#MyManistee Stories & Blog

Follow the travelers that love Manistee County, enjoy these stories about our incredible outdoor recreation, things-to-do, dining, shopping and unique experiences you will ONLY find here.

Browse our latest #MyManistee perspectives here, select a category that peaks your interest and learn more!

Trails & Waterways

Golfing & Entertainment

Walk through History

Winter Time in the Area

Experience and Explore our TRAILS and WATERWAYS!

As the weather turns warm, out trails and waterways become a top attraction in Northern Michigan and you will quickly find out why once you experience their awesomeness. Here are some of our top trails to explore and experience during the peak season in Manistee County.

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Water and Lake Life in Manistee County

by Maralee Cook | March 22, 2017 | Boating & Harbors, Fishing & Hunting, Outdoors, Seasons, Spring, Summer | 0 Comments

There’s fresh water, water, everywhere and even some to drink in Manistee County’s North Coast Region (with a wink and apologies to Samuel Coleridge’s “Rime of the Ancient Mariner”). We invite you to immerse yourself in the laid-back lake life in our...

Outdoor Adventure in Manistee’s North Woods

by Maralee Cook | March 22, 2017 | Adventure Sports, Fall, Featured, Local Parks, Outdoors, Seasons, Spring, Summer, Trails, Winter | 0 Comments

If you’re an adventurous explorer, you’ve come to the right place. Our North Woods are in the heart of four-season natural beauty with thrill-a-minute activities. A passionate group of entrepreneurs have developed their own visions to share, creating...

Piloting a Freighter through the Manistee River Channel

by Maralee Cook | June 1, 2016 | Boating & Harbors, Conversations, Spring | 1 Comment

Photos by: Chris Franckowiak From April through December, and sometimes into January, massive Great Lakes freighters will visit the port of Manistee, delighting residents and visitors, who will line the banks of the river channel to watch in awe and...

Three Rivers

by Maralee Cook | May 30, 2016 | Adventure Sports, Conversations, Rivers & Paddling, Summer | 3 Comments

Is it the opportunity to catch 'the big one', or the wild beauty of the area that keeps anglers returning to Manistee County's rivers to fish? According to a few of the county’s river fishing guides, it turns out to be a combination of the two. Blessed...

Our Lakeshore in Manistee County

by Maralee Cook | April 13, 2016 | Beaches, Conversations, Summer | 0 Comments

Lake Michigan at the Portage Lake outlet, Onekama, MI : Photo Credit: Al Taylor Boaters who travel the Great Lake Michigan to visit Manistee County know to keep their charts and GPS handy. There are no skyscrapers or tall bridges to eyeball on this section...

Hiking the Loop: Manistee River Trail & North Country Trail Loop

by Brandon Jensen | February 18, 2016 | Fall, Outdoors, Spring, Summer, Trails, Winter, Winter Trails & Slopes | 17 Comments

Nestled in the Manistee National Forest you will find hundreds of miles of marked trails for those who love to hike, bike, or in the winter, cross country ski and snowshoe. Which trail should you choose for your weekend adventure? We suggest the North...

Grebe Park

by Manistee VB | February 10, 2016 | Boating & Harbors, Outdoors, Seasons | 0 Comments

Arcadia Lake is a 100-acre, natural beauty gem and Grebe Park, both family- and pet-friendly, offers access to all. Through the park’s association with Manistee County’s Explore the Shores Program, construction of a special fishing platform and launch site...

Nature & Pet Friendly Parks in Manistee County

by Manistee VB | January 20, 2016 | Beaches, Outdoors, Spring, Summer | 0 Comments

Traveling with your four legged companions is becoming more and more of a norm in the travel world, so rest assured that we have places that welcome your pets. A top beach in the Manistee Area would be the North Beach Access. Perfect, out of the way, and...

Beaches of Manistee County

by Manistee VB | January 14, 2016 | Beaches, Summer | 0 Comments

Escape from your hectic schedule, and let our endless miles of beaches, for as far as you can see, soothe and calm you. Wiggle your toes in the warm golden sand, close your eyes, breathe deeply and listen to the waves. Our Lake Michigan beaches are...

