Overview

The eight towns of Harbor Country stretch for 15 miles along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. Travelers have traveled here for generations, following the West Michigan Pike, Red Arrow Highway and the US12 Heritage Route in search of family-friendly resorts, cottages, beaches and attractions. Each of these towns boasts their own unique character and charm, accessible off I-94 exits 1-12

• Michiana, 49117 | Latitude: 41.7642 N, Longitude: 86.8134 W Best known for its quiet, relaxing cottage neighborhoods that lie within the earshot of the Lake Michigan surf.
• Grand Beach 49117 | Latitude: 41.7734 N, Longitude: 86.7975 W Visitors to this beachside oasis will find a charming 9-hole course that runs from the club house down to the village gate and back.
• New Buffalo, 49117 | Latitude: 41.7939 N, Longitude: 86.7439 W The streets are lined with specialty stores and unique eateries. Its lakefront park is a perfect place to watch the sailboats or a sunset.
• Three Oaks, 49128 | Latitude: 41.7987 | 86.6106 W A year-round home for the arts with its fine arts movie theater, a live performance theater and several artists’ studios and galleries.
• Union Pier, 49129 | Latitude: 41.8281 N, Longitude: 86.6925 W Historic town that was once a shipping port for Chicago traders and now is home to historic resorts and modern B&Bs.
• Lakeside, 49116 | Latitude: 41.8492 N, Longitude: 86.6678 W Red Arrow Highway and its crossroads are dotted with antique shops, art galleries and studios and many specialty stores.
• Harbert, 49115 | Latitude: 41.8720 N, Longitude: 86.6289 W Meander the stretch of Red Arrow Highway and you’ll encounter the great outdoors, art & antiques, and renowned dining.
• Sawyer, 49125 | Latitude: 41.8853 N, Longitude: 86.5895 W Home to Warren Dunes and the surrounding area is graced with country vineyards, many antique stores, curio shops and fruit stands.

History

The area that encompasses Harbor Country® has been welcoming visitors to the pristine beaches of Lake Michigan for generations – first coming by rail and steamer ships and later by personal vehicles. Tucked away in Southwest Michigan, it was in the 1970s that this retreat area was first referred to as “Harbor Country” to represent the area’s scenic ‘harbor’ and the bountifully lush ‘country’ landscapes. By the 1980s, the area was dubbed the “Hamptons of the Midwest” and tourism surged once again. Today, Harbor Country is a Federally-registered trademark officially registered by the Chamber of Commerce.

The Harbor Country Convention & Visitors Bureau was established in 1990 as the Harbor Country Lodging Association in accordance with the state of Michigan’s Community Convention or Tourism Marketing Act 59 of 1984.

Population (2000 Census)

• Michiana: 200
• Grand Beach: 221
• New Buffalo: 2,200
• Three Oaks: 1,829
• Union Pier: 728
• Chikaming Twp: 3,678 (Sawyer, Harbert, Lakeside)
  

Climate

Harbor Country boasts four seasons of wonderful weather, from the arrival of spring to the heat of summer and the colors of autumn to the tranquility of winter, in the Eastern Time Zone (EST).

• Coldest month: January Average range: 16°F – 30°F

The highest recorded temperature was 104°F in 1953.

• Warmest month: July

Average range: 65°F – 83°F

The lowest recorded temperature was -23°F in 1994.

• Lake Michigan water temps: Mid-upper 70s°F during peak of summer

• Average annual rainfall: 42.2 inches

• Average annual snowfall: 70.5 inches

Mileage (Est. Drive Time)

Chicago Loop 75 minutes

South Bend, IN 45 minutes

Ft. Wayne, IN 180 minutes

Indianapolis, IN 210 minutes

Holland, MI 75 minutes

Grand Rapids, MI 110 minutes

Detroit, MI 160 minutes

St. Louis, MO 343 minutes

Toledo, OH 195 minutes

Cincinnati, OH 300 minutes

Columbus, OH 360 minutes

Milwaukee, WI 190 minutes

Transportation

• Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, Provides daily service to New Buffalo with the Wolverine (Chicago - Pontiac) and Blue Water (Chicago-Port Huron) lines.
• Fruitful Vine Winery Tours and Leisure Limousine Offer an unforgettable experience traveling through the countryside to the area’s award-winning wineries.
• Harbor Country Transportation Provides door-to-door taxi service within 200 miles
• New Buffalo City Transient Marina Has 30 slips available to guests for transient use. Amenities include 30 or 50 amp shore power, water and bathrooms with shower.
• Rental Car Agencies Those needing rental car services can find them in nearby Michigan City (Enterprise) and St. Joseph (Avis).

