Once a lumber and manufacturing city in the late 1800s, Petoskey is now a waterfront community known for its charming downtown, historic architecture and scenic beauty with waterfront parks, sandy beaches, water sports and rock hunting. The city's downtown is just a few hundred yards from the marina with every convenience you would expect in a major metropolis, complete with a large park where concerts and other events are held during the summer. See www.petoskeyarea.com/events/ for a complete listing of events.

Petoskey State Park has a lovely 1-mile-long sand beach with generally calm waters. The park charges a fee for cars to enter, but bikes generally cruise through the ranger entrance station. Another wonderful amenity in Petoskey is the Bear River Valley Recreation Area, which touts a 1.5-mile path along the beautiful Bear River. Paralleling the river are paved and unpaved paths with footbridges and observation decks for walking and biking. The Recreation Area and paths begin adjacent to the marina.