Interactive Map
Explore Michigan
674 waterfalls, lighthouses, parks, museums, and other places to visit, mapped across the state. Search by name, city, or zip code, filter by category, and get directions once you’ve found somewhere worth the drive.
Categories
674 of 674 places
Loading the map…
Places on the map (674)
Found a place worth saving? We’ll tell you when more like it go live.
Get an occasional note about new pins on the map.
Every Published Destination
Every destination Michigan Explorer has published so far, as a plain list — useful if you’d rather browse without the map, or if the map can’t load in your browser.
WaterfallsAu Train Falls Near Munising: Full Blast Now, Iffy Access
Au Train, Alger County
With the old hydro plant shut down, this wide, ledgy waterfall near Munising now runs full blast. The catch: the road in may be posted closed. Check first.
Historically easy along a level road when open; current legal access should be checked before you go
AttractionsBenny the Beard Fisher: Michigan's Giant Wooden Troll in Germfask
Germfask, Schoolcraft County
A 30-foot wooden troll by artist Thomas Dambo, sitting on the Manistique River inside a Germfask campground. $10 per car, a short flat walk, no climbing.
$10 per vehicle, paid at the Northland Outfitters camp store
WaterfallsCanyon Falls Near L'Anse: Michigan's Easy Half-Mile Gorge Walk
Alberta, Baraga County
A sliding waterfall in a rust-colored box canyon off US-41 near L'Anse. Free parking, an easy half-mile trail, and river rock the kids won't want to leave.
Easy — a mostly level, well-worn trail with boardwalk sections and a couple of wooden footbridges
LighthousesEagle Harbor Lighthouse: A Keweenaw Stop Even Bored Kids Like
Eagle Harbor, Keweenaw County
An 1871 lighthouse, small museums and a shipwreck full of Chryslers at the tip of the Keweenaw. $8 for adults, kids under 16 free, about an hour well spent.
$8 for the entire four-museum complex as of our research; children under 16 and Keweenaw County Historical Society members are free — confirm current pricing before visiting
Trails & ParksFort Wilkins State Park: 1840s Living History in Copper Harbor
Copper Harbor, Keweenaw County
A real 1840s Army fort at the tip of the Keweenaw, with original log buildings, costumed interpreters who stay in character and a quiet post cemetery. Worth the drive.
No separate fort admission, but every vehicle needs a Michigan Recreation Passport
Animal AttractionsGarLyn Zoo on US-2: The U.P. Zoo My Kids Never Let Us Skip
Naubinway, Mackinac County
A small, wooded zoo on US-2 near Naubinway with lions, tigers, bears, bunnies you can feed and goats that will find you. Our kids' must-stop on every U.P. trip.
$17 adults, $15 kids 3 to 13, 2 and under free, or $64 for a family of up to six (2026 prices). Feed is extra
WaterfallsHoughton Douglass Falls: Michigan's Tallest Waterfall (Carefully)
Lake Linden, Houghton County
Michigan's tallest waterfall, about 110 feet, with an easy path to a viewing bridge near Lake Linden, and a muddy lesson in staying on the trail.
Easy on the accessible path to the pedestrian bridge; the unmaintained route beyond the bridge is rugged and steep
Trails & ParksKitch-iti-kipi: Michigan's Big Spring by Hand-Cranked Raft
Manistique, Schoolcraft County
Michigan's largest spring: 10,000+ gallons a minute, 45 degrees, and clear enough to count trout from a free hand-cranked raft near Manistique.
The raft is free, but a Michigan Recreation Passport is required for vehicle entry. Out-of-state vehicles: $12 daily or $42 annual (2026). Michigan-registered vehicles can only buy the annual pass, usually at license plate renewal — no daily option for residents
WaterfallsLaughing Whitefish Falls: Easy Walk In, 137 Stairs Down
Sundell, Alger County
An easy half-mile walk to a long sandstone waterfall near Marquette, with three viewing platforms and an optional 137 stairs. Both my kids loved it.
Easy on the main half-mile trail; reaching the lower platforms adds a staircase — 20 steps to the middle platform, 137 steps (measured from the top) to the lowest platform
Animal AttractionsOswald's Bear Ranch Near Newberry: 20 Years of Bears and Bug Spray
Newberry, Luce County
About 40 rescued black bears in huge wooded habitats near Newberry. Twenty years of our visits, plus apple feeding, cub photos, prices and hours.
$30 per vehicle, $15 for a single visitor arriving alone, $10 per person for vans carrying more than six people; bear apples and the cub photo experience cost extra — confirm current pricing on the ranch's website before visiting
AttractionsSoo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie: My Kids Said No, Then Loved It
Sault Ste. Marie, Chippewa County
My kids said no to the Soo Locks. Then they watched freighters rise and sink 21 feet for 90 minutes. Free, a little nerdy and genuinely amazing.
Free for Soo Locks Park, the observation platform and the visitor center — no Recreation Passport needed
WaterfallsLower Tahquamenon Falls: Rowboats, Wading, and Wet Kids
Paradise, Chippewa County
Our favorite U.P. waterfall day: rent a rowboat, paddle to the island, wade the cascades, get soaked. How to do Lower Tahquamenon Falls with kids.
Easy on the accessible bridge and boardwalk; the separate River Trail to the Upper Falls is a rugged 5.1-mile one-way hike
WaterfallsUpper Tahquamenon Falls in Fall: Root Beer Water, No Stairs
Paradise, Luce County
Our first fall visit to Upper Tahquamenon Falls: root-beer water, turning leaves, the new accessible boardwalk, ice cream and a long brewery wait.
Easy — a paved walk from the lot, then a gently graded boardwalk (8% max grade) with landings and benches down to two overlooks