Inland Emmet: Alanson, Pellston, and the Inland Waterway

Away from the bay and the Lake Michigan shore, the eastern and central part of Emmet County is quieter farm-and-forest country, threaded by lakes and rivers. The village of Alanson, on the Crooked River, calls itself the “Gateway to the Inland Waterway” — a chain of lakes and rivers (Crooked Lake to Burt and Mullett Lakes and on to Lake Huron) that boaters can travel for close to forty miles. Alanson is known for its little hand-cranked swing bridge over the river and its old lock, and the rail-trail from Petoskey runs right through.

To the north, Pellston is a small crossroads village with an outsized claim to fame: it’s nicknamed the “Icebox of the Nation” for the bitterly cold temperatures it often records, and it has a regional airport that’s surprisingly busy for its size. The surrounding townships — Littlefield, Springvale, Maple River, McKinley, and Center — are mostly rural, with farms, woods, small lakes, and the community of Levering up north.

For buyers, this is the affordable heart of the county. Land and homes here cost less than along the water, lots tend to be larger, and you’re still a short drive from Petoskey, the bay, and the ski hills. Properties run on private wells and septic systems (see the well-and-septic note), and much of the land is wooded or low and wet, so check drainage, access, and where utilities run.