Historic Routes

• West Michigan Pike: Travel this historic highway along the western coast of Michigan through several Michigan's Beachtowns including New Buffalo. Recently the magic of the West Michigan Pike has been rediscovered through a photo essay by one of our nation's reknowned photographic storytellers, Vince Musi.
• Red Arrow Highway: Named after a WWI army unit that included many local men, this route actually stretches for some 25 miles from New Buffalo to Stevensville – with about 12 miles within the Harbor Country boundaries, meandering into New Buffalo thru Union Pier and up into Sawyer all along the scenic coast of Lake Michigan. Along the route, you’ll find a treasure trove of antique shops, art galleries, restaurants and fruit stands.
• US12 Heritage Trail: Running from New Buffalo to Detroit, for 212 miles. Centuries in the making, the US-12 Heritage Trail is a road connecting man, animals, commerce, culture and nature. Bridging southern Michigan's east and west shores, the US-12 Heritage Trail is an unconventional destination that encourages the traveler to journey its winding roads, meet its people, explore its places, and uncover its hidden treasures.
• Lake Michigan Circle Tour: Established in the 1980s, this 1100 mile route travels through four states – beginning in Southwest Michigan’s Harbor Country. Travel the rustic roads along the Lake Michigan Circle Tour, part of an expansive highway program established by the Great Lakes Commission to promote tourism and travel along the shores of the wonderous Great Lakes.

Tourism Statistics

• The New Buffalo Welcome Center, the nation’s first highway travel information center is the third most visited center in the state. Welcoming an average of 1.3 million visitors a year, the Center celebrated its 75^th anniversary in 2010.
• Tourism and agri-tourism are among Harbor Country’s long-standing and continually growing industries.
• Michigan’s overall tourism industry ranks #3 in the state, at more than $16 billion, annually.
• Harbor Country offers a full range of options for lodging – from independent and brand name hotels, historic and modern resorts, bed & breakfast inns to vacation cottages – with more than 1070 rooms available.
• Lake Michigan College, in nearby Benton Harbor, offers a hospitality management program which educates and trains students looking to enter the field of hospitality and tourism – one of the world’s top industries.

Interesting Factoids

• The Dewey Cannon, captured in the Spanish-American War by Admiral Dewey, is on display in Dewey Canon Park - Three Oaks.

• Grand Beach was developed in the early 1900s, when villagers purchased 20 cottages from Sears and Roebuck and began the first neighborhoods.

• The Chicago fire of 1871 increased the demand for timber and a 600-foot “Pier in Union” (Union Pier) was built to transport the natural bounty.

• Three Frank Lloyd Wright homes were built in Grand Beach. One of them, the Ernest Vosburgh Summer House (built in 1916) still retains much of its original design.

• Author Carl Sandburg – known for his definitive series on President Abraham Lincoln, was a resident of Harbert and was said to be a patron of the town’s Swedish Bakery.

• A replica of Shakespeare’s birthplace was dismantled in Chicago and transported to Lakeside where it became the Shakespeare House at Chikaming Country Club.
• The Christmas movie, Prancer (1989) was filmed on location in Three Oaks and the town is mentioned throughout the film.

• The Miami, Iroquois and Pottawatomi Indians all fought for control of the area that is now New Buffalo.
• The Featherbone Company headquartered in Three Oaks was a thriving business that revolutionized the corset business, eliminating the rigid and expensive whalebones and instead using the much more flexible turkey feathers – hence the name.

Natural Wonders

• The 263-acre Chikaming Nature Park and Preserve is noted for its diverse natural features, uplands, wooded floodplains, 2,800-feet of frontage on the Galien River and a 5.3-acre lake.

• Warren Woods State Park in Three Oaks is home to the last climax beech-maple forest in Michigan, with trails that follow the course of the Galien River. Visitors will find abundant wildflowers and birders cite many spotting of pileated woodpeckers.

• Experience 3 miles of beautiful Lake Michigan shoreline, six miles of trails and dunes that tower 240 feet above Lake Michigan at Warren Dunes State Park. Open year-round for snowboarding and crosscountry skiing.

