Our 10 Michigan Travel Goals for 2024
As we close in on a decade of Travel the Mitten we have been fortunate to visit many of Michigan’s waterfalls, lighthouses, zoos, trails, state parks, roadside attractions, museums, and historical monuments. Even after all this time there’ still plenty more to explore and we are ready to tackle another year of Michigan exploration. In the same way that I love looking at all the new places we went to each year and what our most popular posts were each year, putting together a New Year’s goal list is also one of my favorite things. 2023 threw a lot of obstacles and hurdles our way that slowed down travel, and I am determined to make 2024 a better year on that front. Here’s a look at our 10 Michigan travel goals for 2024:
Visit four Michigan waterfalls that we haven’t been to before – There are more than 300 waterfalls in Michigan and since we’ve already visited more than 100 of them our focus shifts to some of the more difficult ones. My hope is that a June trip to the Upper Peninsula gives us the chance to get to a few new waterfalls in the Baraga area and the Keweenaw Peninsula.
Finish the Michigan state parks list – I have been to all but eight of Michigan’s state parks heading into this year. One of the big focal points will be visits to Coldwater Lake State Park, Dodge #4 State Park, the Hart-Montague Trail State Park, Interlochen State Park, Seven Lakes State Park, Sleepy Hollow State Park, Van Buren Trail State Park, and Watkins Lake State Park.
Visit two more Michigan zoos – We love animals, and had a blast returning to some of our favorite zoos (John Ball Zoo, Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park, Detroit Zoo, GarLyn Zoo) last year. In 2024 the hope is to make trips to the Roscommon Zoo, Saginaw Children’s Zoo and maybe even a few other animal attractions like the Reptarium and the Critchlow Alligator Sanctuary.
Find 50 more Michigan historical markers – The Michigan historical marker program continues to grow and evolve, and it is now possible to check where they are on an online database. After counting progress from the past few years, I have visited more than 950 of the state’s 1,800+ historical markers. Trying to find 50 more is an ambitious goal but also one I think we can easily achieve with visits to Jackson, Lapeer County, and the Saginaw area.
Complete the North Country Trail Hike 100 Challenge – It has been a few years since we completed the Hike 100 Challenge. In the first few years of the program this was always a big goal for us, and in 2024 we want to get back to making it a priority. We are lucky enough to have many miles of the NCT close by, so there’s no excuse for not getting our hikes in. A summer Upper Peninsula vacation will have us on trail segments at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, and the Black River Scenic Byway so that will be helpful.
Visit 10 more Michigan parks and preserves – Last year was a banner year for us finding new parks, nature preserves, and trails. There are always more to explore and we will be looking for parks when we hit the road this year. Finding 10 more parks and preserves should be one of the easier goals on this list!
Explore two more Michigan sculpture parks – Michigan saw two sculpture parks names as finalists for best in the country last year, with Frederik Meijer Gardens taking home the top spot. We’ve got our sights set on a few more sculpture parks this year, with locations in Petoskey, Elk Rapids, and Marquette at the top of the list.
Return to Mackinac Island and find some of the park’s hidden secrets – It’s been more than five years since we made a day trip to Mackinac Island and it’s time that changed. Armed with a list of off-the-radar sites to explore we will return to this magical island.
Kayak or SUP by Michigan lighthouse and shipwrecks – 2023 was a rough year for getting the kayak out on the water, but let’s hope the weather cooperates more in 2024. It would be great to head to harbor beach and paddle over the shallow water shipwrecks, or head to Lake Michigan to see some lighthouses from the water.
Find 10 more Michigan roadside attractions – Some of our favorite things to find or track down while traveling are the unique roadside attractions that can be found in Michigan. From statues and sculptures to historic sites and bridges, we’ve enjoyed finding new gems over the past few years. With a lot of new ground to cover, we should be able to find some new ones, so stay tuned and see what kind of interesting and quirky sites we manage to encounter.
And as always our two bonus goals are to see a Michigan moose and photograph the Northern Lights. It is supposed to be a good year for Northern Lights appearances, so that works in our favor. We will be in the heart of Michigan’s moose country in June, so our fingers are crossed that maybe this is the year we finally see one of these massive mammals.
