Lake County is located in northern Michigan and offers four beautiful seasons of recreation. Because state and federal land makes up 48 percent of Lake County, you’ll have endless opportunities to have fun in the sun and snow. In the summer, go hiking, biking, camping, swimming, fishing, and bird watching. During winter, go cross-country skiing or snowmobiling. Big Bass Lake, a 290-acre all-sports lake, is two miles away and features a public boat launch. The Pere Marquette River is located just south of Northland Lakes and offers some of the best trout and salmon fishing in all of Michigan. Just to the north, The Little Manistee River is perfect for steelhead and brown trout.

The Manistee National Forest is located to the northwest and offers thousands of acres of recreational land. In addition to providing a habitat for local wildlife and fish, there are also hundreds of miles of hiking, backpacking, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling trails; rivers and lakes for canoeing and boating; and 20 developed campgrounds. Additional activities include mushroom gathering and mineral and rock collecting.

The North Country National Scenic Trail is a footpath and mountain bike trail slated to stretch more than 4,600 miles across the northern United States. Over a third of the trail has been certified off-road, including the segments running through Lake County.

• Ludington – 30 minutes
• Manistee – 30 minutes
• Traverse City – 60 minutes
• Grand Rapids – 90 minutes