9 Best Michigan Towns For A Winter Getaway
Those who know Michigan know that the Great Lakes State does not do anything halfheartedly. Southwest Michigan receives the most snowfall after the holidays through February. Despite the lack of towering rugged ranges, Michigan is magical in winter, the season that takes the spotlight away from the beaches, accentuating places like Bellaire, Frankenmuth, Holland, and more to create lasting memories in the heart of Michigan's winter havens. When winter blankets Michigan, it feels like your personal snow globe along the streets.
Bellaire
Famed for skiing and brewskis, Bellaire offers a memorable snowcation near the Grand Traverse Bay coast. Minutes south, Shanty Creek Resort lures skiers and snowboarders down Schuss Mountain with 42 downhill runs, alpine tubing, 25 km of Nordic trails, plus an indoor pool and family-friendly activities to relax at the resort. Whether you're powder shredding, playing in the snow, or watching the flakes on a peaceful winter retreat, you can look forward to a hot bowl of chili and a brewski.
With Paddles & Pedals on North Bridge Street, offering bikes, snowshoes, and trail maps, limitless adventures await. A winter wonderland threads through the chain of lakes—Bellaire, Clam, Torch, and Elk Lakes—all connected by rivers. Enjoy peaceful scenery while fat biking along snowy trails, or snowshoeing and cross-country skiing through the woods and across scenic landscapes. Grass River Natural Area boasts boardwalks and trails, open year-round for hiking and snowshoeing.
Frankenmuth
Michigan's "Little Bavaria" on the Cass River is one of the most magical places for winterscapes, luring people nationwide with Christmas-themed charm, from Bronner's Christmas Wonderland, which promotes itself as the world's largest Christmas store, to legendary chicken dinners, plus a Christmas shuttle that transports to shops around town, a clever perk for those hauling bags of gifts and trinkets. The Bavarian-themed Frankenmuth River Place Shops offer 12 days of sales from Dec 1st, with special promotions.
Strolling along the authentic facades and luminaries lining the streets, stop to admire the glowing beauty of the 40-foot Christmas tree with 23,000 lights and Christmas song renditions. Wander under the twinkling lights or take an evening horse-drawn carriage ride to Zehnder's, whose history spans over 160 years. All decked out, the Bavarian Inn Restaurant & Lodge boasts Michigan's largest waterpark, while its Castle Shops have gift-ready baked goods, candy, dolls, and toys.
Grand Haven
Every season reflects "Grand Haven" along the eastern Lake Michigan shore, known most for summer lovin'. The city extends a warm winter welcome, with twinkling lights and heated sidewalks, galleries and tasting rooms for quaint times, and specialty shops for one-of-a-kind gifts. Located within the primary snowbelt, the lake effect snowfall makes it ideal for holidaymaking in southwestern Michigan. Wildlife trails wind through the forested city park across from the vast, desolate beach.
The historic 1839 boardwalk, Grand Haven Lighthouse Connector Park, features a pair of historic lighthouses. Their red silhouettes stand stark, facing flurries over the lake. The walkable downtown sets the scene to bounce between bright storefronts and hidden nooks and make warm memories under the twinkling snowflakes that melt upon touching the ground. Bargain hunters can enjoy Winterfest events on the last weekend of January, like a human sled race, a bonfire bash, and more.
Holland
Holland's compelling nature and cultural charm lie just 30 minutes west of Grand Rapids. The lush landscape near Lake Michigan transforms over 1,800 acres of parks for outdoor enthusiasts for hiking, fat biking, snowshoeing, and Nordic skiing, with miles of Riley Trails and a winter wonderland through Sanctuary Woods. Every season brings beauty and excitement, from beaches and blooming tulip fields to the open-air European Kerstmarkt inspired by the European Christkindl Markets.
Whether you seek a modern fairy tale or a more traditional season, you'll find both in surplus along cobblestone sidewalks with galleries and locally owned shops at each step and restaurants to warm, unwind, or recharge for another go at art, decor, and booths for all things holiday. From ice skating and sledding to museums and microbreweries, businesses enjoy Sundays to restore, so save it for your outdoor adventures, like the dune climb to Mt. Pisgah or waterslides at the Holland Aquatic Center.
Houghton
Houghton decks all out for the first snow in Northern Michigan to receive the holidaymakers with quaint lakeside charm and thrills at Mt. Ripley Ski Area, offering an intimate, family-oriented appeal for skiing, tubing, and chairlift rides across the bridge. The lights strung through the historic downtown put a jaunt in your step, and photo ops line the Portage Canal, with its scenic lift bridge, first baptized over a century ago, a one-of-a-kind double-decker crossing to the northern Keweenaw Peninsula.
