Suttons Bay and Traverse City, Michigan / Recreation, Marinas, Camping...

August 2018

This post goes along with the previous one about dining and area info. We stayed in Suttons Bay and Traverse City two different times in August (7 nights total). 

Sunset in Suttons Bay from boat slip 58

Boating, marinas, campground

We enjoyed fabulous boating weather in Grand Traverse Bay! We stayed at Suttons Bay Municipal Marina for two nights. This is one of our favorite marinas: the water is beautiful, it is a peaceful town, there is a beach next door, and the rates are reasonable. We were in slip 58 one night, and 59 the second night, which is our preferred area in this marina. We were supposed to be in slip 58 both nights; however, a vagrant boater tied up his boat in that slip the night we were gone, and he did not return to cover his boat and then sneak out the next morning, until the office had closed. Fortunately, slip 59 was open, and the dock hand reassigned us.

Arriving at Power Island. About 15 boats already anchored.

Power Island (previously known as Marion Island) is located in the west arm of Grand Traverse Bay between Suttons Bay and Traverse City. We anchored there for the night on a Saturday evening. The water was perfectly calm, and we observed the most boats we have ever seen anchored at the island--over 25! We ended up having to re-anchor after dusk because a boat with a very loud generator came later in the day, and then rafted up with a nearby boat for the evening. Our previous stays in this anchorage have been more peaceful with less boaters.

Sunrise from Power/Marion Island.
We heated up egg bagels on our grill, visible at the bottom of photo.

We hiked on the island during previous visits, although I did not get off the boat this time, as I had a fractured wrist. The island does have a boat dock for brief disembarking, so we could have worked out a hike, if we had really wanted to. In addition to the hiking trails, there are 10 primitive campsites, outhouses, and picnic tables on shore. 

We stayed at Duncan L. Clinch Marina in Traverse City one night. This marina has more to offer than Suttons Bay: kitchen/lounge, gas grills, outside patio, outside dishwashing sinks, laundry, and larger bath facilities. The cost, however, was $12 more per night for our 25' boat.

View of campsites from steps on overhead walkway.
Click photo to enlarge it and read labels. 

The second time we visited the area, we stayed in Traverse City State Park campground for three nights. There are not many good campsites in this park, and the beach is located across the street. Fortunately, there is a walkway over the road to the beach. I think the main reason to stay in this park is to visit the area. If you like to swim, the water and beach sand in the water is beautiful.

State park beach in east arm of Grand Traverse Bay.

We stayed on campsite 448 for one night, and 465 for two nights. Site 448 is a large corner site; however, it has no privacy, and the fire pit is next to the road. Campsite 465 in a long site along the main road across from the beach, and it is not very wide. The beach is not visible from this site, and the traffic noise was not as bad as I had expected. We camped on two different sites, because I had initially made our reservation for only two nights, and our site was rented for Thursday night when we decided to arrive a day early. The campsites and facilities in the park are quite dirty, since most of the campsites do not have grass. There was a long wait for the dump station each morning before checkout; not only on Sunday when most people depart.

Kayakers on Boardman River.
Photo taken from small park where Boardman Trail ends at E. Eighth St.

Recreation in Grand Traverse Bay Area

As I mentioned earlier, the boating and swimming in Grand Traverse Bay is beautiful. Additionally, there is Boardman River for kayaking, and many biking and hiking trails. Land and water toys are available for rent, and there are also transportation services, if you have your own equipment and do not want to bicycle both directions, for example.

Leo Creek Preserve is in Suttons Bay.

We love bicycle riding and walking on the trails in Suttons Bay and Traverse City. TART Trail runs directly behind the state park, and is easily accessible through the back gate. This trail goes through town and then connects to 17-mile Leelanau Trail, which runs between Suttons Bay and Traverse City. TART Trail also connects with 2-mile long Three Mile Trail and Boardman Lake Trail near The Filling Station.

Leo Creek Preserve
photo above and below

Leo Creek Preserve, next to the trail in Suttons Bay, is a beautiful place to visit. Picnic tables and seats are set up among amazing plants and nature. A sign among the edible plants says, "Please - No picking or gathering. A little snacking OK." Someone has put a lot of hard work into this preserve.

There are many beautiful places to stop or hike along the paved trails, and a plethora of dining and shopping options are available in both towns. For more information, click on labels of interest at the bottom of this post.

Please let me know if you have any questions, and as always, feel free to share this post and your experiences!