Manistee County Self-Guided Tour Series

Historic Sites | Bridges | Artisan Markets | Shopping | M-22 Scenic Highway


 

Number of Self-Guided Tours

Number of Sites

Miles of Road/Trails Covered

Self-Guided Tours in Manistee County & The Region

The Manistee County Visitors Center has compiled years worth of data on how travelers explore and enjoy Manistee County. Out of numerous discussions and survey’s the Manistee County Self-Guided Tour series was formed.  The tour series consists of hundreds of historic sites, attractions, natural wonders and much much more.  Browse our latest tours below.

Guided Tours

Looking to explore the region with a guided tour?  Browse our guided tour options below.

 

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, or scroll through these top stories in your category.

Generations of Land: Farms in Manistee County

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...

Nature & Pet Friendly Parks in Manistee County

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...

Moonlight Skiing at Big M

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...

Make it a ladies weekend

Start in the stores....Grab your group of girlfriends and let’s go north for the weekend!Experience downtown Boutique shopping where you receive a personal greeting from the owner who curated the items for your enjoyment.  When you shop in our boutiques...

Big Manistee Winter Paddling

With open water year-round on the 4 rivers of Manistee County, winter paddling adventure abounds from the same access points paddlers enjoy in the summer months.  Don’t let colder temperatures keep you away from paddling when the snow flies.  You will find the scenic...

The Salt Industry in Manistee

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...

A Passenger Ship Through the Past – Touring the S.S. City of Milwaukee

Written by: Andrew Allen Growing up in Manistee County somehow the S.S. City of Milwaukee always seemed to hide right in plain sight. I’d drive past the massive (347 foot passenger/railroad car) ferry without really giving it much thought. Finally, sometime in high...

Kaleva Bottle House

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...

Victorian Sleighbell Parade & Old Christmas Weekend – The Afterglow

Written & photography by: Andrew Allen Although its been a little over a week since the Sleighbell Parade, Manistee still glows with the warmth of the holiday season. You’d think being a northern costal town our biggest event would be in the summer, but every year...

Explore the Bridges & Dams of Manistee County

Follow our Bridges & Dams Self-Guided Tour as it leads you to 10 spectacular structures. Manistee is home to 3 vehicular, 3 railroad, and 1 massive pedestrian bridge along with 2 hydroelectric dams, 1 egg take/salmon harvest weir, and 1 historic bridge site. This...