Picnic Island

Picnic Island: crowds and conditions

Typical pattern: moderate; weekends busier. Been there recently? Post today’s status and it shows here for the next traveller.

Status options for this island: Open, good conditions · Very crowded · Approach road bad · Closed / not accessible.

Best time to visit Picnic Island

Season: November to March for sightings; sanctuaries may close in peak monsoon.

Busiest days: Weekends and long holidays.

Crowd: Moderate; weekends busier.

Typical week: Mon light · Tue light · Wed light · Thu light · Fri light · Sat busy · Sun busy.

Visiting Picnic Island: tips

• Early morning and late afternoon are the best times to see animals.
• Keep your distance and do not feed wildlife.

How to reach Picnic Island — distance from nearby cities

Coordinates: 44.73291, -85.74960. Road distances are estimates; the road-trip planner uses real routes and adds stops worth the detour.

Places to visit near Picnic Island

• Long Lake · lake · Grand Traverse · ~2 km · Must-see
• Bass Lake · lake · Grand Traverse · ~7 km · Must-see
• Lake Dubonnet · lake · Grand Traverse · ~8 km · Must-see
• Silver Lake · lake · Grand Traverse · ~9 km · Must-see
• Cedar Hedge Lake · lake · Grand Traverse · ~9 km · Must-see
• Boardman Valley Nature Preserve · sanctuary · Grand Traverse · ~13 km · Must-see
• Duck Lake / Lake Wahbekaness · lake · Grand Traverse · ~14 km · Must-see
• Interlochen State Park · park · Grand Traverse · ~15 km · Must-see
• Green Lake / Lake Wahbekanetta · lake · Grand Traverse · ~16 km · Must-see
• Dennos Museum Center · museum · Grand Traverse · ~17 km · Must-see
• Keith J. Charters Traverse City State Park · park · Grand Traverse · ~19 km · Must-see
• Boardman/Ottaway River Trail · trek · Grand Traverse · ~23 km · Must-see
• Lime Lake · lake · Leelanau · ~24 km · Must-see
• Arbutus Lake · lake · Grand Traverse · ~25 km · Must-see
• Spider Lake · lake · Grand Traverse · ~26 km · Must-see
• Big Glen Lake · lake · Leelanau · ~28 km · Must-see
• Rennie Lake · lake · Grand Traverse · ~29 km · Must-see
• Lake Leelanau · lake · Leelanau · ~30 km · Must-see

See everything within a day’s drive of Picnic Island

Other wildlife, forests & gardens near Picnic Island

• Boardman Valley Nature Preserve · sanctuary · Grand Traverse · ~13 km · Must-see
• Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore · sanctuary · Michigan · ~35 km · Must-see
• Manitou Passage Underwater Preserve · sanctuary · Michigan · ~41 km · Must-see
• Grand Traverse Bay Underwater Preserve · sanctuary · Michigan · ~43 km · Must-see
• Old Mission State Park · sanctuary · Grand Traverse · ~44 km · Must-see
• Fisherman's Island State Park · sanctuary · Charlevoix · ~84 km · Must-see
• Hartwick Pines State Park · sanctuary · Crawford · ~106 km · Must-see
• Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness · sanctuary · Mason · ~112 km · Must-see
• Little Traverse Bay · sanctuary · Michigan · ~117 km · Must-see
• Ludington State Park · sanctuary · Mason · ~122 km · Must-see

All wildlife, forests & gardens in Michigan

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