Good Harbor

Michigan's ghost towns are copper and iron towns of the Upper Peninsula, plus lumber camps the pine barons abandoned.

Good Harbor, Michigan is a former community in Centerville Township, Leelanau County, Michigan. Located along Lake Michigan, the village was established in the mid-1870s when a sawmill was built there. The village grew to include a hotel, stores, a saloon, a school, a post office, and a 500-foot-long dock. In 1905, the sawmill burned down. The town was abandoned, with the post office closing in 1907. The remaining buildings were torn down in 1924. Today, the site of the former town is part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

The on-the-ground condition of Good Harbor is unverified — it's listed here with unknown status. That could mean standing buildings, or an empty field. Go prepared for either, and consider sharing what you find so the record improves.

Nobody has confirmed the access situation, so treat any visit as reconnaissance: verify land ownership first, and be ready to admire from the road.

Here's the honest truth: access to Good Harbor is unverified. We couldn't confirm whether the site sits on public land, private property, or something in between — so verify land ownership and local rules before visiting, and respect private property at all times. The mapped point for Good Harbor is roughly 44.9458, -85.8033 — use it as a starting point and cross-reference a current topographic map before leaving pavement.

Ghost-town etiquette is simple: take only photographs. Removing artifacts is illegal on public lands and disrespectful everywhere else — and on federal land it can be a serious offense.