Situated in the Manistee National Forest, Bitely is an unincorporated community within Lilley Township, in Newaygo County, Michigan, although a portion of the community extends into Lake County.
As an unincorporated community, there are no defined boundaries, but the community is surrounded by several lakes, including Bitely Lake, Greening Lake, Isaac Lake, Mawby Lake, Mowby Lake, Mill Lake, Railroad Lake, and Woods Lake. Another residential area sometimes considered part of Bitely is to the west, clustered around another group of lakes: Jars Lake, Leaf Lake, Musketeer Lake, Nichols Lake, and Walkup Lake. The two areas are connected by West Cleveland Drive (West 13 Mile Road).
The main routes through the community are West 13 Mile Road, Cleveland Drive, and North Bingham Avenue, while M-37 is about one mile west of Bitely. The unincorporated community of Lilley is 2.5 miles north, Merrill is 2.5 miles south, and Walgamor Corners is 5.1 miles west of Bitely, while the City of Grand Rapids is about seventy-five miles to the south.
The Bitely Homecoming Parade is held on the third Saturday of July, and the Bitely Booze Olympics is held on Walkup Lake each year.
The community was founded as a station on the Chicago & West Michigan Railroad (later the Pere Marquette, the Chesapeake & Ohio, and then the Marquette Rail) in 1884, and a post office was established there on September 19, 1889, with Archer D. Martin as its first postmaster. Steven and Jerome Bitely are acknowledged as the community's founders, and it was named for Steven Bitely, who built a sawmill there. Because of a clerical error, the post office was spelled Biteley for several years.
The focus of this category is on the unincorporated community known as Bitely, Michigan. Appropriate resources for this category may include local businesses and industries, schools, churches, attractions, and events.
 
 
Recommended Resources
Open every day but Sunday, the butcher shop is located on West Lincoln Street in Bitely, Michigan. Its address, telephone number, and business hours are published to the site, and a map shows the location of the shop. Directions are also available. Through the use of an online form, prospective customers may request a quote. Other resources include customer ratings, testimonials, and reviews. A link is provided for customers to write a review, as well.
https://cjs-smoked-specialties.business.site/
Located in Bitely, Michigan, the lodge is adjacent to a private lake and includes guest meeting areas, including two lounges, a bar, and a large dining room, as well as eight guest bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, gear and gift store, and wireless Internet. Other amenities include an outdoor fire pit, a shooting range, hunting gear storage for each hunter, and heated blinds. Its hunts are highlighted, a gallery of photographs is included, and corporate group accommodations are discussed.
https://www.legendsranch.com/
Established by Jerry and Kathy Groff in 1999, the gift shop was acquired by Pat and Janet Lipzinski in 2018. Located in downtown Bitely, Michigan, the shop carries a variety of products, including handmade candles, rustic home goods, and apparel, many of which are made in Michigan, and all of which are made in the United States. Its products may be viewed in its online catalog, and purchases can be made through the site. Its location and hours are posted.
https://www.upnorthgift.org/
Situated on the corner of Dickinson Avenue and 10 Mile Road, Volney Bible Church meets on Sunday mornings for Sunday School and regular worship services, for Ladies Bible Study on Tuesday mornings, and on Wednesday evenings for Bible study. Its address, contacts, and schedules are posted to the site, which includes an introduction to its pastor, a doctrinal statement, a photo gallery, and a calendar of upcoming programs and events. A blog is included.
http://www.volneybiblechurch.com/