Harbor Springs

Harbor Springs sits across the bay from Petoskey on Little Traverse Bay’s north shore, wrapped around one of the deepest natural harbors in the Great Lakes. It’s smaller than Petoskey — around 1,200 year-round residents — and has long been the most exclusive resort town in northern Michigan. The downtown is postcard-pretty, with upscale shops, galleries, and waterfront dining, and the harbor fills with sailboats and yachts all summer.

Just outside town are two of Michigan’s oldest and most exclusive summer colonies, Wequetonsing and Harbor Point — enclaves of grand old cottages that have stayed in the same Midwest families for generations. The famous Tunnel of Trees scenic drive (M-119) begins downtown and winds north along the Lake Michigan bluffs, and the area’s big ski resorts are just up the road (see the ski note). West Traverse Township wraps around the city with wooded, hilly, often water-view property.

For buyers, Harbor Springs and its surroundings are the top of the market up here — think old money, deep water, and limited inventory, with prices to match. It draws second-home owners and seasonal residents more than year-round families, though the town stays lively well beyond summer.