Things to Do in Frankfort, Michigan

Point Betsie sits on the Lake Michigan shore just north of town, at the southern entrance to the Manitou Passage. The light was finished in 1858 and began service in 1859. Volunteers now open the lighthouse, keeper’s residence, fog signal building and a Boathouse Museum, with a gift shop on site.

★ Good to know Tours take about 20 minutes, and you can book a stay in the lighthouse itself through the Friends of Point Betsie.

Follow Main Street to the end and you reach the public beach, with parking, a playground, benches and a walkway to the pier. The steel lighthouse at the end of the north breakwater went up in 1912 and has been on the National Register since 2005. It’s the town’s classic sunset view.

★ Good to know The city is restoring the lighthouse in phases, and the pierhead can close during work, so check before you plan a walk out. Stay off the breakwall when waves splash over it.

This 22-mile trail follows the old Ann Arbor Railroad bed from Frankfort’s beach through Elberta and Beulah to Thompsonville. The first 6.7 miles are paved, with views over Betsie Lake and its marsh, then 3 miles of hard-packed limestone run along Crystal Lake. Past Beulah it turns remote, through 6.5 miles of state forest.

★ Good to know Frankfort to Beulah is the easy stretch for road bikes; beyond Beulah the gravel is better on a mountain bike.

Crystal Lake is about 2 miles northeast of Frankfort and covers 9,854 acres, making it Michigan’s ninth-largest inland lake. It’s famous for clear water. A failed 1873 plan to channel it into Lake Michigan dropped the lake about 20 feet and exposed the sandy public beach at Beulah.

★ Good to know Ride the Betsie Valley Trail to Beulah, swim, and stop at the trailhead visitor center, a replica of the old rail depot.

The Elizabeth Lane Oliver Center for the Arts has run since 1948 and moved into Frankfort’s restored 1934 Coast Guard station in 2011. The building sits at the mouth of Betsie Bay and holds two galleries, classrooms and a ceramics studio. It was the first building in northern Michigan to earn LEED Platinum.

★ Good to know Parking is tight; use the east side of Second Street or Main Street, not the Coast Guard or neighboring lots.

This art deco movie house on Main Street has run continuously since 1924. Community members bought and restored it starting in 2008. It shows first-run and independent films and hosts the Frankfort Film Festival and a summer concert series.

★ Good to know It’s a Certified Autism Center, and it sits right next to Stormcloud’s pub, so dinner and a movie is one short walk.

Stormcloud opened in 2013 and brews Belgian-inspired ales. The downtown pub at 303 Main Street is three blocks from the beach, with 16 taps, a full food menu, a patio and a self-serve beer garden. There’s also a second taproom, the Parkview.

★ Good to know Leashed, well-behaved dogs are welcome in all outdoor areas.

Across Betsie Bay in the village of Elberta, this undeveloped beach starts at the Elberta Pier and runs about half a mile south. It’s usually less crowded than Frankfort Beach, and it looks straight across the channel at the Frankfort lighthouse. Elberta’s Waterfront Park on the bay side has picnic pavilions and an amphitheater.

★ Good to know Park at the lot at the base of Bye Road; fires and driving on the beach are prohibited.