I am sure many of you sympathize when I say I am just not ready to give up on Summer! Most days, it is starting to feel like I should be decorating for Halloween, but we are still getting the occasional really warm day here and there.
Luckily, our schedules allow us to take advantage when they come, so we can usually jump on the boat with a moment’s notice.
Long Lake
One of our favorite go-to lakes is Long Lake, in Traverse City.
With a length of almost 4 miles, and a width of almost 2 in areas, we can enjoy the sun and a nice wind just cruising around, tubing, jet skiing, or even comically trying our luck at wakeboarding.
What I love doing most on this lake is Island hopping. Long Lake has 4 unique islands with nice sandbars that cover a lot of area. The perfect spots to anchor our boat, bring our floating mats and enjoy grilling some food on the boat while our kiddos play.
The Islands of Long Lake
The ones we frequent most are Fox, and Long Island, but we also enjoy South and Picnic Island as well.
The kids’ favorite is Long Island. It has bathrooms and a “long” heavily wooded island to explore with a very sandy beach.
My personal favorite is Fox island. I like that the sand bar juts out especially far, and the shoreline is covered in rocks. Bad for your feet, but perfect if you are a rock hunter/collector like me. I love finding Petoskey stones!
Picnic Island is the smallest of the 4, with winding wooden steps to reach the top. South Island is the only one that offers a seasonal dock.
Long Lake Beaches
Long Lake has 2 public access beaches that are gorgeous with grassy and sandy areas for those who do not have a motorboat. Trees for those wanting shade, and one even boasts of having
Volleyball courts. However, kayaking or paddle boarding to reach some islands is a fun option as well.
Pizza & Ice Cream!
At times, I admit I do not really want to cut into my play time and make food for a boat full of people. Instead, I will order some pizzas from Long Lake Grocery. It is conveniently located across the road from one of the two public access beaches, Taylor Park. We usually order on the lake and pull up to the dock when our order is ready. So easy, and their pizzas are beyond delicious!
For any future visitors, when leaving the launch at the end of your excursion, I highly recommend taking a right and heading a few miles to Moomers Ice Cream… it is always on our lake-day itinerary. I promise you will not be disappointed!
In the video below, Ryker gives a short ride on the lake. Watch all the videos we took this summer of playing on the lakes and the concerts at Interlochen Arts Academy on our YouTube channel and watch the firework, drone, and other videos!
Arianna lives in Interlochen with her husband and 3 teenage children. They lead pretty busy lives, but golf is one of their favorite past times as well as spending time on their boat on the many lakes in Northern Michigan. Arianna has always loved to write and has now found a creative outlet to show her craft. You can read her articles in