Indian River RV Resort is a great destination for wine lovers. “Seasons of the North” is an Indian-River-based winery offering distinctive quality wine with an emphasis on local production. Their grapes are hybrid, cold-hardy varieties that withstand brutal North-country winters. Our pick? Try "The Cabin,” a dry red with a hint of black cherry, a perfect pairing with sharp cheddar cheese, or to alongside a burger. The winery is a family-owned business, and they take pleasure in having families visit! Find them located just off South Straits Hwy, on M-68. Just another enticing reason to stay at Indian River RV Resort.

Northern Lights Recreation in nearby Harbor Springs, MI, is an excellent place for guests of Indian River RV Resort to enjoy bowling, an arcade, great food, and an immersive laser tag arena called “The Lost City.” Spend a rainy afternoon, or get out for the evening and have fun! 8865 M-119, Harbor Springs, MI 49740)

Another great destination close to Indian River RV Resort is an extensive tunnel of trees that canopy state highway M-119. The narrow, winding, scenic drive begins north of Harbor Springs, Michigan. The route offers beautiful glimpses into the woods and other views that are best enjoyed from a car, motorcycle, or bicycle (it would be a tight squeeze for an RV). Popular stops along the way include Pond Hill Farm in Harbor Springs, the Good Hart General Store, and the Heritage Museum in Cross Village. Another great reason to come stay at Indian River RV Resort!

Ahoy, Matey! Are you ready to set sail for a thrilling adventure? Guests at Indian River RV Resort in beautiful Indian River, Michigan, are close to one of the best mini-golf courses in the country at Pirate’s Cove Adventure Golf (1230 US Hwy 31 North in nearby Petoskey, MI 49770). 🏴‍☠️Your family will love the exciting 18th-century style of the 18-hole course with bridges and cascading waterfalls… just watch out for the pirates! Open daily from 10 to 10.

Indian River RV Resort recommends the friendly and professional folks at RZR Ripn’ Rentals, who provide a fun and thrilling experience for the whole family. RZR Ripn’ Rentals offers Self-Guided and Guided rides and easy booking online (check out the details and reservations at https://rzrripnrentals.com/indianriver/ or phone them at (989) 387-1416). Enjoy on-road adventures in a Slingshot two-seat autocycle (perfect for date night), or explore incredible trails in a 4-seater ATV. They’ll pick you up in a shuttle and provide the basics (like helmets and a quick safety course).

𐂂 ELK… Guests of Indian River RV Resort in beautiful Indian River, Michigan, are close to the charming city of Gaylord, which maintains Gaylord’s City Elk Park. About 40 elk on over 100 acres are well-cared for by staff who feed them corn, hay, sugar beets, and vitamins. A few bulls are over 800 pounds, stand around 6 feet tall, and drop their magnificent horns in the spring… about when Indian River RV Resort is opening for the May through September season. Always open at Birchwood Drive, Gaylord, MI 49735. (800) 345-8621.

Indian River RV Resort guests have a wonderful opportunity to get their culture fix The Cheboygan Opera House! Events include everything from dance recitals, concerts of all types of music, a chamber music series, free film screenings, and community theatre presentations. Visit the website for more details on events and to purchase tickets

We’re blessed to have areas of great beauty all around. One of our favorites is Ocqueoc Falls, about 40 minutes from the resort and well worth the drive. It is the largest waterfall in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, and we think it's the prettiest. There are six miles of well-maintained trails (called the Ocqueoc Falls Bicentennial Pathway). Fish, picnic, hike, bike, and swim in the Falls. Admission is free. Located on M-68, Rogers City, MI 49779

Crooked Vine Vineyard and Winery is another excellent destination for guests of Indian River RV Resort! 🍷 Crooked Vine has award-winning wines in a beautiful country-style tasting room with a covered patio. Crooked Wine Vineyard grows five grape varietals and produces white and reds that range from sweet to dry. Located at 8370 Lakeview Road, Alanson, Michigan, 49706 (231) 203-4790. (Check for seasonal hours, and shop online when you’re not in Indian River!)

The resort is very close to Burt Lake, Mullett Lake, and the Inland Waterway, which offers visitors many options for swimming, fishing, boating, and water sports like canoeing, kayaking, rafting, and more. One of the best resources anywhere is Howe Marine. They provide everything to do with boats, from authorized service, sales, storage, restoration, and rental of pontoons and fishing boats, to having a Ship Store, gas dock, and cleaning service. Located at 3241 Nabanois Trail, Indian River, MI; ph. (231)238-9371.

