The boat launch with the deepest channel. The trail to the gorge. The farm stand that takes Venmo. The icon you've heard of and the one you haven't.
A mile of sand beach on the lake's south end, backed by a 400-unit campground that ranks as the second-largest in the entire Michigan state park system. The protected boat basin behind the beach holds nine separate launch ramps, a boat wash, and day-mooring for anyone unloading gear before a swim. The park store sells the sunscreen you forgot to pack.
The quieter of the two Higgins Lake parks, on the north shore at the site of what was once the world's largest tree seedling nursery. Eleven miles of trail — Upland Nature, Bosom Pines, Beaver Creek — cover hiking in summer and cross-country skiing once the snow holds. A swim beach, a modern campground with mini cabins, and one EV charging station in the day-use lot round it out.
Saturdays at the AuSable River Center on Lake Street, mid-May through mid-October, 10 to 3 — more than thirty vendors on a good week, running produce, maple syrup, baked goods, plants, and crafts. Cash, credit, and Michigan's Project Fresh coupons are all accepted. Arrive early for the baked goods; this market has run long enough to build real regulars, not just tourist traffic.
The largest concentration of boat ramps on Higgins Lake — nine separate concrete launches inside a protected basin, with day-mooring, a two-lane boat wash, and a parking lot built for trailers, not just cars. This is the launch locals default to; the private marinas up the west shore are faster on a slow Tuesday, but this basin is built to move a Saturday-morning line.
The largest rental operation on the lake, about a mile east of North Higgins Lake State Park — tritoons, ski boats, wave runners, and a full-service gas dock. Renters need to be 21 with a license, and boats come back by 5 p.m. sharp on the last day. Open 8:30 to 6 daily; call ahead for a July weekend rather than counting on a walk-up.
A family-run rental-and-sales operation on the west shore's Higgins Lake Drive — pontoon and fishing boat rentals alongside new and used boat sales, docks, hoists, and trailers for anyone buying rather than renting for the week. The practical call if a dock hoist breaks mid-season and the marina down the road is booked out.
Roscommon's canoe and kayak outfitter on Lake Street, running trips onto the AuSable River system rather than the lake itself — a different kind of paddle than Higgins Lake's open water, and worth a half-day if the wind has the lake too choppy for a canoe anyway.
A marine sales and service shop on North Cut Road, the call when a motor needs real repair rather than a rental swap. Less visitor-facing than the lakefront marinas, more useful to anyone who owns a boat here full time. Call ahead — this is a service bay first, a walk-in counter second.
A small operation renting wake-surf and wakeboard boats specifically, rather than the general pontoon-and-fishing fleet most marinas run. Worth calling if the point of the trip is a wake behind the boat rather than a slow cruise. Book by phone — this is a smaller outfit than B & B or Higgins Lake Marine.
A reconstructed 1930s Civilian Conservation Corps camp inside North Higgins Lake State Park, built on the actual nursery site where Michigan raised the seedlings that reforested the northern Lower Peninsula after the logging era stripped it. Admission is free; a Recreation Passport covers the vehicle. Budget an hour. Some buildings close by four, so call ahead before driving out specifically for it.
Roscommon's golf course on Sunset Drive, a short drive from either state park and an easy half-day for anyone traveling with a non-swimmer. Nothing about the name is ironic — this is a full eighteen-hole round, not a mini-golf stand. Book a tee time ahead of a summer weekend; the course fills with the same crowd as the beaches.
A 1936 Depression-era building on Lake Street now running as Roscommon's local history museum — AuSable River artifacts, heritage exhibits, and a wall of original oil paintings by local artist George Kestenholtz. It also hosts the Saturday farmers market on its grounds from May through October, so the two make an easy pairing on a weekend morning.