3 Iconic Places in Michigan That Look Way Cooler on Instagram

Sometimes places—for better or worse—don't live up to the expectations created by online images of them. It doesn't mean that you shouldn't visit these spots. In most cases, I would argue, you should. Rather, you just should not expect them to look exactly like the photos you've seen on social media or other online outlets. For example, here are three places in Michigan that, when I visited, looked different in real life than they did in online images I'd seen.

1. Frankenmuth

I liked Frankenmuth on my visit, and I would go back. I knew it was a popular place, but I didn't expect just how crowded it would be when I visited. Nor had I been able to discern from the online photos I'd seen beforehand how much of the tourist district is little more than a shopping mall designed to look like a Bavarian village. So, I was a little disappointed when I arrived to find that some—not all, to be sure—of the businesses were neither as quaint nor as charming as the tourist materials would have had me believe. When you go, expect to have fun and experience an Americanized version of German culture—just don't expect Frankenmuth to look like a Bavarian village in the Schwarzwald.

2. Lake of the Clouds - Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park

This take may be a little controversial, but hear me out. I am definitely not saying that Lake of the Clouds is not a beautiful spot; it's perhaps among the most scenic in the whole state. But a photo of Lake of the Clouds is the shot to get for visitors to Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park on the Upper Peninsula. I mean, if you don't post a photo of the lake, were you even there? The photos that get posted online tend to be cropped and often goosed with a little extra editing to make the lake look perfect on a social media feed or in a cooing article about the sublime experience. I, personally, am guilty of these things.

The need for all the cropping and goosing, however, stems from a couple of particulars the photos themselves don't depict and the accompanying descriptions don't often discuss: the crowds and the less-than-perfect angles from the most popular overlooks. For example, when I took the photo above on a July weekend, there were people on either side of me and behind me, waiting for their chance to step up and get the shot like I had to. Hence, my shot is zoomed in and cropped to remove other people and make the lake look closer. I also tweaked the colors to mute the green algae that had formed on the west end of the lake. So, definitely visit Lake of the Clouds—it should be on your Michigan bucket list—but don't expect to have the overlook to yourself or for your experience to resemble the photos you see online. You'll understand what I mean when you get there.

3. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Since I'm already here, I'm going to dig myself in a little bit deeper. When you see photos of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore online, a majority of the most compelling photos have been shot from the water. When you visit, you will not see what you see in these photos unless you're prepared to fork over $50 per person—or more—for a boat or paddling tour (unless, of course, you bring your own vessel). From land, there are still things to see: Castle Rock, a few waterfalls, the achingly blue water of Lake Superior. But these typically aren't the top photos you'll see online or on influencers' social media feeds.

Another thing to beware of is the changing landscape of the region. Recently, rockslides and flooding have altered the park's landscape. A large sandstone cliff collapsed into Lake Superior, changing how the park appears from the water. And in 2025, the Munising Falls trail was washed out by flooding. If you see photos pre-dating these events and go to the park, things may look a little different. So, it's best to go with an open mind and the expectation that you'll need to take a boat tour to see the park's best views.

Did you find that these spots in Michigan differed from or didn't live up to the photos of them online? What are some other destinations that don't match their online photos or overhyped places in Michigan? Let us know on our Nomination page.