Top Things to do in Benzie County
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The 10 Best Free Things to do in Benzie County, Benzie County
Discover the best top things to do in Benzie County, United States including Crystal Lake, Betsie Valley Trail, Ellie Harold Art Studio & Gallery, Lake Ann Brewing Company, Homestead Dam, The Frankfort Light, St. Ambrose Cellars, Crystal Lake Alpacas, Elberta Beach, Frankfort Beach.
Restaurants in Benzie County
1. Crystal Lake
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 100 reviews
Reviewed By 182gregoryf
We have been vacationing every summer at Crystal Lake for at least 10 years. It is a beautiful place. Frankfort Michigan is a hopping little tourist town during the summer. If you need big shopping, you will be disappointed. This is geared for casual dining, t-shirts, and art galleries/book stores. A lovely sandy beach and Lake Michigan is at the end of Main St. Public access to Crystal Lake is the next town over, Beulah, MI. Best to rent a cottage on Crystal Lake and start your own summer traditions.
2. Betsie Valley Trail
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 67 reviews
Reviewed By brianhH5461XT - Frankfort, United States
Built on the former Ann Arbor Railroad grade, the stretch between Frankfort and Beulah is a very pleasant ride. Starting at Cannon Park in Frankfort and ending in downtown Beulah, you get a small town tour, ride through meadows, forests, riverside, Crystal Lake and into downtown Beulah. Take the time to stop and explore and you will be rewarded with some of the most pleasant sights, smells and sounds of summer possible. The entire ride is only about 20 miles round trip, but it's mostly flat, with only the wind on the return trip to slow you down. A very peaceful, lovely ride.
3. Ellie Harold Art Studio & Gallery
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 23 reviews
Ellie Harold Studio & Gallery is located in an historic Victorian home on the corner of 4th Street and Forest Avenue, just a short block from Main Street. The 1895 structure showcases the award-winning artist's contemporary oil paintings. When Ellie discovered the nearby Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in 2007, she declared "I could paint here for the rest of my life." The following year, she and her husband Roo purchased the Forest Ave. home and embarked on a 3 year renovation project. Since 2012, they have welcomed many hundreds of visitors who enjoy meeting the artist and viewing her artwork displayed in a home setting. In addition to paintings and decor ideas, you'll also find gift items: boxed card sets, desk calendars and the artist's book, 7 Habits of Deeply Fulfilled Artists: Your Aesthetic Needs & How to Meet Them. In warmer weather you'll find Ellie painting in her Summer Studio -- you're welcome stop by and watch!
Reviewed By 277danr
In Frankfort, MI this past weekend admiring the beautifully restored and charming homes of this quaint "seacoast" town and found ourselves in Ellie's summer studio. We were instantly drawn to the welcoming and warm glow surrounding this place. Ellie visited with us throughout out personal home tour, and shared the inner feelings that inspired each piece, providing meaning and depth I've rarely seen firsthand. She also told her story which gave context and further texture to how she approaches her work. The work speaks to you with each brush stroke in a beautiful and loving way. We felt her kindness and vibrant spirit stay with us throughout the weekend. Thank you Ellie.
4. Lake Ann Brewing Company
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 78 reviews
Lake Ann Brewing Company specializes in craft beers as well as ciders, mead, and wine. A casual, rustic "up north" tavern. Large outdoor patio, open weather permitting. Live music on Tuesdays year-round. Music on the patio during the summer months Tuesday - Saturday (weather permitting). Check website for music dates/times/performers as well as current operations related to COVID-19 State mandates/procedures. Full food menu from The Stone Oven restaurant right next door. "Great beer without the pomp and circumstance". Group events are welcome. We ask you to call a week in advance to ensure we can accommodate the group.
Reviewed By hopc - Detroit, United States
Lake Ann Brewery is tucked away in a quiet community, bringing homemade brews, local wines, ciders & meads to northern Michigan in a fun, casual setting. Great outdoor stage with musical entertainment and no cover. Ingenious partnership with the Stove Oven Pizza next door to enjoy at the brewery. A win for both establishments. Highly recommend both.
5. Homestead Dam
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 15 reviews
This Dam is use for fishing access and fish spawn runs also drop location for canoeing and kayaking. A motel/resort is also found right next to Dam and currently not listed in your Data. See "rusticresort.net" for more information.
6. The Frankfort Light
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 141 reviews
Reviewed By ShanOC - Grand Forks, United States
We were in Frankfort on a beautiful hot summer July day! We walked towards the beach and saw the lighthouse! And you could walk out to it?? Cool! Yes! We walked the massive concrete pier to reach the lighthouse. There were places that were wet in the concrete and made walking slippery. Be careful! Many were diving off the pier. We didn’t have clothes to swim in so we jealously watched. We hope to be back! This was part of a fun day in Frankfort!
7. St. Ambrose Cellars
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 86 reviews
100% local honey, mead and Michigan grown wine. We have a wide selection of red and white wines along with our own estate meads. Come and sample Pure Michigan.
Reviewed By ChicagoChuck123 - Chicago, United States
Visited last weekend during Covid...everyone was distanced and had masks - that's good. We sat at a table and sadly got ignored for like 10 minutes. But - things are hard and I understand - so I kept it cool - finally someone noticed we had no service and a guy from another area addressed us. I told him we sat for a while in a nice way and SERVICE RECOVERY mode went in to full effect. The guy was AWESOME about getting the kids drinks fast as it was a HOT day. I knew what I wanted and wanted to move fast and get out. He understood and got us moving quick. I had a flight and asked for a suggestion - his suggestions were on-point. I bought a growler and apologized for whining about the wait. Guy brought me out a bottle for free. Great experience. The mead - WOW - just WOW. Great variety, even some beers - something for everyone and the grounds are beautiful. Would love to return on a cooler evening and see some live music. The John Lemon is SO good. Everything was so well balanced and fresh - the experience was one of the highlights of our trip. Looking forward to getting back when I can. Food truck looked really good and fairly priced.
8. Crystal Lake Alpacas
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 25 reviews
Our family had always been fascinated by alpacas, but it wasn't until 2001 that we decided to bring six of them to our farm. We fell even more in love with these gentle, unique creatures. Not only are they the perfect farm animal, but alpacas also have the warmest, softest, most durable fiber known to man. Wanting to share this incredible fiber with others, The Crystal Lake Alpaca Boutique was officially established on the Nelson Family Farm in the Spring of 2012. The boutique lies within a refurbished barn, and features Northern Michigan rustic appeal using wood harvested from our property. Today, we have expanded the boutique to a second building on the farm and grown our herd to more than 50 alpacas. The boutique carries a variety of alpaca products including hats, mittens, scarves, neck warmers, the famous alpaca socks, sweaters, stuffed animals and much more! Closed holidays and Sundays.
Reviewed By Larken53
We were able to visit during a sunny day. This Alpaca Farm is excellent! There is information about the alpacas and miniature donkeys and a dwarf goat. For $3.00 per person, one can go into an enclosed area to feed the adorable alpacas. We spent quite a while just watching the alpacas and interacting with them. The Alpaca Boutique (actually there are two) have beautiful items to look at and purchase. The owner was extremely knowledgeable about alpacas and their fur/hair. During this COVID time there were sanitizing stations available and also a limit to the amount of people inside the boutiques. We had an excellent experience and recommend a visit to this great place!
