Michigan Vacations With Dogs – Located at the tip of Michigan, Port Austin is one of the lesser-known gems in the entire state, and it’s also very dog-friendly! Located in the nearby Port Crescent State Park with more than 3 miles of sandy beach, you can spend the day in the clear blue waters or hike more than 18 miles of wooded trails that wind over the dunes for breathtaking lake views.
Dogs are allowed on the shoreline near the mouth of the Pinnebog River, accessible by a steel bridge that connects to trails closest to the campground. Pets must be on a leash and it’s important to remember to clean up after your pet too!
Michigan Vacations With Dogs
One of our favorite backyards for dogs, Pak’s Backyard is also located in Port Austin! They have a great selection of Michigan craft beers, great bar food, and a great atmosphere. They often have live music, so you can enjoy dinner and drinks with your package on the water after a long day at the beach!
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A few hours later on the shores of Lake Huron is one of our favorite stops, Tawas Point! This dog beach is the only fenced in Michigan where dogs can run free in a designated area. The campground is dog friendly, so you can bring your dog for a summer weekend!
Boathouse Beer Company & Boozery is another great stop where you can feed your pets on the patio. Located in downtown Tawas, they have great food and drink and are right across the street from another small dog friendly park!
If you’re looking for a unique experience to enjoy with your dog in Michigan, Mackinac Island is IT. Hop on one of the dog-friendly ferries—Star Line or Shepler’s—for a trip to Carles Island—a unique experience in itself! Once there, you can explore more than 70 miles of trails and overlooks, dine at many local dog-friendly restaurants, and even explore historic Fort Holmes with your dog. Many shops in the city center also welcome four-legged visitors – look for “Dogs welcome” signs!
Mackinac Island also has three dog-friendly hotels available, including Park Place Suites, Sunset Condos, and our favorite, Mission Point Resort, which also has an amazing dog-friendly patio!
Pets At Pictured Rocks
Barley faces the Mackinac Bridge and across the street from Pak’s patio in front of the mural.
Home to the famous Pictured Rocks State Park located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Manistee is another northern Michigan gem, and yes, you can bring your dog! The park has quite a number of dog-friendly spots, including Sand Point Beach, Munising Falls Trail, Miners Falls Trail, Miners Beach, Lake Superior Overlook and Beach, and Sable Falls Trail and Beach.
While the North Country Scenic Trail and all campgrounds/backyard campgrounds are unfortunately closed to pets, three nearby campgrounds, including Little Beaver Lake, Twelvemile Beach, and Hurricane River Campgrounds, allow dogs.
Also located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Marquette is one of my favorite places in the world, and definitely a place you should put on your bucket list to see with your dog. Located on the shores of Lake Superior, with stunning hillsides and views, there are plenty of hidden gems to explore.
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When we visit, we stay at the Staybridge Inn and Suites downtown. Rooms are spacious with pet-friendly amenities, and dogs love to be pampered more than our usual camping adventures. Staybridge Inn & Suites is a great hotel chain to check out in other towns – we’ve been there a few times and it’s always a treat!
Head to one of the many waterfalls in the area, and if you’re brave enough, you can jump over Dead River Falls, a modest but short 1.7 mile round trip. If you’re looking for a view of the lake from the top, check out Sugarloaf Mountain or Hogback Mountain, both are moderate climbs, but well worth it once you get to the top!
After a day of hiking, check out Ore Dock Brewing’s dog-friendly patio. They have a selection of house beers and when we visited last year they even had an amazing sell out! If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to catch the Dia de los Tacos parked outside; these tacos are so good we’ve been following this food truck all day!
Traverse City has been named one of America’s Greatest Small Cities and it certainly lives up to the hype. It is also very dog friendly and you should visit at least once a year! The Greater Traverse City area is one of Michigan’s premier wine regions, with more than 40 different wineries across the peninsula. Feel free to go wine tasting for a day and take your pooch to some of our favorites like Mari Vineyards, Left Foot Charlie and Bonobo, who welcome all canine guests!
Rachel Jezowski // Life With Goldens (@wildgoldens) • Instagram Photos And Videos
If you’re looking for a bite to eat, check out the Downtown Gas Station or The Little Fleet, a series of dog-friendly food trucks for some of the best pizza we’ve ever had. They also have amazing craft cocktails in the main building!
Whether you want to hike or explore some of the famous blue water beaches, the pet-friendly Good Harbor Bay Trail and Beach will not disappoint! This is a 2.7 kilometer light trail that leads to a quiet beach. Leashed dogs are welcome on the loop and on the beach as long as they are kept clean.
Be sure to visit Beulah and the surrounding area if you want to check out Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes State Park too! Unfortunately, dogs are not allowed on some of the trails during the summer due to the endangered water’s edge, but from December 1st to March 31st, more trails in the park are accessible.
Some quieter beaches allow pets on leashes year-round, including Alberta Beach, which is usually uncrowded because Mother Nature maintains it, and Peterson Road Beach, known for its spectacular views of Empire Bluff, is Sleeping Bear Point. , and even South Manitou Island on clear days.
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Many campgrounds around the park also allow pets on leashes, but if you’re visiting Sleeping Bear NPS, be sure to check before you go!
One of our other favorite places in the area is the Iron Fish Distillery. The property is beautiful and there are many things to do and try, including maple syrup, brandy flights, and my favorite, wood fired pizza!
Be sure to ask the locals about their favorite spots when you go! From the tip of Michigan, the U.P. All the way to the west coast and in between, there is plenty to see and yes, you should bring the dog!
Around? Check out our Dog Friendly Guide to Michigan and our Dog Friendly Guide to Cleveland!
Michigan’s Best Dog Sledding
Rachel Jezowski and The Wild Goldens Rachel is a freelance graphic designer and content creator living in beautiful Northern Michigan with her three golden retrievers, Barley, Casey and Moe! They spend most of their free time packing and hitting the trails and enjoying all that Michigan has to offer on the weekends. When they’re not hiking or at the beach (and Rachel isn’t working, of course!), the dogs love to bring them to their yard and play in the pool. Rachel has also become a big rescue advocate after taking in Casey, a Chinese butcher shop survivor, in 2019. You can follow all their adventures on Instagram at @wildgoldens.
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Dogs Can Explore These 36 Shorelines At Michigan’s State Parks, Recreation Areas
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