Petoskey is a city and coastal resort community in the Northwest Michigan. With an estimated population of 5,600, The Little Traverse Bay area was long ago inhabited by indigenous peoples, including the Odawa people. The name “Petoskey” is said to mean “where the light shines through the clouds” in the language of the Odawa. After the 1836 Treaty of Washington, Odawa Chief Ignatius Petosega (1787–1885) took the opportunity to purchase lands near the Bear River. Petosega’s father was Antoine Carre, a French Canadian fur trader and his mother was Odawa.
The Petoskey Area has several waterfront resort communities including Petoskey, Alanson, Boyne City, Bay Harbor and Harbor Springs. Petoskey is a charming lakeside community known for its natural beauty, Victorian architecture, historic Gaslight Shopping District, and the Petoskey Stone. Along with one in a million views of Little Traverse Bay, one of the first things to catch your eye is the elegant Victorian architecture in the homes and buildings. The Bay View community alone has more than 400 homes on the National Historic Register.
Ernest Hemingway is not the only person to find beauty and relaxation in Petoskey. This 6,000 person community nestled on the shores of Lake Michigan’s Little Traverse Bay is a destination for visitors because it has so much to offer. Ernest Hemingway loved his visits to the Petoskey area and you will, too.
Petoskey’s Gaslight District is the place to shop, walk, dine, and enjoy. Walk through the pedestrian tunnel to the beautiful waterfront park where you can watch the boats come into the marina or visit the Little Traverse History Museum. Petoskey has plenty Activities & Things to Do, Antiques & Home Furnishing Shops, Art Galleries & Fine Antiques, Dining & Restaurants, Farm Markets & Local Foods, Golf Courses, Lodging, Services, and Shopping.
What can you do in the Petoskey area? How about visiting the Crooked Tree Arts Center, bike the Little Traverse Wheelway, take in a musical performance in Historic Bay View. The best snow sports between the Rockies and New England are just part of what makes the Petoskey Area winter fun so spectacular. Our major ski and snowboarding areas total more than 160 downhill runs. Petoskey is a four-seasons community packed with things to do. From exploring outdoors with numerous nature preserves, trailheads, bike paths, to beautiful fall foliage, lilacs and morel mushrooms in the spring, to top notch skiing and snowboarding in the winter months, we have it all.