Menominee County: Shores, Trails, and History

Menominee County lies on the shore of Lake Michigan. With stretches of shoreline, hiking trails, and historic sites, the county offers different ways to shape your stay. When planning your trip, you can consider nature experiences and cultural sites as separate focal points and plan your visits around your personal interests.

Lake Shore, Savannas, and Hiking Trails

J.W. Wells State Park covers 700 acres and stretches for three miles along Green Bay on Lake Michigan. The park has an observation platform on the accessible Cedar River Trail, with views of Lake Michigan and Door County, Wisconsin. Access conditions may change seasonally; check them before your visit.

Shakey Lakes encompasses the largest area of pine and oak savanna in northern Michigan. Shakey Lakes Park covers 240 acres and is surrounded by four lakes: Resort Lake, East Lake, Baker Lake, and Bass Lake. More than two miles of hiking trails wind through forests and along the lakes. The Wells-Cedar River Trail is seven miles long and includes the Timber Loop, Evergreen Loop, and Ridgewood Loop. The trail lengths and named loops give you concrete reference points for factoring the distances into your plans.

Water Activities and Marinas

The Pemene Falls Unit of the Menominee River State Recreation Area has a boat launch for motorized and non-motorized watercraft. Whitewater rafting, canoeing, and kayaking are popular activities on the Menominee River in the recreation area. Kayaking, tubing, and swimming are common at River Park and at several nearby access points along the Menominee River.

Cedar River Harbor serves commercial fishing and recreational boating. Menominee Marina has 272 modern floating and fixed dock slips; its operations may vary seasonally. Check current conditions if you plan to visit the marina.

Buildings and Regional History

At the Menominee Heritage Museum, visitors can tour the preserved building and view exhibits about fur traders, immigrants, lumberjacks, and Native Americans of Menominee. The Menominee Main Street Historic District is on First Street along the shore. It includes more than 40 commercial, public, and private buildings; most were built around the 1890s. The Menominee Opera House was built in 1902.

The IXL Historical Museum is also a historic destination: it was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1973. The West Shore Fishing Museum is a stop on the Great Lakes Fisheries Heritage Trail. Together, these cultural offerings cover both architectural history and the history of fishing.

Annual Event and Golf

The Menominee County Fair is an annual event. Its program includes livestock exhibitions, a small-animal auction, and craft beer and wine tastings. If the fair fits your travel plans, check the dates for the year of your stay.

North Shore Golf Club offers an 18-hole golf course with views of Green Bay. Golf and the annual fair thus add further interests to your nature and history experiences that you can take into account when planning.

Discover more destinations: Menominee, Luce County, Barry County, Mecosta County, Muskegon, Clare County, Benzie County, Gratiot County.

For the main travel overview: Michigan.