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Frankfort lies on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan in Benzie County in the Grand Traverse Bay Area of Michigan.

Understand

The Frankfort and Elberta communities encompass beautiful Betsie Bay, a historic sailing harbor. Frankfort offers unique and friendly shops, restaurants, and accommodation. Seven full-service marinas line the harbor, providing over 400 slips for all your boating needs.

Get in

Cherry Capital Airport (TVC IATA) in Traverse City is the closest airport, about 45 minutes away.

Get around

See

  • The Point Betsie Lighthouse. Benzie County's most famous landmark, is located on the Lake Michigan shore of the county just south of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and just north of Frankfort, Michigan. Point Betsie is the second most photographed lighthouse in the USA, and likely the most visited attraction in Benzie County. Watching the sunsets from Point Betsie is a long-standing tradition. 
  • Beaches Frankfort and Elberta both have public beaches, and you can walk in either direction for as long as your legs hold-out. Start at Elberta Beach park and then walk south for access to lonely and beautiful beaches for miles.

Do

  • Frankfort-Elberta Beach-to-Beach Trail/ Betsie Valley Trail:. The 4.2 mile trail connecting the beaches of Elberta and Frankfort is now completed and paved from the Lake Michigan Beach in Frankfort to Elberta. There it connects to the 18 mile long Betsie Valley Trail which goes past Rail Road Point on Crystal Lake, then to Beulah, and will eventually connect to Thompsonville. On the trail near Frankfort is fishing deck on Betsie Bay, and there are two fishing bridges on M-22 connecting Elberta to the Trail. 

Buy

  • Trick Dog Gallery and Cafe. Featuring the artwork of Greg Jaris. The Cafe has a full-service espresso bar and bakery. The drive to Trick Dog skirts along the southside of the Betsie Bay and past the historic Elberta waterfront park. 
  • Gwen Frostic Prings featuring the artwork of Gwen Frostic. Located on River Road with art, library, duck pond, and lots of cool and inexpensive gifts.

Eat

  • Papanos. Downtown Frankfort Offers pizza, subs, salads, chicken wings. Great Pizza, best for carryout. Open all year. 
  • Rhonda's Wharfside, Main St. (overlooking Betsie Bay) +1 231-352-5300. Casual fun dining. Specialties: pasta, steaks, seafood. Fresh whitefish daily. Open all year.
  • Crescent Bakery, 404 Main Street, ☏ +1 231 352-4611. Northern Michigan's only full-service artisan bakery cafe, featuring award wining crusty breads, hand crafted pastries and cakes and a cafe menu that's sure to satisfy. Named two years in a row as one of the best places to eat Up North by the editors of Traverse Magazine. 

Drink

Sleep

  • The Barn Cottage. Arcadia. 5 Bedroom home on Upper Herring Lake. Open Year Round. 
  • School House Cottage. Arcadia. 4 Bedroom home on Upper Herring Lake. Includes water trampoline. Open Year Round. 
  • Arcadia House B & B, 17304 Sixth Street, ☏ +1 231 889-4394. (M-22), Arcadia. Restored Edwardian Home: 5 guest rooms each with private bath. 5 blocks to Lake Michigan. Nearby tennis, golf, skiing, canoeing. Spectacular scenery and charm in quiet country village. Full breakfast. Open year round 
  • Betsie River Camp Site, 1923 River Road, ☏ +1 231 352-9535. RV and tent camping, flush toilets, and hot showers. Fish cleaning and freezing. Close to Lake Michigan, Crystal Lake, and golf. Cabin rentals. Open April ist to October 1st. 
  • Chimney Corners Resort, ☏ +1 231 352-7522. An old-fashioned family resort on Crystal Lake since 1935, with summer cottage rentals, tennis court, basketball court, playground areas, 300 acres of wooded hills, 1,000 feet of private sandy beach. 

Go next

  • Spirit of the Woods Music Association, [1]. An annual music festival, the Spirit of the Woods Folk Festival, held at the Dickson Township Park in Brethren, Michigan, the third Saturday in June. The festival features a day full of music on two stages, arts and crafts vendors, children's activities, great food, and a closing square dance, which, this year for the first time, will be a Cajun Dance
  • Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore [2] lies just to the north. It encompasses a 35 mi. (60 km) stretch of Lake Michigan's eastern coastline, as well as North and South Manitou Islands. The park was established primarily for its outstanding natural features, including forests, beaches, dune formations, and ancient glacial phenomena.
  • Zetterberg Preserve at Point Betsie, [3]

Point Betsie is a dynamic mosaic of shifting sand dunes, interdunal wetlands, boreal forest and sandy Lake Michigan beaches. Hike a path or volunteer to pick baby's breath (or just help out!) by emailing: [4]. Directions From Frankfort, Michigan: Point Betsie Preserve is located approximately 4.5 miles north of Frankfort off of M-22. At Point Betsie Road, turn left (west). Follow Point Betsie Road for 0.5 miles, to the wooden preserve sign on the south side of the road. You can park on the roadside by the sign, or drive to the end of the road near the lighthouse and walk back to the preserve sign. A trail starts near the sign.

Routes through Frankfort
Traverse City ← Leelanau Peninsula ←  N  S  → Arcadia → Manistee
END ←  W  E  → Cadillac → Clare


This city travel guide to Frankfort is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.

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