Frankfort, Michigan – The Clever Boater

Location

Region: Lake Michigan
Latitude: 44.6325° N
Longitude: -86.2352° W
Waterway Guide: Frankfort

Destination: Frankfort

Frankfort is a small town on the shores of Lake Michigan. It features a very protected harbor and a vibrant downtown. One of the features is the Storm Cloud Brewing Company, which is one of my favorite breweries on the entire Great Loop. The downtown location has a great restaurant and features Storm Cloud’s latest offering of craft beers.

Downtown has many small shops and restaurants, as well as a great bike and walking path that circles the harbor and climbs the hill to the south of town, offering spectacular views.

At the end of Main Street is a public beach area with an excellent view of the Frankfort Lighthouse. If you are lucky, you will see paragliders zipping around at sunset.

If your schedule allows, visiting Frankfort at the end of September will let you experience the Ironman 70.3 race. Based in downtown Frankfort, this race features swimming, biking, and running events. It’s quite the site, with over 3000 participants jumping into the water around your boat in the marina.

Another must-visit event is the Saturday Farmers Market opposite Frankfort’s public docks.

It’s a great small town to visit in Michigan and one of our “must-see stops!”

Where To Eat

Our first recommendation is the Storm Cloud Brewing Company on Main Street. Here, they have a nice restaurant featuring American fare with outdoor seating. Their main brewing facility is just outside of town, and if they are open for tours, it is also worth a visit.

Another great choice is the Old Town Grill & Tap, also on Main Street. It features excellent gastro-pub food.

For a great breakfast or lunch, L’Chiayim Delicatessen, also on Main St, is a fantastic Jewish Deli that serves freshly baked bagels and sandwiches. Another great breakfast spot is Bella’s Cafe, just across the street, with wonderful breakfast sandwiches and pastries.

Here are a few other options:

Villa Marine Bar & Grill – A bit of a dive, but open when other locations are closed.
Crescent Bakery & Cafe – is a nice little bakery right near the marinas. Get there early, as everything is baked fresh, and it sells out quickly.
Birch & Maple – The premier tourist restaurant downtown. We have not eaten there. On our first visit, they were renovating. On our second, the IronMan crowd made the wait over two hours. I’m assuming it MUST be good!
A&W Root Beer – It’s the classic drive-in experience and nor far from the grocery store. Brenda is a root-beer-a-holic and we HAD to go and get a t-shirt!

Shopping Therapy

Main Street has many small boutique shops selling shirts, gifts, and local Michigan fare. Wandering up and down will fill you with several hours of browsing.

One of our favorite shops is Huffs Crystal Art, a glass-blowing studio on Main Street. Stop by for live demonstrations of Glass Blowing.

If you need to provision, a good grocery store, Family Fare Supermarket, is within easy walking distance of the marinas.

Getting Around On Shore

Downtown Frankfort and the lighthouse are walkable from the marinas. If you have bicycles or fancy a 5-mile hike, there is a great paved walking/bike path that goes all the way around the harbor. The view from the south side is worth the trip!

We are unaware of any public transportation, and we didn’t look for Uber/Lyft as we biked most of the time. Given the rural nature of the town, I’m doubtful that there is much coverage.

Keeping Entertained

For entertainment, we have two suggestions—first, the Elizabeth Lane Oliver Center for the Arts. Located on the west side of downtown, it’s a great art museum with many local artists and craftspeople represented. Second is Frankfort Beach, as far as you can go at the end of Main Street. There are spectacular sunsets and a great view of the Frankfort Lighthouse. Get there early, as it gets really busy!

I’ll also mention the bike path surrounding the harbor. It’s a great ride/walk. If you venture to the far side, you’ll see a historic railroad roundhouse site, and climbing up the hill will give you a stunning view of Lake Michigan and Frankfort Harbor.

Getting There

Frankfort is on the East Side of Lake Michigan. It is 40 miles south of Leland (another of our recommended stops) and 25 miles north of Manistee, MI, another popular Looper stop.

If you plan to cross to the Wisconsin side of Lake Michigan (like we did on our second loop), Frankfort is at the narrowest crossing spot, just 53 miles from the entrance to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.

Marinas and Anchorages

All of the marinas are in Frankfort Harbor (Betsie Lake) and are pretty well protected. You can also anchor in the Lake with good holding and protection. A strong westerly wind, however, can make the lake “uncomfortable.” We ended up going to a motel onshore for one night during our first stay.

Frankfort Municipal Marina – A nice marina in the park run by the city. The facilities are good. They have Gas, Diesel, and Pumpout.
Jacobson Marina Resort – A little closer to downtown, and has better showers and laundry. Gas, Diesel and Pumpout facilities. We stayed here on our second loop and they were excellent hosts.
The Marina at Harbor Lights – Is near the harbor entrance and the Coast Guard Station. We walked past it, and it looked nice.

There are a few other marinas on Waterway Guide, but they are more for smaller fishing boats.