and discussions that the BMWMOA forum provides. Why not take the time to join the club, so you can enjoy posting on the forum, the club magazine, and all of the discounts and benefits the BMWMOA offers?

    Want to read the MOA monthly magazine for free? Take a 3-month test ride of the magazine; check here for details.

  • NOTE. Some content will be hidden from you. If you want to view all content, you must register for the forum if you are not a member, or if a member, you must be logged in.

Michigan South to North

glenfiddich

TravelsWithBarley.com
In July Barley and I will be taking the sidecar from VT to the rally in St Paul. It's our chance to see more of Michigan, including the eastern part of the UP that we missed last time we were in the neighborhood. But I need some advice for the trip from the OH border to the Mac. I'm hoping to avoid cities and traffic, and see a mix of forest and coastline. Here's what I'm thinking...

127 from the OH border north to Hudson, then northwest on 34 and 99 passing to the east of Battle Creek and Grand Rapids. North of Grand Rapids we'll head west to 37, then north to 55 which we'll take to the coast at Manistee. Up the coast a bit, then east to Traverse City and up to Petosky. I was thinking of avoiding Sleeping Bear Dunes because public beaches are not the most dog-friendly places and Barley can't see a body of water without wanting to jump in and paddle around.

Any advice? Also looking for decent campgrounds along the way.

 
Your proposed route through lower Michigan is good, but I am going to suggest some details. When you get to Manistee, follow M22 which is one of the most beautiful rides in all of Michigan (at least lower Michigan) The views over Lake Michigan are stunning. Continuing north to Frankfort, stop at Point Betsie Lighthouse which is one of the most popular of the hundreds of lights around Michigan. M22 goes all the way up to Leelanau Peninsula, then back down to Traverse City. At Traverse City, pick up US 31 to Petoskey. On the north side of Petoskey is the Tunnel of Trees, M119. The ride through Tunnel of Trees is not complete without a stop at Legg's Inn in Cross Village. Fun, old restaurant. From Cross Village, there are numerous routes one could take get to the Big Mac Bridge. Once in the UP, AKA God's Country, you can follow whichever lakeshore you desire. Personally, I prefer Lake Superior as it offers most scenic rides and generally less traffic.

For detailed ride maps of the UP of Michigan, see www.upcruising.com You can order a guide from them. The new 2014 were delivered about 10 days ago.
 
Thanks, Scott. I traced it out on the map and it looks awfully good!

We went over Superior enroute to the RA Rally at Chippewa Falls. The plan was to wrap around the southern shoreline all the way to Paradise, then drop down to US2 and on to the rally. The problem was we were having such a great time we never made it further east than L'Anse. This trip will fill that gap. Appreciate the advice.
 
Having spent allot of time & travels in Michigan I agree with all Scott's advise.

As far as Sleepy Bear Dunes ...it is about a 300 foot climb to the top before ya see water...and I really hope Barley wouldn't jump in...cause from the top down to water is about 300 feet or more...:dance

Lived near there for a time..[Honor]..it is a beautiful area.
 
Scott nailed it for you! There's some beautiful riding and lots of neat little towns along the way. And if you have never ridden M-22 or M-119 they are worth it. I also agree that riding along the southern shore Lake Superior is a nicer ride than the north shore of Lake Michigan. If you have the time, spend some time visiting the Pictured Rocks National Seashore in Munising, stopping along the way at the Hilltop Cafe in Lanse for a cinnamon roll (and you better be hungry).
 
Scott nailed it for you! There's some beautiful riding and lots of neat little towns along the way. And if you have never ridden M-22 or M-119 they are worth it. I also agree that riding along the southern shore Lake Superior is a nicer ride than the north shore of Lake Michigan. If you have the time, spend some time visiting the Pictured Rocks National Seashore in Munising, stopping along the way at the Hilltop Cafe in Lanse for a cinnamon roll (and you better be hungry).


Dat's da truth...I've had one of those cinnamon rolls......yum,yum:thumb
 
Please note....there is a section of road along Lake Superior between Grand Marais, MI and Muskallonge State Park that is NOT paved. Some maps don't show this fact clearly. If you were westbound, you would need to follow M123 down to M28 then west to Seney, north on M77 to Grand Marais to H58. All this to avoid about 12 miles of gravel.
 
Please note....there is a section of road along Lake Superior between Grand Marais, MI and Muskallonge State Park that is NOT paved. Some maps don't show this fact clearly. If you were westbound, you would need to follow M123 down to M28 then west to Seney, north on M77 to Grand Marais to H58. All this to avoid about 12 miles of gravel.

Dirt roads are nice. You'll notice in my first photo that I live on a dirt road. Dirt keeps the riff-raff away.
 
You also asked about campgrounds. We camp mostly in a motor home, but here are some ideas. Near Empire, MI is the Sleepy Bear Campground. Near Lake Michigan and, if I remember correctly, just south of the Sleeping Bear Dunes is the Platte River Campgrounds, run by the U.S. Park Service. I'm sure Barley would be welcome to enjoy the Platte River which meanders nearby. However, reservations will be needed. Up in Petoskey, MI is a KOA that is very nice and was the KOA of the year a few years back.

