As 2024 winds down it is time for our annual look back at the new places in Michigan we were able to explore this year. This was one of our busiest years yet, and at times it seemed like we were out on the road almost every week or weekend. 2024 saw us visiting more than 25 nature preserves we hadn’t been to before, finding more than a dozen more Michigan roadside attractions, and even making it to a couple Upper Peninsula waterfalls that we’d never seen before. There’s a little bit of everything on this list, and we’ve added the month of our first visit as well as links back to longer articles about each. Here are our favorite 24 Michigan places that were “new to us” in 2024:

Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve (March) – Home to trails through the woods and by the water, Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve is an excellent place for birdwatching. We first visited in March and ended up going back a few more times throughout the year. During our visits we’ve seen swans, herons, egrets, red-winged blackbirds, ducks, and more, as well as a few freighters. There was recently more good news for this preserve, as the fundraising goal to repair the Wilder River Walk was met – look for updates in spring of 2025!

WMU Dinosaur Park, Kalamazoo (April) – A fantastic fun and free family attraction on the campus of Western Michigan University is the Dinosaur Park, where you will find statues of a Dilophosaurus, Allosaurus, Stegosaurus, Triceratops, Utahraptors, Spinosaurus, Parasaurolophus, and a 17 foot tall Brontosaurus. You can learn more about each dinosaur thanks to the signs here and also visit the Schmaltz Geology Museum.

Walk of Art Sculpture Park, Elk Rapids (April) – A trip to northern Michigan in the spring gave us a chance to check out the Walk of Art Sculpture Park, which is home to more than 20 different works of art spread out on a beautiful piece of land with a trail and a beach on Grand Traverse Bay.

Sessions Lake Hiking Trail, Ionia State Recreation Area (April) – “The Sessions Lake Hiking Trail at Ionia State Recreation Area is a moderate difficulty almost four mile trail that showcases some of the best things the park has to offer. The trail loops around the 110 acre lake as it passes by a boat launch, campground, disc golf course, beach, picnic area, and more.”

Sarett Nature Center, Benton Harbor (April) – The Sarett Nature Center is a perfect family-friendly destination in southwest Michigan that has a visitor’s center with live animals, several miles of trails, and plenty of opportunities for environmental education. We especially loved the Tree Top Walkway that provides great views of the center from up above.

Portman Nature Preserve, Paw Paw (April) – With two miles of trails that pass through wetlands and woods and two lakes, Portman Nature Preserve was the perfect place for a spring hike. We loved the scenery along the trails and seeing a few bald eagles flying above the lake. This is one of many great Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy preserves, and it also has an observation platform and a boardwalk that offer scenic views and birdwatching opportunities.

Hofma Preserve, Grand Haven (May) – One of the favorites out of all the nature preserves we visited in 2024 was Grand Haven’s Hofma Preserve. With close to five miles of trails and some incredibly scenery through woods and wetlands, this is a great place to get away from it all while doing some hiking, mountain biking, or birdwatching. We saw quite a few birds during our first visit and loved the floating bridge that passes through the center of the preserve. Our first visit was so wonderful that we made a return trip in the late summer and saw many more birds including an owl.

Stormy Kromer Factory Tour, Ironwood (June) – A trip to the Upper Peninsula in June gave us the chance to visit the Ironwood area, where we hiked to waterfalls, visited historic sites, and finally toured the Stormy Kromer factory. This free tour is a great way to get a behind the scenes look at how the iconic hat is made right here in Michigan by a small and dedicated team of employees.

Erick’s Falls, Skanee (June) – Visiting a waterfall we haven’t been to gets harder each year, but this year we managed to get to a couple new ones. Erick’s Falls is a small roadside waterfall in Baraga County. The west branch of the Huron River drops just a few feet here, but it is the secluded setting of this waterfall that makes it one worth visiting. We had the place to ourselves and were able to wade in the river above and below the falls.

Open Skies Project, Calumet (June) – One of the highlights of our week-long Upper Peninsula trip in June was a tour of the former Calumet Air Force Station, which is now seeing signs of life again as the Open Skies Project. On a cold, rainy, and windy day we were still treated to a top-notch tour of the base while hearing about the group’s plans for the future. Highlights were going in the fallout shelter and taking in the views from the top of the radar tower. If you’re heading to the Keweenaw next year, don’t miss the chance to sign up for a tour!

Mack-A-Tron, Mackinaw City (June) – The newest addition to the Mackinaw Crossings Mall in Mackinaw City is certainly one worth visiting on your next northern Michigan vacation. The 30 foot tall “Mack-a-Tron” is a Transformers style statue that was put in place in June.

Woldumar Nature Center, Lansing (June) – We headed to Lansing in June to do some hiking and were very impressed by the trails at Woldumar Nature Center. Trails pass through woods and meadows, and alongside wetlands and the Grand River. Wildlife was plentiful when we visited and the trails were well-maintained with frequent maps and signs.

Petoskey Sunset Cruise (July) – We love visiting Petoskey, and in July we got the chance to see it from a different perspective as we took a sunset cruise on the Harbor Princess. This amazing boat ride took us from Petoskey to Harbor Springs, then to Bay Harbor and back to Petoskey. Along the way we got to see the Dancing Hare yacht, the Little Traverse Lighthouse, the amazing homes of Bay Harbor, and a stunning sunset. This is a can’t-miss trip when you visit the Petoskey area!

