Nature envelopes the community of Long Lake
Named for the largest inland lake in Grand Traverse County, Long Lake Township offers a mix of waterfront and rural living. “For people who like nature and enjoy the water and the forest, it’s a wonderful township to live in,” says Andrea Galloup, associate broker with Century 21 Northland, who has lived there since 1970. Smaller lakes, wooded nature preserves and farmland make up much of the rest of the area, where a few local businesses serve the community, including a nationally acclaimed ice cream shop.
Island hopping at Long Lake and other nearby parks
Long Lake itself is one of the area's main attractions. “I grew up swimming in the lake, and it’s really a premier lake because it’s mostly a sandy bottom," says Galloup. Taylor Park and Gilbert Park are Long Lake’s two public beaches. Both are similar, featuring a sandy beach with a swimming area, volleyball courts and grassy picnic spots. The main difference is Gilbert Park directly faces the sunrise and has a boat ramp. Boaters, Jet Skiers and kayakers enjoy island hopping as the 2,860-acre lake has five small islands where people can relax and hang out. Several nature preserves surround the lake, including Timbers Recreation Area, a former Girl Scout property with 9,000 feet of waterfront and forested nature trails used for hiking and cross-country skiing. Twin Lakes Park is another popular destination with a beach, trails and a playground.
Homes in the woods, surrounded by farms and the water
Most homes were built between the mid-1900s and early 2000s and have a median sale price of $550,000. Some are situated in housing developments, while others are on several acres in the woods or surrounded by farmland. The township features detached condos, also known as nonsite condos, which offer the advantages of a single-family home lifestyle in a condominium community. “One of the unique features of the township is its zoning ordinance, which, for the most part, requires most nonsite condos to have at least 1 acre,” Galloup says. “So, you’ve got some elbow room, and we saw a real desire for that after the pandemic.” Waterfront homes along Long Lake typically have private beaches and a boat dock. These are the most expensive homes in the community, ranging from $930,000 to $2.6 million. Bass Lake, which is much smaller, also has waterfront houses selling between $630,000 and $1.1 million.
Lively restaurants, local markets and a nationally acclaimed ice cream shop
A few shops and restaurants are scattered around town. Boone’s Long Lake Inn is less than a mile from the lake and has been serving steak and seafood since the 1980s. It features an outdoor patio with frequent live music and is famous for its prime rib. Hayloft Inn also regularly has live music with an indoor stage and dance floor. It offers a rustic country setting with walls plastered with deer heads, vintage signs and antiques, serving Mexican-American food. Moomers Homemade Ice Cream is perhaps the most famous restaurant in town, named the best ice cream shop in the country by USA Today in 2016. It sits on a family-run dairy farm and offers more than 100 unique flavors. “Moomers gets so busy, they’re building a roundabout to handle some of the traffic there,” Galloup says. The area has several farms with products sold at local grocery stores, including Fresh Coast Market and Long Lake Grocery. There’s also a Dollar General in town and several big box retailers less than 15 miles away in Traverse City.
Good scores for Long Lake schools
Students are split between three different elementary schools. Westwoods Elementary School receives a B-plus grade from Niche. Long Lake Elementary School and Silver Lake Elementary School are graded a B and B-minus, respectively. Students from all three schools go on to Traverse City West Middle School and Traverse City West Senior High School. Both receive B-plus grades and are known locally as West Middle and West Senior High. The high school offers dual enrollment through Northwestern Michigan College.
Getting around town and to Traverse City
There’s no public transportation, and it’s about a 10- to 25-minute drive to downtown Traverse City, approximately 5 to 15 miles away from residential areas in Long Lake. Michigan Highway 72, also called M-72 or Traverse Highway, runs along the north side leading to downtown. It takes about the same time to get to Cherry Capital Airport as it does to reach downtown Traverse City.
Written By
Nicolas Stuart