Those are the campgrounds I've seen and/or camped in. Michigan does not lack for campgrounds but July is a very, very busy time of year for them. I'd be happy to help answer any questions.
 
If you like really rustic camping, Michigan is full of State Forest Campgrounds. Liking dirt roads is a plus.

You get a place to pitch your tent, potable water and a vault latrine.

Virtually all are on lakes or rivers and beautiful.

Mosquitos? You take your chances.

At your search engine type in "Michigan DNR - State Forest Campgrounds" and you will get a listing.

For most locations the cost is $13 a night for a rustic site.

Many are remote, so have everything you need for the night with you.
 
The Michigan DNR website shows only one camping fee for the State Forest Campgrounds.

State Park campgrounds may be a different story since they are less rustic.
 
If you are not a resident of MI, do they charge a higher rate for camping for out state residents?

Pay attention here...it can get confusing. In Michigan, we have State Forest Campgrounds and State PARK campgrounds. The fees for camping at each respectively are the same for resident or non-resident. The difference will be in access fees to the PARK. Michigan residents have the opportunity to purchase a Recreational Passport to apply to your vehicle registration. For example, when I go to DMV to update plates, I purchase the Recreational Passport for $11 ($5 for the bike). This gives us free access to State PARKS, but does NOT include camping fees. If I did not have Rec Pass, I would pay an access fee to the park each time I would visit. This fee is same for resident and non-resident.

There may be some exceptions for State Forest Campgrounds, but normally there is not an access fee....just the camping fee which varies by location and ammenities.
 
I see Non-Michigan resident have to purchase an annual($31.10) pass or daily pass($8.55) for your vehicle to enter state parks and state forest campgrounds This cost do not include camping cost for state parks or state forest campgrounds.
 
I see Non-Michigan resident have to purchase an annual($31.10) pass or daily pass($8.55) for your vehicle to enter state parks and state forest campgrounds This cost do not include camping cost for state parks or state forest campgrounds.

Correct. This has been a disappointment to some out of state visitors to Michigan. As a general rule the state parks are very nice, well maintained and in some beautiful locations. But paying either a daily access fee or having to buy an annual pass, in addition to paying the daily camping fee, rubs some people the wrong way. I do the same as MUNMI: I purchase a Recreation Passport for every vehicle when I renew the plates. Sometimes we're on the bike and just want access to a state park, sometimes we're in the motorhome and plan to camp for a while.
 
Correct. This has been a disappointment to some out of state visitors to Michigan. As a general rule the state parks are very nice, well maintained and in some beautiful locations. But paying either a daily access fee or having to buy an annual pass, in addition to paying the daily camping fee, rubs some people the wrong way. I do the same as MUNMI: I purchase a Recreation Passport for every vehicle when I renew the plates. Sometimes we're on the bike and just want access to a state park, sometimes we're in the motorhome and plan to camp for a while.

Daily or annual fees are becoming common in many states and provinces, even for residents. My wife and I have taken long, unscheduled (cage) trips the past two years to the west coast and passed up quite few parks we would have liked to at least look at, rather than pay fees. We ended up passing through those states a bit quicker than anticipated, saving food and lodging costs (aka state revenue).
 
Glenfiddich I live on M-37 just 2 miles south of M-55. There is a great private campground right by my house that is incredibly clean, and welcomes motorcycles as well as dogs!

If you would like to talk about riding or camping in the area, PM me and I will give you my cell number.

I may be going to MN too.
 
Dogs at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

There are some beaches where dogs are permitted along the national lakeshore. See http://www.nps.gov/slbe/planyourvisit/pets.htm. The beaches are really nice.

Following Lake Michigan north of Manistee is a good bet. Follow M-22 around the Leelanau Peninsula is nice, with good places to stop along the way. North of Traverse City, follow US31 north along the shore to the Mackinaw Bridge. Check out Legs Inn in Cross Village for lunch if the timing works out. It's a little out of the way but worth the trip. See http://legsinn.com. After crossing to the UP there is a nice national forest campground on US-2 right along Lake Michigan. There are also nice campgrounds, beaches, restaurants, etc, near Grand Marais, Marquette, Houghton, and Ontanagon as you follow Lake Superior to the west, or follow Lake Michigan through Escanaba to Menominee to save some miles.

In Wisconsin, Highway 70 is one of my favorite roads, with lots of smooth curvy roads without much traffic and nice small towns. Then head west to the Mississipi and follow it down to St. Paul.

Have fun. I may see you along the way as I head north from the Leelanau Peninsula.

John
 
My friend and I just tried to camp in Grand Haven, MI.
two bikes, one campsite.
$9/day access fee per bike
$27 for the campsite

alright, that worked out to $45- until they informed us that we needed to pay two access fees per bike- one for the entrance day, one for the exit day. So suddenly we're up to $63 for the night.
Went down the road and camped at the hotel for $70, and got hot water and pavement to park on.


Highway 58 from grand Marais to Munising is absolutely beautiful. I think the Dune Road along the shore from Copper Harbor south is worth an awfully big detour, too. 41 into copper harbor has its moments, but 26 is an incredible technical pile of twists.
 
Back
Top