HoweMarine.com

Our huge variety of rivers, lakes, and streams beckon those who love to fish. Fly fishing is popular in the Pigeon River State Forest, along the 40-miles of Sturgeon River, which is teeming with trout, and in Big Murphy Creek, a little tributary of Indian River. Closest to home, you can take your tackle and fish off the pier at DeVoe Beach in Indian River.

A popular Fishing spot is the Veterans Pier at DeVoe Beach in Indian River (set your GPS to 6421 Oak Glen St., Indian River, MI 49749). Another nearby spot is Burt Lake State Park, on the southeast corner of the lake (6635 State Park Dr., Indian River, to reach the parking lot and boat launch). Burt Lake Park offers lots of fun for your family, with a baseball diamond, beach volleyball, swings, and, of course, a beach and swimming.  Burt Lake State Park is part of the Inland Waterway, a 38-mile chain of rivers and lakes for an amazing boating experience. (A Recreation Passport is required to bring motorized vehicles into Michigan state parks, $14 for MI residents/ $ 41 for non-residents per vehicle). Mullett Lake is a wonderful place to fish for walleye, perch, and northern pike. Fish from the shore or rent a boat. The boat launch is adjacent to a beautiful little park that used to be a 45-acre Boy Scout Camp and has a lovely picnic pavilion, swimming dock, restrooms, and swingsets (2863 Boy Scout Rd, Indian River,  just off Jewell Rd. (Also, at the end of Lake Shore Drive is the Woodruff Street Boat Launch). For more specifics, please visit the Northeast region, on Outdoor Michigan

Autumn in Michigan is magical. Here are a few ways to embrace the season… Take a leaf-peeping drive along M-119 in the Tunnel of Trees. The 20-minute drive between Harbor Springs and Cross Village is close to Indian River RV Resort. While you’re in tiny Cross Village, you can stretch your legs with a visit Three Pines Studio and Gallery and the Good Hart General Store. On your return to the resort, stopping off in Harbor Springs at Pond Hill Farm would definitely round out your autumn treat. 🍁 Michigan wineries offer a delicious nearby getaway. Some of our local favorites include Mackinaw Trail Winery, which has been developing wines using fruits other than grapes in recent years. In addition to their notable reds and whites, sample their blackberry, strawberry, blueberry, and cranberry wines. 🍂

A nearby (1/2 hour drive) destination for Indian River RV Resort guests is the charming 100-year-old Gaslight District in Petoskey. In the heart of downtown Petoskey is a special restaurant called Chandler’s, serving distinguished dishes for lunch and dinner, including local fare (duck and elk), Wagyu burgers, French Dip sandwiches, and sushi, at the bar or on the patio. Chandler’s is located behind Symon’s General Store, where you can pick up wine, cheese, sandwiches and pate for a picnic at the gazebo in Pennsylvania Park. Then, stroll to Somebody’s Gallery on E. Lake Street to shop for fine art, gifts, and handmade products. Head to East Mitchell Street and try an exhilarating throw at Northern Michigan Axe Company. Shop til you drop at 170 unique shops in the Gaslight Shopping District (hop on the free Trolley to rest your feet). Kids love Avalanche Bay Indoor Waterpark and arcade in nearby Boyne Falls. Finish the day by taking a Vine Ride, a small group tour of Petoskey wineries, leave the driving to Jeff and enjoy sitting back and watching the scenery unfold in his nine-passenger van (book online).

Thrill Seekers, We’ve Got the Wildest Ride this side of the country! Get ready for some seriously exciting white water rafting with True North Outpost! Located in Norway, Michigan, a 3-hr and 40 minute drive from Indian River, they offer crazy people a Class IV section of the Menominee River (it’s like the mental twin of the mighty Colorado River). The Piers Gorge is the deepest whitewater gorge in the Midwest and will surely get your heart pumping! Learn more at truenorthoutpost.com (For a “normal” river rafting experience, we recommend Big Bear Adventures here in Indian River, or Sturgeon River Paddlesports in Wolverine). Extra Tip: Consider breakfast at the "half-way point," at Three Seasons Cafe, 6770 US-2, Manistique, MI 49854, open 7am to 9pm, (906) 341-3463.