Experience GOLF

Get off the couch and try your hand at any one of our incredible golf courses in Manistee County. Featuring one of the top public golf courses in the State of Michigan (Arcadia Bluffs), and the beautiful 36 at Manistee National, we are sure to peak your golf interest no matter which direction you decide to travel.

The Piper Inspires Arcadia Bluffs & Manistee County

by Maralee Cook | May 25, 2016 | Golf Resorts, Golfing, Summer | 0 Comments

Picture this. You’re relaxing with friends on the patio at Arcadia Bluffs Lodge, enjoying the warm sunlight softened by the pastel hues that signal the sunset to come. As you gaze westward toward Lake Michigan, you spot the Scottish bagpiper in full...

144 Greens: Start planning your golf vacation

by Manistee VB | February 18, 2016 | Golfing, Seasons, Spring | 0 Comments

There is perhaps no better spot in all of Michigan golf than the balcony at Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club at sunset. The views toward the horizon of Lake Michigan stretch for miles. The fescue grasses of the course’s rugged dunes flutter in the wind and shimmer...

Experience ENTERTAINMENT

Vogue Theater

by Manistee VB | February 2, 2016 | Entertainment & Culture, First Time Visitors, Historic Tours, Local History, Self Guided Tours | 0 Comments

Built in 1938, in the then popular Art Deco Style, the Vogue was part of a large Midwestern chain owned by the Butterfield Theaters. The 935 seat theater continued to operate as a single screen until Butterfield Theaters sold it in 1985 and it was changed...

Little River. Big Fun.

by Manistee VB | January 27, 2016 | Entertainment & Culture | 0 Comments

The Pure Michigan campaign is well exemplified in Manistee County which is full of beautiful sites and scenery. Off the beaten path and on the shores of Lake Michigan, it is a recreational paradise that more people discover each year. When they arrive,...

Walk through HISTORY in Manistee County

Manistee County is home to a beautiful collection of Historic Sites and Museums. There are so many excellent sites to visit and explore. Read about how these historic sites came to be with our walk through history in Manistee County.

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The Udell History in Manistee County

by Mark Fedder | March 22, 2017 | Historic Tours, Local History | 2 Comments

THE ROLLWAY HISTORY Often times before we set out on a trip, we may wonder if the journey (like the old adage says) will be worth the destination. Upon turning onto Horseshoe Bend Road the thought of turning around and the phrase, “There’s not really much...

Generations of Land: Farms in Manistee County

by Manistee VB | September 10, 2016 | Conversations, Fall, Featured, Local History, Summer | 1 Comment

Farming in Manistee County is not just a job for the families who live and work here- it is part of their history and culture. Each individual farming family is unique in its own way, celebrating the traditions of ancestors through each crop they harvest...

Looking into the history of the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians

by Manistee VB | February 17, 2016 | Conversations, Local History | 0 Comments

Not far outside the Victorian port city, you’ll find one of Michigan’s favorite gaming destinations, Little River Casino Resort. Located at the intersection of US 31 and scenic M-22, Little River offers over 1,500 slots, BINGO, and a variety of table games...

Mortimer E. Cooley Bridge

by Manistee VB | February 15, 2016 | Fall, Local History, Self Guided Tours | 0 Comments

I can’t count how many times I’ve traveled across M-55 to get to Manistee County from the east side of the state. What I recently learned is that right before the village of Wellston, you will cross one of Michigan's rarest truss bridges. The Cooley...

Kaleva Bottle House

by Manistee VB | February 10, 2016 | Historic Tours, Local History, Self Guided Tours | 0 Comments

In 1941, a unique home was built in Kaleva out of 60,000 glass bottles by John Makinen. Mr. Makinen owned the local pop bottling factory so he used chipped or flawed bottles from his pop bottling factory for his house. It was designed with artistic...

