🍁 3-Day & 2-Night Northern Michigan Road Trip Guide

Day 1️⃣ Itinerary: East Lansing → Sleeping Bear Dunes → Mackinaw City 🌄 Sleeping Bear Dunes: There’s a $25 fee per car to enter the park. The overall experience is nice—it’s a unique combination of sand dunes and lake views 🏜️. However, compared to other spots on this trip, while its terrain is distinctive, I didn’t find it as amazing as online reviews made it out to be 😂 (maybe because I’ve been to Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes and lived in Florida for a long time, so I’m more used to similar landscapes?). 🍽️ The Chippewa Room: We arrived pretty late, so all the restaurants we’d planned to visit were already closed. We found this spot on Google—and it was a great find! The decor has a hunting theme, which is unique and super cozy 🪑. The service was good too; we ordered Cajun Whitefish and lasagna, both delicious—highly recommended! 🏨 Mackinaw Beach & Bay Inn & Suites: The rooms are spacious and clean—highly recommended! We booked a lake-view room and got to see a stunning sunrise the next morning 🥹—totally made the stay even better. Day 2️⃣ Itinerary: Mackinaw City → Tahquamenon Falls → Kitch-iti-Kipi → Pictured Rocks → Munising 🌄 Tahquamenon Falls: The park has two sections—Lower Falls and Upper Falls. You can drive directly to both, or hike the trail (the full hike takes about 4 hours; it’s unnecessary if you’re not there for hiking). The rest area near the entrance of Lower Falls has beautiful views—perfect for photos 📸. Upper Falls has food trucks and live music; try the Apple Cider Slush 🍎—it’s a cozy autumn treat! 🌄 Kitch-iti-Kipi: A small but incredibly beautiful spot! It’s often called “North America’s Jiuzhaigou” 💧. The water is crystal clear, and the lush green surroundings make it feel like a hidden paradise. 🌄 Pictured Rocks: No need for long explanations—I loved this place so much! The only regret was not booking the Sunset Cruise 🚢 (definitely reserve it in advance if you go!). 🍽️ Dining in Munising: Munising is a tiny town, so there aren’t many dining options. We got takeout from Toby‘s Dog House, a fast-food spot. There was a long line in the evening, but the food was just average—its plus points are affordability, a wide menu selection, and late hours (great for tired travelers). 🏨 Pictured Rocks Inn & Suites: Not recommended—the experience didn’t live up to expectations, so we’d suggest looking for other accommodation options in Munising. Day 3️⃣ Itinerary: Munising → St. Ignace → 🚢 Mackinac Island → SkyBridge → East Lansing Mackinac Island was such a highlight—absolutely loved every minute of it! 🥰 (For more details on Mackinac Island, check out my dedicated guides—there’s so much to say about this car-free gem!) FYI (Useful Tips!) The distance between attractions in Northern Michigan is quite far, so drivers—mentally prepare for long stretches of driving 😂. Some road sections have no cell service, so download offline maps in advance—it’ll save you a lot of trouble! #StudyAbroad #StudyInUSA #SelfDrivingTrip #NorthernMichigan #AutumnFoliageInNorthernMichigan #TravelDiary #Michigan