Board the Train for an incredible adventure on the “Stone Gardener” through spectacular scenery to Agawa Canyon Park. 🚂 Early risers can leave Indian River RV Resort for the 1 hour and 20-minute drive, with tolls, over the Mackinac Bridge to the train depot (via I-75 North into Canada, arriving at 87 Huron St. in downtown Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada, phone (844)246-9458). The train will travel for about 4 hours, giving passengers majestic views of rugged landscapes as they sit back in their comfy upholstered seats and listen to a GPS-triggered commentary. Then, the descent begins into the canyon, where you’ll have a 90-minute stop to explore the Wilderness Park and perhaps enjoy a picnic before the 4-and-a-half-hour return trip. Book tickets online. The train runs 7-days a week from the end of June through mid-October for this 10-hour trip and costs around $150 CA for each adult. https://agawatrain.com/

About 30 minutes from Indian River RV Resort, the quaint town of Harbor Springs sits on the picturesque Little Traverse Bay, where the Wheelway provides a scenic view of Lake Michigan while walking and riding bikes. Zorn Park and City Beach is on Bay Street, perfect for swimming, swinging, yacht-watching, and an impromptu picnic. The shops downtown are delightful. Our favorites include ladies’ clothing at J. McLaughlin, Witty Fine Art for beautiful oil paintings, and Monogram Goods for something truly unique for your closet or home. Discover Native American culture (Ottawa) at the Andrew Blackbird Museum, located at a house, 368 E. Main Street; and you can visit the oldest building in town, the Harbor Springs Library at 206 S. Spring Street, close to Howse’s Fudge. Spend the afternoon with the whole family at Pondhill Farm, where you can visit the animals and vineyard and take home freshly grown food. The best sandwich in town is at the liquor store; check out a Gurney’s "Train Wreck" sandwich. Head to Teddy Griffin’s Roadhouse at 50 Highland Pike Rd for a nice dinner. 🤫 Best Kept Secret : a little shop called Bluff Gardens for tiny treasures, including mini-vegetables, dressings and dips, and pretty French pottery and dishes, cash only, open most days 10 -5, 721 W. Lake Street, Harbor Springs, MI 49740.

Guests of Indian River RV Resort are about 40 minutes away from Boyne City’s food and fun. Boyne City shopping offers cool gifts at Inspired Living (119 Water St.), clothes and shoes for the outdoor family lifestyle at Peninsula, and crafty supplies at Fibershed Yarn and Fiber Arts on Lake Street. (Complete directory at BoyneCityMainStreet.com). Our favorite European bistro is Cafe Santé, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Tour the farm, pet the animals and shop at Kiwidinok Farm, and see yak, alpaca, peacocks, and miniature ponies (reservations required + fee, visit kiwidinok.com).  Boyne City Farmers Market is held in Veteran’s Park on Wednesdays and Saturdays (boynecityfarmersmarket.org) and offers fresh produce, cheese, baked goods, pottery, crafts, jewelry, and lavender. Art classes and a gallery reside at Boyne Arts Center. There’s a Skateboard park at 649 State Street. 🏞️ About 9 minutes further is Boyne Mountain Resort. Splash with your family at the Avalanche Bay Indoor Waterpark, the largest in Michigan, boasting 88,000 square feet of fun, with water slides, a lazy river, and a surf simulator (avalanchebay.com). Boyne Mtn. Resort also offers a zipline adventure. For a slower glimpse of the stunning views, take a Scenic Chairlift Ride (see “Things to Do” at boynemountain.com). While on Boyne Mountain, walk the amazing SkyBridge Michigan, the world’s longest timber-towered suspension bridge!

Visit Beaver Island, Michigan, a largely uninhabited island of great natural beauty that boasts some nice conveniences! Learn about its Native American Heritage (don’t forget to read the family-friendly novel The Star That Always Stays by Anna Rose Johnson), the murdered Mormon King, and the Irish immigrants that flourish here. 🍀 GETTING THERE: Leaving from Charlevoix, guests of Indian River RV Resort can take the Beaver Island Boat Company 2-hour ferry ride across Lake Michigan ( About $70 round trip. If you’d rather fly, check out @Island-Airways (about $750 round trip, 15 minutes each way, Island Airways). 🍀We highly recommend spending a bit more ($30) with the ferry company and taking a tour (you’ll ride with a guide in a van) to see all of the island’s highlights! Ferrying your car to the island is expensive, and you’ll have to act NOW to reserve a spot (no kidding, vehicle spots sell out in January). WALKING: There’s plenty to enjoy close to the ferry on the island’s north end. Head to the Beaver Island Historical Society (26275 Main Street), which houses the Print Shop Museum, a shop, and they’ll point you to Fedor Proar’s Home home, the Marine Museum and the Lighthouses and other sites on a walking self-guided tour. After shopping for lovely ladies' gifts at The Blue Pearl (26065 Main Street), you can head to the @shamrock-restaurant-and-pub Shamrock Restaurant and Pub, est. in 1935, offers great food and an outdoor patio facing beautiful Paradise Bay ( 26245 Main Street). Or, check out Wild Strawberry Cafe, with fresh, delicious flavors, and able to satisfy unique eating requirements (38240 Michigan Ave.) BIKING: Paradise Bay Gifts has cool t-shirts, gifts, and bikes for rent (26250 Main Street. Note: some roads are gravel).🍀