Michigan
These are Michigan’s most treasured views: 16 stunning scenic spots to visit
Michigan is home to some of USA TODAY’s most treasured views
From Pictured Rocks to Torch Lake to Belle Isle in Michigan, discover some of USA TODAY’s Most Treasured Views in America for 2025.
Scenic views can be found all over Michigan. If you’re looking for a peaceful moment, an opportunity to be awed or even the perfect Instagram photo, Michigan is packed with beautiful places to take in with your eyes — or your camera.
This is part of a new USA TODAY network project showcasing breathtaking — and perhaps, underappreciated — views throughout the United States. These are some of the most beautiful landmarks, scenic vistas and hidden gems you can truly treasure in your area.
We’ve put together a list of 16 of the most treasured views in Michigan.
The selections are a mix of nature and architecture. Some locations are prime tourist attractions, while others are a little more out of the way. They are found throughout Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas with many highlighted by Michigan’s lakes and waterways. Others shine when surrounded by Michigan’s fall colors.
Michigan’s immense beauty can’t be completely captured in a short list, but these spots are some of the locations that stand out in the state.
[ Most Treasured Views in America: National | West | South | Middle America | Northeast ]
Tahquamenon Falls
Tahquamenon Falls is literally in Paradise … Michigan. The most recognizable images usually come from the waterfalls at either the Upper Falls or Lower Falls, but the state park is nearly 50,000 acres.
The Upper Falls is one of the largest waterfalls east of the Mississippi River, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and has a drop of nearly 50 feet. It’s more than 200 feet across and has a maximum water flow of more than 50,000 gallons per second. The Lower Falls is located 4 miles downstream and consists of a series of five smaller falls cascading around an island that can be reached by a rented rowboat.
Miners Castle at Pictured Rocks
Miners Castle is one of the most famous landmarks along the Pictured Rocks shores, according to the National Parks service.
The rock formation was named by Englishman Alexander Henry’s employee’s when they were exploring the area for minerals in 1771.
You can find it about 5 miles east of Munising on Alger County Road H-58, then 6 miles north on Miners Castle Road.
It’s the only cliff area in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore that’s accessible by vehicle.
Kitch-iti-kipi
Kitch-iti-kipi is known as one of Michigan’s more alluring attractions, according to the DNR.
Kitch-iti-kipi is that state’s largest freshwater spring and it’s name means “The Big Spring.” The spring in located in Palms Brook State Park in Manistique.
Visitors love the spring’s crystal-clear water with an emerald green bottom.
Porcupine Mountains
Among Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park’s 60,000 acres in Ontonagon is the stunning Lake of the Clouds. The mountain lake is one of the amazing views at Michigan’s largest state park.
It’s the most photographed feature in the park, according to the Porcupine Mountains Ontonagon Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.
When the leaves of the lush trees surrounding the lake change colors in the fall, visitors get a fresh take on the breathtaking view.
Lighthouses along the Great Lakes
Michigan has more than 120 lighthouses, more than any other state in the country. They protect the state’s coastline, allowing the Great Lakes to create a stunning backdrop when you’re viewing them. You can almost feel history when looking at them since many have reached or are nearing 200 years old.
Some favorites in the state to visit are the Grand Haven lighthouses, Big Sable Point Lighthouse in Ludington and Whitefish Point Light Station in Paradise.
Mackinac Bridge
Michigan’s Mackinac Bridge, one of the state’s most famous and iconic architectural marvels, connects the state’s Upper and Lower peninsulas. The ivory and green suspension bridge spans the Straits of Mackinac, connecting Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, over five miles.
Sightseers enjoy viewing the bridge from all angles. You’ll see visitor photos next to the bridge, while crossing the bridge and even traveling underneath by boat.
Arch Rock on Mackinac Island
Arch Rock is the most famous rock formation on Mackinac Island. The limestone rock forms an arch that is more than 50 feet wide. It’s believed to be about 4,000 years old and hollowed out by splashing waves when water levels were much higher, according to the Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau.
