Manistique is located in the county seat of Schoolcraft County. As of the 2000 census the population of the city was 3,583 and is the only incorporated community in the county. The city lies on the north shore of Lake Michigan, at the southwest corner on Manistique Township. The town is a very friendly town that is waiting for the arrival of tourists. There is an excellent antique shop in the town for you to go to, sandy beaches and a casino in town.

Manistique was founded where the Manistique River flows into Lake Michigan, which formed a somewhat natural harbor. The harbor has now been improved with breakwaters, dredging, and a lighthouse. The Manistique River also provides water for the Manistique Papers, which is a paper mill. The paper mill forms a large portion of the local economy. Another thing that the economy of Manistique depends on is tourism. Any time of the year is the right time to come, visit, explore and have fun in Manistique.

Originally the city was a lumber transfer town. The timber was cut further north and then sent down the Manistique River to Lake Michigan. Manistique’s job for the lumber was to sort it and place it back on boats. The lumber then went to other towns for processing and use of the lumber. The city was also an important commercial fishing port.

Now the city is a tourism center with nearby attractions and many outdoor recreations. Manistique is located on the edge of the Hiawatha National Forest, which means there are plenty of fishing, hunting, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, boating, swimming, camping and more. There are several lighthouses that are major attractions. The lighthouses are located on the two lakes, Lake Michigan and Lake Superior.

Take a walk on the boardwalk. This boardwalk goes for almost two miles along the shoreline and lets you walk along the beach from many motels into the town or down to the marina and the breakwater light. One good thing about this boardwalk is that it is wheelchair accessible. On the boardwalk you are able to enjoy the interpretive signs, a fishing pier, and picnic areas. There is also wildlife for you to enjoy.

In the summer you can go do all the fun summer things; hiking, boating, fishing, and canoeing. You can even just sit on the beach, enjoy the sun and relax. During winter, you are able to enjoy up to 71 inches of fresh snow fall. With all of this snow fall you are able to go dog sledding, skiing, snowmobiling, sledding, ice fishing. In the fall there is small and large game hunting with the wonderful change of color of the leaves. Spring, the flowers a blooming, you can get your boat ready for the enjoyment of summer. A place to go cross-country skiing is at the Indian Pathways Ski Trail. There are 23 miles of trails to enjoy. An interesting place to go snowmobiling is in the Thunder Bowl. The Thunder Bowl is an old abandoned ski hill that sledders and snowmobilers come to have some fun. There are also miles of groomed snowmobile trails that go in all different directions no matter where you start of your trip.

In September of every year Manistique has a vintage car, a snowmobile, and motorcycle show. The show takes place at Pines Park. The car show is always Labor Day weekend. During the car show, there are other events that take place. Kids can enter a tractor pull. They use their bikes and put the pedal to the metal! Another thing that takes place is that there is a contest to see how long a car can run with no oil in it. You definitely would not go hungry because there are plenty of food and beverage drinks for you to pick from.

There are many interesting places for families to visit at the city. One thing you can do for an adult night out on the town is stopping by the Kewadin Casino for some entertainment. Some of the games at the Casino are Black Jack, three and four card poker, craps, and much more. You can try your luck and see if you can win big. There have been millions of players who have taken their chances. Come to the largest gaming complex in the area and see what you can leave with.

The city’s most prominent landmark is the 200 foot high brick water tower. The water tower was built in 1921 when the municipal water system was installed. The interior space of the water tower is used by the town’s Historical Society to house books, and a gift shop; also put displays about the town’s business and civic history. The water tower is located right off of the Siphon Bridge; which is also a landmark to the town. This bridge was once featured in “Ripley’s Believe it or Not” newspaper series. This highway is below the river level. The water of the river is actually supporting the bridge. In 1916 when the Manistique Pulp and Paper Company was organized, engineers that the supply needed for the mill would flood a large part of the city. The shallow river banks were diked to hold the water, therefore building a bridge over it would have been too costly. Workers have solved the problem by constructing a huge concrete take lengthwise of the riverbed. The sides of the tank provided artificial banks, higher than the natural ones. There were also bulkheads, which formed by the side spans of the bridge, allowing the mill to maintain the water lever several feet about the roadbed.

A place to visit anytime of the year is the “Kitchi-ti-kipi” or the “Big Springs”; which is located in the Palms Book State Park. The Kitchi-ti-kipi is 200 feet across and is a 40 foot deep spring, which is the largest in Michigan. Underlying all the water there is limestone that you are able to see. The water is crystal clear. The water flow is always 45 degrees Fahrenheit. You are able to float across the tethered, self-operated raft, to look at the giant trout that lie at the bottom of the crystal clear spring. In the winter you can only access the spring by ski, snowshoe or snowmobile.

