Mackinaw City (30-minute drive) Enjoy a pure view of the stars without modern light pollution. Visit our nearby Headlands International Dark Sky Park in Mackinaw City. This rare-type of park is comprised of 550 undeveloped acres nestled against Lake Michigan at a beautifully maintained facility with seating terraces and paved pathways for strolling under the stars. Learn from signposts, take in a sunset from the viewing deck, and look through the ranger's telescope. Headlands are open 24 hours a day, all year long. Check the website for special events. Local tips: Visitors should use red-filtered flashlights only. Be prepared with bug spray during the summer months.

Topinabee is a quick 10-minute drive from Indian River RV Resort. Topinabee Beach Park on North Straits Highway has a swimming area, playground, benches and picnic area. It is located right on the North Central State Trail (accessible by crossing the road at the Indian River RV Resort entrance). The Topinabee Library is housed in a vintage train depot and they welcome seasonal guests.

(Approx. 5 - 10 minute drive from the resort) As Evie Carrick wrote in her article about us for TRAVEL + LEISURE, Indian River RV Resort is a little gem nestled between two crystal-clear lakes. Burt Lake and Mullett Lake are great for fishing, boating and water sports. Try your luck at snagging some walleye, bass, pike, perch, and brown and rainbow trout in our Inland Waterway. Crooked and Pickerel Lakes are noted for good fishing, and are relatively deep lakes given their more compact size. Crooked Lakes has locks to Burt Lake; learn more, here. 🐟 Also notable is Tahquamenon River for rock bass and perch. Find more great fishing at Aloha State Park and Cheboygan State Park. Or, your sights on massive Lake Michigan for some very large trout!

Come to Burt Lake’s 2,000 feet of sandy, well maintained beach for a swim in a boat-free area. Burt Lake State Park has a boat launch (6 miles southwest from Indian River RV Resort); access for non-motorized craft, campsite rentals, hiking and biking areas, picnic tables, and even a dog beach. To reach the shoreline, head toward Burt Lake State Park, 6635 State Park Dr, Indian River, MI 49749.

Located about a half-hour’s drive from the resort, Wilderness State Park offers visitors 26 miles of gorgeous Lake Michigan shoreline, including a swimming beach. This state park is pet friendly and even has a specified dog beach. There are multiple hiking trails (two different systems, including the Michigan DNR and the North Country Trail, careful to note which signs you’re following), biking trails, with maps available at the office (a good idea: this park spans over 10,000 acres with 20-plus miles of trails). The 170-year-old Waugoshance Lighthouse is visible from some areas. To go: exit 326 from I-75, turning West (left) to U.S. 31 (turn right/north) to Gill Road (left/west). Right/North on Cecil Bay Road to turn right/north and arrive at 903 Wilderness Park Drive, Carp Lake, MI 49718. phone: (231) 436-5381). A Recreation Pass is required.

The next time you’re our guest at Indian River RV Resort, consider a trip to beautiful North Star Gardens at nearby 4104 S. Straits Hwy, Indian River, MI 49749. North Star provides gorgeous horticultural eye candy, a darling Gift Shop, and their on-site Cafe serves delicious coffee, tea, and frappes to accompany breakfast burritos, scones, muffins, and seasonal baked goods; You can dine inside the cafe, on the paver stone patio, or pick up order in the drive through. Bring back a houseplant for your RV or a colorful hanging basket of flowers to accent the natural beauty of your campsite. For more details, call a friendly person at North Star Gardens, (231) 238-6810 during their seasonal hours (they open again in Spring, like we do!).

There’s a lot of talk about our lakes in northern Michigan, but equally cool is our wild and wonderful dunes! These stunning landscapes are awe inspiring to see, and fun to explore by hiking and spinning across the sand in your ORV. Accessible within 2 to 3 hours from Indian River RV Resort, the dunes are another reason –– amongst dozens –– to come and visit Michigan. 🐻 Sleeping Bear Dunes was named by Good Morning America as “The Most Beautiful Place in America,” and includes beautiful forests alongside the dunes . 🚲 Silver Lake Sand Dunes are massive sugar-sand dunes, and encompass the towns of Hart, Mears, and Pentwater which offer charming villages, a lighthouse, and bike trails. Looking for a heart-pumping adventure? Take up sand boarding on the slopes, or take a tour from Mac Wood’s Dune Rides .

Silver Lake State Park will give you plenty to see, as it covers nearly 3,000 acres of Lake Michigan shoreline

A leisurely hike is food for the soul. Walk the well-groomed shady path that leads to a view of Burt Lake at the Seven Springs Nature Preserve Loop (limited parking on Chippewa Beach Road). This is a light 1.2 mile trail in a 66 acre preserve with numerous springs, forest, wetlands and a wave-swept shoreline. Very tranquil with clearly marked trails. Dogs on a leash are welcome.

Just a few miles northeast of Indian River RV Resort is the 109,000-acre forest nicknamed “The Big Wild,” and further described by writer Ernest Hemingway as “the greatest I’ve ever been in.” In a world full of over-developed urban areas, The Pigeon River Country is still remote, wild, scenic, and offers a backcountry experience. Although it is a state forest, it’s managed with very little infrastructure and signage, and viewing elk is more likely than scrolling social media (no cell connection). It’s truly a place for an adventure! There’s no easy GPS address to guide you to the forest, but there are some old-fashioned road directions on the government’s Dept. of Natural Resources website and you can email the Pigeon River Forest Management Unit for more information, DNR-PigeonRiver-FMU@michigan.gov. A Recreational Pass is required.

Come discover Thorne Swift Nature Preserve, with its stunning Great Lakes shoreline, upland dunes, pavilion, amphitheater, and the attractive and educational Elizabeth Kennedy Nature Center. It's tranquil, well-maintained, and fun to explore. The large parking lot ushers visitors to a 1.5-mile trail. 6696 Lower Shore Drive, Harbor Springs, MI (231) 526-6401. No dogs, open 10 in the morning til 7 pm—$ 5 parking fee for non-residents

Tahquamenon Falls State Park is a great place to day-trip from Indian River RV Resort. The park encompasses about 50,000 acres, stretching over 13 miles, with beautiful waterfalls cascading around an island. After getting a pass at the entrance booth, follow the signs to the Lower Falls, where you can park and walk the easy-going paved path to one or two observation areas. View the Falls from the island in a rented boat ($25 per hour). Hungry? Consider visiting the family-friendly Tahquamenon Falls Brewery & Pub, 24019 Upper Falls Drive, Paradise, MI 49768, from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.