While the formation is stable for now, don’t wait a lifetime to see it. It’s predicted erosion from wind and water will one day probably cause it to fall down.
Visitors can find it on the east side of the island on the shores of Lake Huron. The formation can be viewed from both the interior and perimeter of the island.
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Looking down at the sand dunes and Lake Michigan at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Empire is basically a rite of passage in Michigan.
The national park features miles of sand beach and bluffs that tower 450 feet above the lake.
While the park covers more than 71,000 acres and includes other unique natural features, it’s the sand dunes that get the most attention.
Tunnel of Trees
A scenic drive on M-119 in Emmet County is perhaps best taken in the fall as the autumn colors of tree leaves enveloping the route offer a breathtaking view.
The dense woods create a canopy that’s famous in the state.
The stretch is about 20 miles long and goes from Harbor Springs to Cross Village.
Tulip Time in Holland
Be immersed by millions of tulips when they’re in bloom during Tulip Time in Holland. The flowers are planted all around the city each year and generally begin blooming in late April and last through mid-May.
During that time, visitors can be surrounded by the brightly colored tulips.
Sunset Point on Detroit’s Belle Isle
Located on the west side of Detroit’s Belle Isle, Sunset Point is a favorite spot of photographers.
Visitors can catch the sunset while taking in the Detroit skyline and Detroit River. It’s a calming spot during both the evening and day.
Torch Lake
Torch Lake in the northwest Lower Peninsula of Michigan is known for its clear water that has a deep Caribbean blue color.
The lake is Michigan’s longest at 18 miles and the second largest at 29 square miles.
Visitors especially love viewing the lake in the fall when the leaves of the trees surrounding the lake turn colors.
Turnip Rock
Turnip Rock, located in Lake Huron in Port Austin, is a favorite stop for kayakers and boaters.
Wave erosion sculpted the limestone rock formation’s base and created a “unique, gravity-defying pillar,” according to the Greater Port Austin Area Chamber of Commerce.
Turnip Rock is surrounded by shallow waters, sea caves and dramatic cliffs.
Ledges at Fitzgerald Park
Famous sandstone ledges and ancient sedimentary rock outcroppings line the banks of the Grand River at Fitzgerald Park in Grand Ledge.
The rock formations are believed to be 300 million years old. The 78-acre park includes 3 miles of nature and hiking trails.
The park is located at 100 Fitzgerald Park Drive.
SkyBridge Michigan
Opened in 2022, SkyBridge Michigan is a suspension bridge at Boyne Mountain Resort in Boyne Falls.
Visitors take a chairlift and can then walk 118 feet above the Boyne Valley on the 1,200-foot timber-towered suspension bridge, which the Boyne Mountain website says is the world’s longest.
The experience is especially popular in the fall when Michigan’s fall colors are visible below the bridge.
Dow Gardens
Dow Gardens in Midland has 54 acres of woodlands, ponds, orchard and meadow.
Inside the forest is a 1,400-foot-long canopy walk that’s 40 feet above the ground.
The canopy walk includes views of a forest pond from 25 feet up, a large cargo net 25 feet up in a grove of spruce trees and an orchard view with a viewing platform that has a glass floor and railings at 40 feet high.
The canopy walk is popular when Michigan’s leaves change colors in the fall.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping everything from classroom conversations to social media, and leaders at Grand Valley State University (GVSU) say West Michigan is positioning itself to help determine how the technology is used, responsibly.
The university’s College of Computing is launching the West Michigan Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence (AI) Consortium, aimed at helping businesses, researchers and the community better understand how to use artificial intelligence.
Right in the heart of Grand Rapids, along the Medical Mile, the consortium will meet at the Daniel and Pamella DeVos Center for Interprofessional Health (DCIH) every week, with quarterly meetings open to the general public.
The effort is aimed at helping West Michigan industries adopt AI that fits their specific needs, while problem-solving for security, bias, privacy, and ethical concerns.
