Frankfort is a cute little city on Lake Michigan known for their sunsets! It is just south of Traverse City and the Leelanau Peninsula and makes for a great weekend getaway.
Want to head a little further north? Check out my guide to Traverse City here and the Leelanau Peninsula here.
The main attraction for Frankfort is their great beach and famed Lighthouse. Spend some time at the lake soaking in the views. There are lots of benches and some parking but it is easily walkable from downtown as well. The sunset at the beach is fantastic!
Stormcloud Brewing Company: A great brewery with tasty beers, a full food menu, a nice patio space, and friendly staff. They have two locations—their main pub is right downtown and their newer taproom is just a few minutes away.
L'Chayim Delicatessen: A delicious spot for bagels and lunch sandwiches with locations in Frankfort, Beulah and Glen Arbor.
Glen Arbor Wines: A great spot for wine with a nice outdoor space and friendly staff. They also have a small selection of cheeses and things in the fridge.
Vita Bella: A nice Italian restaurant in downtown Frankfort. Their pizza and pasta is tasty and they’ve also got sandwiches and salads on the menu. The back seating area has a water view.
Stay at this Airbnb: Which is a nice cozy spot on Little Lake Platte with water access that is wildly cheap.
Rock's Landing: A nice spot for dinner with good lake views. Reservations recommended.
Birch & Maple: A solid spot for brunch and dinner downtown. It has a cute interior space.
The Manitou: A good spot for dinner with a menu that is seafood focused but still has a variety of options.
Point Betsie Lighthouse: An old historic lighthouse on the beach. It is $5 to enter the lighthouse itself or you can just check out the outside and surrounding beach. The beach is to the left of the lighthouse on an unmarked path. This is a great place to find Petoskey Stones!
Beulah Beach: A nice small beach on Crystal Lake.
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Empire Bluff Trail: This trail is 1.7 miles long with 170ft of elevation gain and takes about 50 minutes to complete. It is rated moderate but quite easy and leads to a nice bluff overlooking the lake.
Dune Climb: A must! If you want to go beyond the initial dune you see be prepared that it can be hot and intense! If you want to get down to Lake Michigan over the dunes plan 3-4 hours. It took approximately 45 minutes round trip to get to the top of the fourth dune where you have nice views of Lake Michigan.
Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive: This is a 7.8 mile loop drive with overlooks and a few hikes. There is a very steep dune climb you can do here but beware, it’s hard! It costs $3,000 to be rescued and over 100 people have to be saved each year, so make sure you can make it back up before you start your descent!
Sleeping Bear Point Trail: We did a shorter version than this map just out to the lake and back which was just under a mile and took about 35 minutes trudging through the deep sand.