• The Galien River flows from northeast to southwest through Chikaming and New Buffalo Townships. Enjoy the beauty of this river, and all of its flora and fauna, up-close from a kayak or stand-up paddleboard.

• Harbor Country has hundreds of miles of country and side roads that are perfect for recreational and sport cycling, outlined in a “Backroads Bikeways” guide. Twelve routes range from 5 to 60 miles and follow secondary roads through picturesque rolling hills, patchwork farmland and beautiful meadows, parks and forests.

• The New Buffalo Lakefront Park and Beach is located on the North end Whittaker Street, just over the Galien River bridge. In addition to protected swimming areas, there are sand dunes and wooden walkways. The lakefront is regularly used as a scenic backdrop for photo shoots and as a location for weddings and reunions.

Major Attractions

• Drier’s Meat Market: A truly authentic stop, operating continuously as a butcher shop since it opened in Three Oaks in 1875. Serving the finest in smoked meats, cured meats, assorted cheese and a variety of condiments. A National Historic Site.

• Vickers Theater: Built in the 1890s as a livery in Three Oaks, which serviced the nearby train station. In 1911, Frank Lee and partners converted the livery into a film theatre and Jon Vickers lovingly and uniquely restored the facility into an intimate art house in 1996.
• Acorn Theater: This 200-seat live theater in Three Oaks boasts a 1925 Barton Theater pipe organ, bistro tables and an art gallery. Housed in the historic 1800s Featherbone Factory.
• Three Oaks Township Public Library & Museum: Housed in the historic E.K. Warren building, three rooms upstairs feature replicas of a 19th century parlor, dining and sitting room. The Three Oaks Bicycle Museum is currently located here. A new museum that will house the permanent collection from the library and the Bicycle Museum is currently under construction.
• Four Winds Casino Resort: Opened in August 2008 in New Buffalo Township, the casino boasts 3,000 slot machines, more than 100 table games, a luxury hotel, six restaurants and fabulous shopping.
• Third Coast Surf Shop: Surfing on Lake Michigan has become a new pastime, with rentals and lessons available out of New Buffalo (fall is the ideal time). Skimboarding and stand-up boarding are also popular activities.
• Wineries: Several of the wineries of the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail operate in or near Harbor Country, and are worth a visit to sample the award-winning wines, microbrews, and brandies.
• Harbor Country Public Arts Initiative: Enjoy a tour of public art throughout Harbor Country with eight sculptures developed by local artists.
• Wilkinson Heritage Museum at Wilkinson Village Located in a former trading post built by John Wesley Wilkinson, the founder of Lakeside, this museum features artifacts from the family and the nearby area. The collection includes early photos of the area, Civil War letters, period dolls, furniture, clothing and jewelry.
• New Buffalo Railroad Museum Opened in 1990, this replica of the Pere Marquette Railroad Roundhouse has an engine, caboose, three passenger cars and a miniature train model reminiscent of the original Marquette railroad yards and line. History exhibits and railroad memorabilia are also on display.

Annual Events

• Art Attack – The kick off of the warm-weather season with a full weekend of events such as gallery receptions, artist’s demonstrations, exhibitions, theatre, music, wine tasting, open houses, held in late April.
• Three Oaks Flag Day Celebration – Considered the largest Flag Day parade in the country, this American celebration is held each June.
• Lake Michigan Shore Wine Festival – Nearby Weko Beach in Bridgman is the setting for an unparalleled wine event, along the shoreline of Lake Michigan. Held mid June.
• Warren Dunes Kite Fest - An awe-inspiring festival, as colorful kites dance across sky, high above the beach and the waters above Lake Michigan. Held the end of June.
• Lakeside Association Arts and Crafts show – Over 30 booths of local artists and crafters. Held July 4^th weekend.
• Ship & Shore Festival – Held in downtown New Buffalo each August with live music, local food and microbrews, arts and crafts, a lighted boat parade and fireworks.
• Apple Cider Century – A one-day, 25, 50, 62, 75 or 100 mile bicycle tour of the orchards, forests and wine country in and around Three Oaks, held in late September.
• Harvest & Wine Fest – Celebrate the autumn season with local wines, fabulous food, produce from local farms and plenty of family-friendly activities in New Buffalo. Held in early October.
• Christmas Open House – Enjoy special food tastings, live music and holiday shopping at Sawyer Garden Center. Held in early December.