Right in the heart of Grand Rapids, along Medical Mile, the consortium will meet at the Daniel and Pamella DeVos Center for Interprofessional Health (DCIH) every week, with quarterly meetings open to the general public. (Abigail Taylor/WWMT)
Marouane Kessentini, Ph.D, Dean of the GVSU College of Computing told News Channel 3 that a wide range of companies in the region are bringing forward questions of where, and how, to ethically integrate artificial intelligence into their practices.
“Here in West Michigan, we have a high concentration of many industries, health, manufacturing, and of course high-tech companies,” said Kessentini. “The first questions are about security, privacy, ethics and bias. It’s not just about deploying tools. It’s about deploying them responsibly.”
Kessentini said the consortium will focus on training, research and community education, with a heavy emphasis on data privacy, cybersecurity and misinformation.
“There are many examples where AI systems were trained on data that wasn’t diverse,” he said. “That can lead to inaccurate results. That’s why testing and training are critical.”
The consortium will bring together faculty researchers, students, and industry leaders, with weekly meetings planned to develop guidance for using AI at scale.
The goal is to help companies validate AI outputs, clean and manage data, and identify bias before systems are put into real-world use, especially in high-risk industries like healthcare and manufacturing.
Some projects will involve software design, others will focus on creating public data sets that are reliably sourced, but anonymized for safe use, and many more are yet to be ideated.
Some projects will involve software design, others will focus on creating public data sets that are reliably sourced, but anonymized for safe use, and many more are yet to be ideated. (Abigail Taylor/WWMT)
The initiative is backed by $1,031,000 in federal support, through the Community Project Funding (CPF) process, resources that U.S. Representative Hillary Scholten (D-MI-03) said she advocated for among members of congress in Washington.
“West Michigan should be leading the way in how artificial intelligence is developed and used, and that starts with investing in people and institutions we trust,” said Rep. Scholten. “This funding will help GVSU bring together educators, industry, and public partners to build AI systems that are ethical, secure, and transparent while preparing students for good-paying jobs and strengthening our region’s economy. I’m proud to support this work and to continue delivering federal investments that ensure West Michigan remains at the forefront of responsible innovation.”
It’s important that AI is useful, but also safe…
GVSU also launched an online certificate portal that is open for community members interested in learning about ethical AI use, for free.
Kessentini said the training is for the general public to learn how to navigate the technology, including the risks and limitations.
“It’s important that AI is useful, but also safe,” said Edgar Cruz, master’s student with a badge in cybersecurity.
Cruz is currently researching how AI systems can be attacked or manipulated with poisoned data, specifically as it relates to vehicle-to-vehicle communication, where AI helps self-driving cars exchange information like speed and position.
“We want to ensure that the system is robust and safe,” he said. “Because obviously people are involved.”
Kessentini said the consortium is designed to be a public resource, not just an academic project.
Quarterly community meetings will be open to the public, and training materials are available online through the College of Computing website.
“This is innovation with purpose,” he said. “We want to start here in Grand Rapids, but we want to make a global impact.”
Jim Harding, Michigan’s new offensive line coach, has one goal coming out of spring practice: he wants to have a set starting five plus a solid sixth lineman for good measure.
Michigan begins spring practice March 17 and concludes with the spring game on April 18.
Harding, appearing on the Michigan in-house podcast, “In the Trenches” hosted by Jon Jansen, joined new Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham’s staff from Utah, where Whittingham was head coach the last 21 years. Harding spoke about a number of topics, including returning to the Midwest — he grew up in Maumee, Ohio, and his wife is from Farmington Hills — and his love for the Detroit Tigers, but most important was his discussion about building the Wolverines’ offensive line.
“I’d like to establish the starting five where you feel good that when you go into fall camp,” Harding said on the podcast that posted Wednesday. “Those are the guys that are working together immediately from Day 1.”
Harding said he uses a sixth lineman — he terms that player the “rhino” — quite a bit and would like to have at least two ready to go. The Wolverines also need depth at center considering only Jake Guarnera has snapped in a game.