Home for the Holidays The Gift Market in the last dates of November features handmade crafts and art, followed by tree lighting with Santa and other costumed characters, plus hot cider and wagon rides in December. Head to Shelden Avenue for boutiques and the gift shop at the A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum to gift natural treasures. Whether you're after holiday shopping or outdoor adventure, follow up with fireplace comforts at dining and the logging-themed taproom at the Keweenaw Brewing.
Manistee
Few towns get as excited to usher in the season like Manistee and spread joy on the first Saturday of December, with locals in authentic costumes handing out chestnuts, carolers, and a trombone band. The annual Victorian Sleighbell Parade & Old Christmas Weekend is an ode to the town's Victorian heritage, reflected in its historic homes. The streets are closed to traffic for the draft horses hauling a massive 30-foot Christmas tree down River Street, then luminaries and tree lighting.
Enjoy the warm sentiment and 1920s vibe alongside pretty brick facades housing coffee shops, galleries, and antique stores. Port City Emporium sells vintage and repurposed knacks, local art, candy, and more, while the elaborate Ramsdell Inn is a circa-1891 building with stained glass and TJ's Pub on site. From the Riverwalk to lakeside strolls and photo ops against the lighthouse, nothing inspires a winter wonderland walk like Giant Sequoia at Lake Bluff Arboretum.
Marquette
This iconic college town is the UP's winter hub for snow sports on the southern Lake Superior shore, luring thousands to embrace the generous snowfall where the coast collides with the Huron Range, housing Michigan's highest peak, Mount Arvon. Its resort, Marquette Mountain, sprawls 170 acres with 20+ runs, three chairlifts, and a tow rope to shred the powder on skis or a snowboard. The red-and-white brick 1853 Marquette Harbor Lighthouse stands stark against the Great Lake.
Packing miles of Nordic trails, from inexperienced to advanced, adventures range from catching the twinkle of the nearby waterfalls to dog-friendly loops. As a culture hub in northern Michigan, the city embraces diversity through arts, shopping, and museums, plus a restaurant scene to appeal to diverse tastes. Beyond Marquette Mountain’s beloved après scene, the two waterfront blocks flaunt unique boutiques, from spice merchants to Scandinavian gifts, breweries, and more.
Petoskey
What do Key West, Florida, and Ketchum, Idaho, have in common with Petoskey? All three were one-time Ernest Hemingway haunts. The town's famous Gaslight District glows from the original, historic gaslights, after which it was named. Having stood the test of time since the author's days, the shopping area blends hip and historic through art galleries, specialty food shops, and indie bookstores to get your pre-wrapped gifts and toys, plus art at Northern Michigan Artists Market.
From the tree lighting in December with Santa to carolers and bonfires along the traffic-free streets, enjoy mingling with a to-go cup down the Downtown Social District and other sentiments like the Petoskey High School Steel Drum band. While the iconic state park recovers for the next warm season, you can XC ski at River Road Sports Complex and the Winter Sports Park. After a snowy day out, the historic Perry Hotel offers a seasonal holiday shopping package in the heart of it all.
St. Joseph
From Sarett Nature Center's winter trails and rentals to wineries and tasty craft brews, St. Joe is fun and scenic in winter. Beyond murals and iconic art venues downtown, the Lake Bluff Park is a fairy tale come alive, illuminated with over one million lights on arches and trees and the Maids of the Mist fountain. Nature also takes center stage in winter, with lake effect snowfall, still beaches, and the two historic lighthouses along a long breakwater, with dramatic sunsets from the iconic Tiscornia Park.
The lights shine from early December through Valentine’s Day throughout Southwest Michigan. St. Joseph's blufftop restaurants and hotel rooms offer an ideal vantage of the holiday display. Just 20 minutes south, you can sled, ski, tube, or snowboard down towering dunes at Warren Dunes State Park with the Great Lake views, free with a state park recreation passport. Watch blocks of ice transform under skillful hands during Ice Fest on February 6-7, including interactions with artists.
Winter Getaways in Michigan
From the "Superior" views in Marquette to the Portage Canal in Houghton across the Keweenaw Peninsula, the state becomes a magical retreat with the cool crisp air, tree lighting, and unique events, like St. Joseph's Ice Fest. Enjoy a European edge, a lighted parade, and a visit from Sinterklaas in Holland, or the real Bavarian Christmastown, Frankenmuth.
The same Lake Michigan that makes summer months so popular also creates the show-stopping lake-effect snowfall, reaching 80 inches near the lake. Whether the snow is thick, sticky, or fluffy, there is something for all, followed by fireside comforts through cafes and breweries, and you have found your holiday nirvana.