Vogue Theater

by Manistee VB | February 2, 2016 | Entertainment & Culture, First Time Visitors, Historic Tours, Local History, Self Guided Tours | 0 Comments

History of Main Streets

by Mark Fedder | February 1, 2016 | Local History | 0 Comments

As a general rule of thumb, the phrase “Main Street” is normally given to a road in a city, town, or village that runs through a specified area where the foremost business was being done in that community. The main streets of Manistee County are in essence...

The Sand Industry in Manistee

by Mark Fedder | February 1, 2016 | Historic Tours, Local History | 1 Comment

While salt was more or less discovered in Manistee, sand, on the other hand, was an abundant problem that residents of the city have had to, more or less, endure. In the past, the area's sand dunes gave the city a unique reputation for being pretty to look...

The Salt Industry in Manistee

by Mark Fedder | February 1, 2016 | Local History | 0 Comments

When examining a grain of salt or a grain of sand, it is difficult using the naked eye to gauge which one is actually bigger than the other. In terms of Manistee's industrial past, both mineral and sediment have played reasonably equal roles throughout the...

City Bridges: Maple Street Bridge

by Mark Fedder | January 27, 2016 | Local History | 0 Comments

Prior to the late 1860s, there was no easy access across the Manistee river channel. This meant that the town was actually made up of two areas and two communities, those that resided North of the city limits and those that resided South of the city. The...

See you back this WINTER – Read about our great opportunity this winter.

Welcome to Winter in Manistee County. Explore the cross country skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing and ice fishing opportunities all around us. With 4-6 great winter weather months, experience out vast trail network and learn why we are one of the top destinations for winter along the shores of Lake Michigan.

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Outdoor Adventure in Manistee’s North Woods

by Maralee Cook | March 22, 2017 | Adventure Sports, Fall, Featured, Local Parks, Outdoors, Seasons, Spring, Summer, Trails, Winter | 0 Comments

A Wedding Weekend in Manistee County

by Manistee VB | March 22, 2017 | Fall, Featured, Outdoors, Spring, Summer, Winter | 0 Comments

It’s a place you never thought of and the wedding you’ve always dreamed of. It’s the shoreline wedding with soft, sandy beaches and a deep blue water horizon that stretches as far as you can see, or the woodland wedding with rolling hills of green and an...

A weekend snowmobiling trip…

by Manistee VB | November 13, 2016 | Adventure Sports, Snowmobiling, Winter, Winter Trails & Slopes | 0 Comments

Take a weekend and take to the trails. Manistee County is a pretty great place to drop in with the sleds for a weekend. Two great snowmobiling clubs manage and maintain the trails in the area. The Wellston Snowmobiling club maintains the southern trail...

Get out and snowshoe in Manistee County

by Brandon Jensen | November 1, 2016 | Winter, Winter Trails & Slopes | 0 Comments

The snowshoeing opportunities in this area rock. Recently my wife, myself and our 9 year old Weimaraner named Jade took a trip on the Manistee River Trail and had a blast. We dropped into the trail at Red Bridge (US Forest Service Trailhead with primitive...

Hiking the Loop: Manistee River Trail & North Country Trail Loop

by Brandon Jensen | February 18, 2016 | Fall, Outdoors, Spring, Summer, Trails, Winter, Winter Trails & Slopes | 17 Comments

Moonlight Skiing at Big M

by Manistee VB | January 27, 2016 | Winter, Winter Trails & Slopes | 0 Comments

During the dead of winter, there is one light that is shining brightly in the heart of the Manistee National Forest. At the Big-M Recreation area, there are two "moonlight ski night" that take place on the full moon evenings in January and February...

Winter Fat Biking in Manistee County

by Manistee VB | December 31, 2015 | Winter | 0 Comments

It’s an up and coming winter sport and Manistee County is one of the first to embrace your need to get out on the winter trails. Big-M Recreation Area has a dedicated Fat Biking loop for all seasons. If that isn’t cool enough, our neighbor to the north,...

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Find where to stay and download all of our area trail maps and explore the trails in the region.

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