Interlochen, Michigan is an unincorporated community in central Green Lake Township, west Grand Traverse County, in the northwest Lower Peninsula.
Interlochen is also a census-designated place (CDP), with boundaries described for the purpose of the US census. US Highway 31 forms the northern boundary of the CDP, and M-137 (Karlin Road) runs north-south through the center of town. Tonawanda Lake Road forms the upper part of Interlochen's eastern boundary, the remainder formed by Mud Lake, and a stream connecting Mud Lake with several other area lakes. The western and southern boundaries of the CDP are also formed by streams.
The cities and villages within twenty miles of Interlochen are Lake Ann, Honor, Thompsonville, Traverse City, Buckley, Copemish, Kingsley, Benzonia, Beulah, and Mesick, and unincorporated communities within ten miles include Bendon, Karlin, Grawn, Pavlovic Corner, Chum's Corner, Monroe Center, and Bass Lake.
Interlochen is north of Green Lake and Duck Lake, with Interlochen State Park occupying the space in between these two lakes. Other nearby lakes include Tuller's Lake, Tonawanda Lake, Bridge Lake, Ellis Lake, Bass Lake, Cedar Hedge Lake, Yonker Lake, Round Lake, and several others.
Although the CDP boundaries for the community do not include the area between the two larger lakes, Duck Lake and Green Lake, the community was named for its position between these lakes, and most people would consider the area of Interlochen State Park as being part of the community.
Duck Lake is a 1,930-acre body of water. It is just under a hundred feet deep at its deepest point. The lake was known as Wahbekaness (Water Lingers) by the Ottawa people before the European-American settlement. Just west of Duck Lake, Green Lake is a 2,000-acre body of water that is more than a hundred feet deep at its deepest point. The Ottawa knew Green Lake as Lake Wahbekanetta (Water Lingers Again), a reference to the similarities between the two lakes, which are approximately the same size and depth, each with a prominent peninsula.
M-137 passes between the two lakes. Today, Interlochen State Park and the Interlochen Center for the Arts are situated between the two lakes.
Historically, this was the location of a community known as Wylie. Approximately one mile south of the Interlochen CDP, the town was founded by the Wylie Cooperage Company in 1888, and the Manistee & Northeastern Railroad established a station there by that name. Wylie became a ghost town around 1915 when the supply of raw elm logs was depleted. The main part of the settlement, just north of Interlochen State Park, is now occupied by the Interlochen Center for the Arts, and typically considered to be within the Interlochen community, although outside of the CDP.
In the late 1800s, logging and fishing industries brought European and European-American settlers to the area, founding Wylie. However, the Manistee & Northeastern Railroad, which had helped to found Wylie, extended its line north, where it was crossed by the Chicago & West Michigan Railway, and it was at that crossing that the town of Interlochen was founded. A depot and interlocking tower were built there.
The Interlochen townsite was platted just south of the depot, along both sides of the Manistee & Northeastern tracks in late 1889 or 1890, and its business district developed along what is now M-137 and Riley Road.
Anticipating the eventual deforestation of the region, as well as the potential for a resort area, the Buckley and Douglas Lumber Company, which owned the Manistee & Northeastern Railroad, set aside 186 acres of virgin pine timber between Duck and Green lakes, creating what was originally known as Pine Park, and established the Pine Park Station, transporting visitors to the region during the warmer months to escape the larger Michigan cities. The Pennington Hotel was built on land adjacent to Pine Park, along the banks of Green Lake, in 1909.
Afraid that Pine Park would eventually be logged, the state purchased the property, which later became Interlochen State Park, the first state park organized by the state, as Mackinac Island was a national park before becoming Michigan's first state park in 1895.
The National High School Orchestra Camp was founded just north of Interlochen State Park in 1928. Today, it is known as the Interlochen Center for the Arts, which operates a fine art boarding high school, a public radio station (88.7 WIAA), and a summer camp. A couple of years later, the Center expanded to both sides of M-137, taking up the entire area of Wylie.
By the late 1900s, the railroads quit running through the area, removing their tracks by 1982, but the area continues to be popular among vacationers, who fish, swim, boat, hike, and camp in the area during the summer months, while recreationists come to ski or snowmobile during the winter.
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Featuring eleven self-catering cottages or small apartments that can be rented by the day, week, or month, four of which are rustic log cabins, and seven are contemporary one-bedroom apartments and studios. Dormitory-style accommodations in a shared bunk room may also be available. Directions, telephone numbers, and an email address are posted, along with a list of amenities, peak rates, special offers, and deposits and cancellation policies. A photo gallery and FAQ are included on the site.
https://creeksidemi.com/
The automotive recycling center is situated in Interlochen, Michigan. Opened on four acres of land and 3,000 square feet of warehouse space, the business has expanded to more than twenty acres and 25,000 square feet of indoor operations today, with a computerized system that covers vehicle acquisition, inventory, warehousing, and points of sale. Repairable vehicles are highlighted, printable cut-sheets may be downloaded, and secure orders may be made online through an operation form.
http://www.eastbayautoparts.com/
The family rental cottage is situated on the peninsula that bisects Green Lake, south of Interlochen, Michigan. With 150 feet of lake frontage, the 3-bedroom, 2-bath building is on three-quarters of an acre of wooded land. Rental fees, payment terms, and a reservation form are available, and a description of the property, a PDF of photos, and a map and overview of the lake are set forth. Area attractions and events are discussed, and phone and fax numbers are published on the site.
http://www.interlochencabinrental.com/
Interlochen Center for the Arts
Situated on a 1,200-acre campus in Interlochen, Michigan, on the site of the former village of Wylie, the non-profit organization operates an arts education institution that draws young people from around the world to study music, theater, dance, visual arts, creative writing, motion picture arts, and comparative arts, and serves as the umbrella organization for Interlochen Arts Camp, Interlochen Arts Academy, Interlochen Public Radio, and the Interlochen Presents performing arts series.
https://www.interlochen.org/
Situated within walking distance of the Interlochen Center for the Arts, the motel features single rooms with one queen bed, rooms with one queen bed and one double bed, rooms with two queen beds, and suites with two separate bedrooms, each with a queen bed, and a sleeper sofa in the main area. Photos, features, and the prices for each are published on the site, with a list of amenities. Guest testimonials, special offers, a map, contacts, and online bookings are available.
https://interlochenmotel.com/
The listener-supported broadcast service of the Interlochen Center for the Arts, Interlochen Public Radio, is home to two radio stations serving the northwestern Lower Peninsula of Michigan: 88.7 FM, specializing in classical music, and 91.5 FM, broadcasting news. Its history, mission, and broadcast schedules are published on the site, and programs may be listened to online. Corporate support, project data, contributing to IPR, and volunteer opportunities are posted on the site.
https://www.interlochenpublicradio.org/
Affiliated with the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, the congregation was founded in 1973, its areas of service including the Stephen Ministry, the Katharine Guild, a food ministry, and providing space for Alcoholic Anonymous and Alanon, as well as its congregational ministries, children's programs, and Bible studies. Its location, service schedules, outreach activities, and a calendar of events are published on the site, and a video sermon archive is available. Contacts are posted.
https://www.redeemerofinterlochen.com/
Serving Interlochen and Grand Traverse County, Michigan, the general contractor offers new home building, new housing development, remodeling, renovations, room additions, decks, basement remodeling, roofing services, window and door installations, painting services, siting services, and other services which are discussed here. The company's office address, business hours, payment methods, telephone number, and email address are published, and its service area is shown on a map.
https://upnorthcontractingtc.com/