North Central Michigan College Harris Gardens Sculpture Park, Petoskey (July) – On the campus of a small community college in Petoskey is one of the coolest sculpture parks we’ve been to yet. The sculptures were donated by Jack Harris, who “personally curated 26 sculptures from world-renowned artists, determining their placement among lush landscaping, benches, and picnic areas. He loved nothing more than to see students studying or relaxing in the gardens.” The Harris Gardens sculpture park is worth a visit, and the trails on the NCMC property were fun to hike as well.

Woollam Family Nature Preserve, Cross Village (July) – While driving through the Tunnel of Trees this summer, a sign for the Woollam Family Nature Preserve caught our eye so we stopped to check it out. This preserve has a wonderful trail that heads into the woods before following a dune ridge down to the lakeshore. From the shore we had a beautiful stretch of Lake Michigan beach to ourselves as well as distant views of three lighthouses.

Maple Bay Natural Area, Williamsburg (July) – A short drive north from Traverse City brought us to the Maple Bay Natural Area this summer. A couple miles of trails pass through woods and along the shore of the Grand Traverse Bay, offering scenic views and plentiful flora and fauna. This preserve connects to the Petobego State Game Area for those looking to extend their hiking adventures.

Roscommon Zoo (August) – Roscommon is home to a 20-acre, family-friendly, family-owned zoo that offers a mix of domestic farm animals and exotic animals. We visited with kids and they loved feeding the animals, while we love seeing the lion, tiger, bears, and more. Keep Roscommon Zoo in mind when you head to the northern Lower Peninsula next year!

Benny the Beard Fisher, Germfask (August) – a 14 foot tall wooden troll sculpture from artist Thomas Dambo is one of the more recent additions to the Upper Peninsula’s collection of roadside attractions. You’ll find Benny the Beard Fisher at Northwoods Outfitters Campground on M-77 in Germfask. “Thomas Dambo is a Danish artist who has built more than 100 of these trolls. Other U.S. installations have take place in Philadelphia, Chicago, and Minnesota. Benny was part of a 2023 “Way of the Bird King” trip that saw Dambo and crews construct 10 trolls in 100 days. Other locations included Hainesport (NJ), South Londonderry (VT), Cripple Creek (CO), Portland (OR), and several in the Seattle (WA) area.”

Kettlewell Pond Trail, Port Huron (September) – Most of our trips to Port Huron are centered around downtown and the waterfront as we watch freighters on the river or visit the historic HURON Lightship and Fort Gratiot Lighthouse. This year we made an effort to explore more, and we found a short but beautiful trail at McIntyre Park/Fort Gratiot Pond. The Kettlewell Pond Trail is less than a mile and paved, but it makes a loop around a scenic pond and offers opportunities for fishing and wildlife viewing.

Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Gateway Trail, Belle Isle (September) – Belle Isle has long been one of our favorite places to visit in Detroit, and it’s a shame that it took us two years to get there to check out the new glass and steel sculpture that marks the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Gateway, the southern trailhead of the Iron Belle Trail (which runs from Belle Isle to Ironwood). The sculpture is called “One World…Under Michigan Stars,” and it is 24 feet tall. We found that it makes a great frame for photos of the William Livingstone Memorial Lighthouse, which is just a short walk from here.

Nautical North Family Adventures Shipwreck Cruise, Cheboygan (September) – 2024 was a year of boat trips, and one of our favorites came in September. Our cruise with Nautical North Family Adventures took us through the Cheboygan Dam, past the tugs and other boats on the Cheboygan River, and past three lighthouses. It was awesome to see the Cheboygan Front Range Lighthouse, Cheboygan Crib Light, and Fourteen Foot Shoal Light up close from the water before we headed to Duncan Bay to see several shipwrecks through the window in the glass-bottom boat. This is an awesome trip for the whole family and we guarantee you’ll have a great time!

Mackinaw Heritage Village, Mackinaw City (September) – Mackinaw City has been a frequent vacation destination for our family for more than 30 years, yet we had never visited the Mackinaw Heritage Village until this fall. A short drive west out of town (the same way you head to McGulpin Point Lighthouse and Headlands Dark Sky Park) leads to this collection of historic buildings. Several miles of trails here offer a chance to explore the property while learning about nature and the history of the area.

Narnia Trail/Bush Bay Trail, Cedarville (October) – On our way back from Sault Ste. Marie in October we finally took on a hike that had been on our list for a few years. The “Narnia Trail” or Bush Bay Trail is a two-mile hiking trail that follows the Lake Huron shoreline to a lamp post in the woods. The views here are stunning, and you’ll pass the remains of an old cabin, large rocks on the shoreline, and travel through a quiet and colorful pine forest. We absolutely loved this hike!

KLH Dunes Preserve, Grand Haven (November) – On the north side of the river channel in Grand Haven, a wonderful nature preserve can be found between large houses and marinas. The KLH Dunes Preserve has a few miles of hiking trails, excellent birdwatching opportunities, and the chance to immerse yourself in quiet nature exploration while only being a couple miles from the busy downtown and state park areas. Visiting in the fall meant there were very few other people there, but we definitely plan on returning in the spring for a better look at the plants and wildlife.