“And then just having that physicality, nastiness of the offensive line,” Harding said. “Just kind of develop that.”
Since arriving earlier this year at Michigan, Harding said he’s been impressed by the linemen and their desire to work hard on conditioning and developing their craft by asking questions and wanting feedback. They have gone to dinner as a group to get to know each other away from the facility, and Harding has enjoyed the process.
“The things that you can’t measure right now is our physicality or our toughness, things like that,” Harding said. “I’m confident that it won’t be an issue, but that’s kind of the next step once we get pads on, (finding out) who are kind of the Alpha dogs in the room that are going to set the tone for the unit, and then, obviously, the offense. But really pleased with what I’ve seen so far.”
Harding shared offensive coordinator Jason Beck’s approach to installing the offense.
“The way (Beck) runs it, everything’s on the table Day 1 in practice,” Harding said on the podcast. “So we’ll get a script with, if you count red zone, probably 60 or so plays, and any play can be called. It’s really unique, and I’d never done it this way, but Coach Beck, actually calls it like he does in the game. There are no scripts, and so we’ll just move the ball down the field, and if it’s a third play and it’s third and 3, well he’s going to call a third-and-3 call.
“So you really have to have the kids prepared for all 60 of those. And then the next day there’ll be maybe different formations and things like that once we get the concepts down in the O-line room for the run game. Now it’s just a matter of dressing up different things. It’s a lot of stuff early on, because every run scheme we have could be called on that first day, every pass protection we have could be called on that first day. So it’s a front-loaded installation.”
achengelis@detroitnews.com
@chengelis
LANSING, Mich. — A group of Republicans in the Michigan House say Michiganders’ second amendment rights are being infringed, as they introduce legislation to end requirements for concealed carry permits.
Right now, Michiganders must obtain a permit to carry a concealed gun, with a base fee of $100.
As part of the process, applicants must also receive training.
“The first thing they do is put you in a classroom, make sure you know all proper range and safety procedures, run you over what the law states about when and if you’re allowed to use your firearm,” Jonathan Hold, president of the Michigan chapter of Giffords Gun Owners for Safety and a firearms instructor, said. “It gives a really good grounding.”
Applicants must demonstrate four hours of range time as well.
The group of House Republicans feel this is an undue burden, noting many gun owners are already knowledgeable.
They also believe the current five-year felony for carrying without a permit is too steep.
“For the government of the state of Michigan to tell that that we have to be qualified under the guise of their rules in order to protect ourselves is a far cry from what the constitution provides for us,” Rep. Jay DeBoyer, (R- Clay) said.
The package of bills wouldn’t abolish permits, as they are necessary to take guns outside of the state, but it would institute what’s called “constitutional carry.”
That means Michiganders can carry a gun on them without a permit.
Twenty-nine other states already adopted such policies.
“When we exercise other first amendment rights like our right to speak, we do not have to get a permit or permission from the government to speak,” Rep. Jim DeSana (R- Carleton) said. “When we exercise our right to worship, we do not have to go get a permit or permission to go worship.”
Supporters say concealed guns are important for self-defense, and can also help stop crime.
“It’s going to encourage and increase safety for all,” Rep. Joseph Fox (R- Fremont) said. “It’s about protecting everybody because if there are guns in this situation, and people are worried for their lives, they’re gonna stay back away from evil and making bad choices.”
Gun control advocates like Gold, however, say it’s “ridiculous” not to have guardrails.
“We’re talking about the power of life and death at a distance,” Gold said. “To send an untrained user out into the world with a firearm is a mistake.”
He also takes issue with the constitution argument.
“The constitution says as part of a well regulated militia, if you read the second amendment, and we don’t have well regulated militias in this country,” Gold said. “At the very least, what we should have are trained firearms users.”
A similar effort to end concealed carry permits failed to gain traction last year in the Michigan Senate, and with the landscape unchanged, the bills likely have an uphill battle to become law.
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