Demographics

As of the censusof 2000, there were 3,583 people, 1,449 households, and 865 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,124.0 per square mile (433.7/km²). There were 1,611 housing units at an average density of 505.4 per square mile (195.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.02% White, 3.74% African American, 5.16% Native American, 0.73% Asian, 0.28% from other races, and 3.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.31% of the population.

There were 1,449 households out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.3% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.3% were non-families. 36.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 19.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $24,295, and the median income for a family was $31,979. Males had a median income of $28,456 versus $18,750 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,986. About 12.0% of families and 15.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.0% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.

Manistique attractions and things to do:

Palms Book State Park
Palms Book State Park is located at the northern terminus of state highway M-149, a fifteen-minute drive north of US-2 at Thompson. It is a rewarding side trip for the vacationer touring the Upper Peninsula, for here can be seen one of Michigan’s alluring natural attractions Kitch-iti-kipi, The Big Spring. “The Big Spring” is the largest in Michigan-forty feet deep and over 10,000 gallons of clear water gush per minute from the fissures in the underlying limestone. Links for more information.

Seul Choix Point Light
Seul Choix Point Lighthouse (pronounced SIS-SHWA) in nearby Gulliver, Michigan was built to light the way for the increasing number of vessels carrying the iron ore that was being shipped out of Escanaba,MI. Seul Choix Point Lighthouse is now a community park for everyone to enjoy. Built: 1895 this light, whose name is French for “only choice”, was once the center of a thriving fishing community in the only harbor of refuge along this stretch of Lake Michigan. Today, the lighthouse complex is the only thing that remains active. The following are helpful links for more information on the Seul Choix Point Light Links for more information.

Fayette State Park & Historic Townsite
Fayette was once one of the Upper Peninsula’s most productive iron-smelting operations. Located on the Garden Peninsula at Snail Shell Harbor. When the charcoal iron market began to decline, the Jackson Iron Company closed its Fayette smelting operation in 1891. It is now a completly restored village including 22 historic buildings, museum exhibits and the visitor center, which can be toured May through October. The historic site is located in Fayette State Park.

Indian Lake State Park
Indian lake State Park is located on Indian Lake, the fourth largest inland lake in the Upper Peninsula with an area of 8,400 acres. It is 6 miles long and 3 miles wide. The lake was once called M’O’Nistique Lake. According to surveyor records dated 1850, Native Americans lived in log cabins near the outlet of the Lake.

The Boardwalk on Lake Michigan
The Boardwalk runs down the Lake Michigan shore in the town of Manistique. Go for an early morning walk or take an afternoon and picnic in the park. You can view the Manistique Lighthouse or ships passing by. It is a wonderfull way to spend a day.

Seney National Wildlife Refuge
The refuge Headquarters and Visitor Center are located on Highway M-77 approximately 3 miles north of Germfask, Michigan and 15 miles northwest of Curtis, Michigan. It is one of the best wildlife excursions you can make, it is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Link for more information.

The Hiawatha National Forest
The Hiawatha National Forest is located in Michigan and encompasses about 879,600 acres. It is composed of two units, stretching from Lake Michigan, on its southern border, to Lake Superior in the north.
Map – USDA Forest Service

Thompson State Fish Hatchery
The Thompson Fish Hatchery is located about eight miles west of Manistique on County Road 149. It is one of six hatcheries operated by the Fisheries Division of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and is open for tours. Most of the hatchery’s annual production is cold water species such as brook trout, splake, brown trout, rainbow trout and chinook salmon most of which is planted in Upper Peninsula waters.

Kewadin Casino, Manistique, Michigan
Kewadin Casino offers a wide variety of gaming entertainment. Try your luck and join the millions of players who take their chances, become high rollers, or beat the odds at the area’s largest gaming complex.

Historic Manistique Water Tower
The renovated building will provide space for arts related public events and public rest room facilities while preserving one of Manistique’s unique and historic buildings.

Bishop Baraga Shrine
During his lifetime, Baraga founded many missions in northern Michigan. The original Indian Lake mission, the third of Baraga’s faith, was built in anticipation of his first visit to the area in May of 1832. The chapel, built by local Chippewas, used traditional Indian construction methods and materials such as logs and bark.

Rainey Wildlife Area
A hiking trail that passes through maple, yellow birch, and mixed conifer habitat takes hikers over boardwalks and through wet areas, leading to an elevated observation platform that provides a feeling of remoteness with outstanding opportunities for viewing wildlife.