I inspected two diverse piles of clothing before shoving them in my overnight bag for our fall weekend adventure at The Highlands in Harbor Springs. One stack included a skort, a collared shirt, and a ball cap. The second pile had a pair of outer shorts, a padded chamois, a jersey, knee pads, and my helmet. Two very different gear choices for two very diverse activities: golf on a championship course and shredding downhill at the Highlands mountain bike park. You'll need a wardrobe change, but not a venue change. The Highlands is a northern Michigan gem, a four-season resort getaway with multi-sport options for outdoor activity appreciators.
The Highlands is Bavarian charm set in the decadent forest in the top of Michigan, within minutes of the Lake Michigan shoreline. I grew up in northern Michigan, so I admittedly have a soft spot for the small-town vibes. For over 60 years, The Highlands has had a history of charming guests, no matter the season or the sport. Today, you'll find skiers, golfers, horseback riders, hikers, zip-liners, wine-sippers, and now downhill mountain bikers, all in one place. For Josh and me, it was a colorful drive north from Grand Rapids… the end of September had begun to show off its hardwood magnificence, with pops of bright reds, oranges, and yellows in the rolling hills. My laptop was stowed, and I looked forward to a weekend outside and unplugged.
The Highlands, chairlifts are for bikers in the fall and skiers in the winter
Fall Ball at the Highlands (Golf with a legend, Arthur Hills)
After check-in, we found our way to the main lodge and our suite to change into golfer attire before our early afternoon tee time. I needed something just right to impress the legend Arthur Hills, hoping he would shine good fortune on my swings. Our date with Arthur was just one of four unique on-site courses. Josh and I had tried our luck previously on the Heather and The Moor Courses. The Highlands courses have a long list of awards, so rest assured you will be playing courses designed by esteemed architects set in pristine settings that will queue up plenty of shot-making challenges. For your date with Arthur, shine up your sand wedge for the plentiful fairway bunkers. Plus, the 9-mile cart path will take you on an undulating journey, culminating in lucky #13's views from tee boxes overlooking an impressive and elevated par 5. We focused on the views, not the scorecard, for this golf round.
The Highlands Harbor Springs courses have been named Golfers Choice Top 10 Favorites by Golf.com: #1 for value, #2 U.S. Golf Resorts, #2 U.S. Golf Resorts for Buddy Trips.
* The Heather and its impressive natural wetlands was named 2019 Course of the Year by the National Golf Course Owner's Association.
* The Arthur Hills Course was awarded the 2019 Best Resort Courses by Golfweek.
* The Donald Ross Memorial speaks for itself, golf enthusiasts nationwide call Ross the father of golf course architecture.
* And the Moor, with its name, suggests a challenge, with plenty of doglegs, marshes, and water-carry holes along its 6,850 yards.
Pick a course, pack an extra sleeve of balls, and swing easy if it's breezy.
#13 Arthur Hills at The Highlands
Highlands Bike Park (Need a Lift?)
Highlands added lift-served mountain biking in 2006, and today, Highlands Bike Park remains the only downhill bike park in lower Michigan. Plenty of resorts send skiers to the top via chairlift, so why not retrofit a lift system to haul bikes up the mountain as well? Chairlifts at Highlands are for skiers and bikers; the resort has smartly taken advantage of Michigan's seasonality to serve snow seekers and summer shredders.
22 Miles of Trail and 20 Downhill Lines
The bike lift is a short roll from the main lodge, giving access to 22 miles of trail. Once on top, you can warm up on some cross country (North Peak) or choose from over 20 downhill lines, rated from easy to expert. There are both freeride and technical depending on your ability. My tip is to pad up, start small and safe, and build up to tackling tougher terrain. Dirt E Dancing is a solid place to start to get the flavor for speed and the optional jumps and features.
On the first run, keep the rubber side down and pre-ride; there is no need to seek air or take risks right away. It was rinse and repeat for me on the greens; after several cycles up/down on Peach Fuzz or Dirt E Dancing, I graduated to the Swayze Express. Though this trail has bigger jumps, doubles, rock gardens, and more drops, they are approachable with ride-arounds, so you can learn the trail.
Wall ride at Highlands Bike Park
The beauty of bike park riding is no long thigh-crushing climbs to the top. The focus is on sessioning (repeating) a particular line to gain confidence. I leaned into Swayze's berms, whooped my way over the sequential jumps, and savored my airtime on a favorite, the skinny bridge jump. Josh graduated to some more difficult terrain like Holy Driver and Dirt Reynolds. We spent a sunny Saturday riding up and bombing down, relishing the chairlift color tour overlooking Little Traverse Bay.
We took breaks at Slopeside for snacks and to rest our legs. Highlands also has an adventure center and bike shop where you can rent downhill bikes and grab some gear.
Main Lodge and Slopeside Lounge at The Highlands
We took full advantage of the golf-in, bike-in, bike-out scene and the convenience of being able to pop to our main lodge room for a bathroom break, take a dip in the pool, or to give the Nespresso machine a workout. I'd recommend a suite; it has a spacious dining and living area separate from the bedroom for hangout time, all in close proximity to the lobby café or the Slopeside Lounge for lunch or dinner.
Dining
The on-site restaurant and lounge (Slopeside) looks out to the pond and up the mountain slopes. We took advantage of warm fall temps and sat outside for dinner with a view. The choices always include:
A local Great Lake fish feature
Classic fare like burgers or steaks
Decked-out salads
Local craft beer, cocktail and a curated wine list
It was a perfect night to sip a glass of Pinot Noir and watch dusk fall around the mountain and ivy-covered lodge. Also, don't miss the pre-made s'mores packets and bonfire for an evening exclamation point.
Fall colors are in season now, but they will give way to chilly nights and crisp snow-covered mornings. Season passes and lift tickets are already on sale. The slopes and runs will transform from shreddy bike downhills to winter bliss runs on skis and boards. Pick your season, grab a bike, golf clubs, and, next, some skis. Either way we got you – need a lift?
The Highlands main lodge
