Top 15 Things To Do in Interlochen, Michigan

Why Interlochen Belongs on Your Adventure Shortlist

Interlochen sits like a pair of cupped hands around clear inland lakes—Green Lake and Duck Lake leading the choreography—where mornings begin with paddle strokes and evenings end with gulls skimming a glassy horizon. The town itself is compact: a nationally renowned arts center at its heart, a handful of outfitters, and a seasonal rhythm that favors early starts and late, slow dinners. For travelers chasing water activities—everything from kayak tours and boat rental to laid-back boat tours and sailing—this pocket of Northern Michigan feels intentionally scaled. There’s a satisfying intimacy here: put in at a sandy cove, follow the shoreline past stands of tamarack and white pine, and find a quiet inlet that feels like your own.

Practical travelers will appreciate how Interlochen stacks short, high-value outings. You can rent a kayak for a morning, tack a late-afternoon fishing session onto a Jet Ski rental, then catch a community concert at the Interlochen Center for the Arts—each experience sits within easy reach. Outfitters provide boat rentals, guided kayak tours, and sightseeing tours by water or road, and local marinas often bundle rental hours with launch advice. If you prefer self-guided days, choose a sheltered cove on Green Lake for flatwater paddling or an early-morning sail when the wind typically fills in from the northwest.

There’s also an element of season-driven variety: summer is the obvious sweet spot for boating, jet-skiing, and evening sails, while shoulder seasons open quieter options—bike rental and gravel rides around neighboring townships, birding on shorelines, or off-season lodging deals. Winter reframes the landscape: frozen lakes, cross-country tracks, and snowshoeing replace swim suits and kayaks. That versatility—water-first summers and a calm, colder alternative in winter—makes Interlochen appealing both as a short weekend escape and as a staging point for longer regional trips that include nearby Traverse City and the inland waterways of northern Michigan.

Accessibility is a strength: short drives link multiple launch points and marinas, and local shops keep rental fleets simple—kayaks, canoes, small motorboats, and occasional sail charters. For anglers, the lakes and nearby rivers offer accessible shore and boat fishing; for families, calm coves and public beaches make half-day outings easy to plan.

Bundle activities to maximize time: pair a morning kayak tour or bike rental with an afternoon boat tour or towed activities (where offered). Reserve guided fishing trips or sailing charters in high summer and ask outfitters about shuttle options if you plan a point-to-point paddle or mixed-mode day that includes a scenic bus tour or sightseeing stop.

Choose Your Adventure Level