Ann Arbor and the surrounding areas are awesome in the summer! Check out some of these activities.
In Ann Arbor
Driving Distance from Ann Arbor
- Listen to a great band, dance, relax, bring kids or watch a movie at the Ann Arbor Summer Festival (“Top of the Park”).
- Visit Nichols Arboretum for a hike, picnic, or Shakespeare in the Arb. You might see some white-tailed deer, or the UM Quidditch team practicing. If it’s raining, or you want a different set of trails to explore, try the Matthaei Botanical Gardens instead, which includes an extensive indoor terrarium.
- Explore Ann Arbor by bike! A favorite is the The Border to Border Trail, which you can take all the way to in Ypsilanti. But there are many others, for example, you can bike from downtown through Gallup Park, past Parker Mill and into Matthaei Botanical Gardens without ever having to defer to a car. You can use this map tool, or even just google maps to find good bike routes.
- ART FAIR!
- If you don’t have a bike, you can rent one from the University. by the day, weekend, or even the whole semester!
- Swim laps at Fuller pool, which is the longest outdoor lap-pool in Ann Arbor.
- Rent a canoe or kayak from Argo Livery and float downstream to Gallup Park (they provide transportation back up). Don’t miss the Cascades! Actually, you can also just tube the Cascades if you prefer.
- Explore Ypsilanti! You can get there by the AATA bus service or bike along The Border to Border Trail to Depot Town, and grab a burger and beer before heading back. If you time it right, you can even enjoy the famous Ypsilanti ElvisFest, the Ypsilanti BeerFest, or the Ypsi Heritage Festival.
- If you have kids to entertain on a hot day, we recommend the Rolling Hills Water Park, although the city pools at Buhr, Fuller and Veterans Parks are good too. Independence Lake Park also has a water park for kids who like to splash.
- Swim, fish, play beach volleyball, hike or Mountain bike at Silver Lake in Silver Lake in Pickney Recreation Area.
- There are many more adventurous canoeing trips near Ann Arbor, or further upstate.
- Camping in Michigan is amazing. The State Park System, as well as the National Forest system are highly recommended (private campgrounds are not as nice, typically). On weekdays, provided you’re not right on Lake Michigan, it’s usually easy to find a camping spot, but ask around on google or make some calls before heading out just to be sure. You can rent high quality camping and other outdoor equipment from Adventure Division of the University of Michigan Recreational Sports.
- Lake Michigan has gorgeous beaches—only a couple hours away. For a really special treat, consider checking out Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Read more about Sleeping Bear in the NY Times.
