Beaver Island

Beaver Island, known as America’s Emerald Isle due to its strong Irish heritage, is the largest island in Lake Michigan. The island has a year-round population of approximately 650 and an area of 55.8 square miles, Beaver Island is a nature lovers’ dream. Days here are spent beach combing, biking, hiking, bird watching, camping, fishing in bays or inland lakes, hunting, cross-country skiing, and exploring outer islands. Here you can be as busy or as peaceful as your heart desires.

Beaver Island is known for many things but possibly the most historically intriguing is its fame as the only monarchy within the United States borders. In the mid-nineteenth century, James Jesse Strang, a self-proclaimed prophet and new head of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, moved his followers to Beaver Island and claimed himself the monarch of Beaver Island. King Strang’s reign ended when he was shot by former followers. When visiting the island we encourage you to visit the Mormon Print Shop Museum to learn more about the history of this special place.

Just Thirty-two miles from Charlevoix, the island is accessible by plane or boat. The Beaver Island Boat Company departs Charlevoix from mid-April until the ice comes in December. For a complete ferry schedule, please visit Bibco.com. There are two options for flying to the island; Island Airways and Fresh Air Aviation fly regularly to the island.

The Beaver Island Community School (BICS) offers “customized learning in a unique and supportive island community.” Offering PreK-12th grade, BICS has a strong tradition of academic excellence. The school is proud of its high teacher-to-student ratio, outstanding technology resources, and student extracurriculars, from music and art programs to intramural and competitive sports. BICS students often score higher than state and national averages on standardized tests, and graduates have been accepted into post-high school programs, whether it be work placement to community colleges and universities.

The community on Beaver Island is very active. You can find a myriad of activities scattered throughout the summer. There is something for everyone, from birding and biking festivals early in the year to museum and music festivals planned annually and offered later in the summer.

Warblers on the Water (WOW) attracts bird watchers from across the country in late May of every year. For details on this event and the specific dates for the upcoming year, we encourage you to visit the Beaver Island Association. For classical music lovers, you will find the Baroque on Beaver Island Festival right up your alley. The Baroque on Beaver Festival takes place over the last full weekend of July through the first weekend of August. This nine-day series presents professional orchestral, choral, and chamber music concerts spanning multiple genres.  The Beaver Island Music Festival is a wonderful, family-friendly event that promotes all varieties of music and art.

Since Beaver Island is truly an outdoor enthusiast’s dream, we wanted to share our team's favorite outdoor spots:

• Hiking: For some of the best hiking trails on the island, click HERE
• Camping: If it's camping you're interested in, our favorites are Bill Wagner Memorial Campground or Beaver Island Retreat.
• Beaches: Although the beaches are excellent during the summer, our team loves to comb the beaches year-round. Our favorites are Iron Ore Bay, Cable Bay, Little Sand Bay, and Wagner Campground, and in town, there is an excellent township beach.