Ranger Tales
M-22 South: Manistee to Empire (Michigan)
Driving tourWorks with CarPlay

M-22 South: Manistee to Empire (Michigan)

31 stops· 50 min· 51.8 mi· narrated by Ranger Quinn

🎧 Listen in the app

Buy the self-guided tour now, or get it in the app.

🎫 One-time purchase♾️ Yours forever — no expiry📡 Works fully offline🚗 Apple CarPlay
Highlights include
  • Welcome — M-22, the Lake Michigan Coast
  • When the Pine Went Out
  • Manistee — the Victorian Port
  • An Inland Sea
  • The Forest That Grew Back
  • Why the Sunsets Are Like That
  • A Coast Made of Sand
  • Life on a Small Harbor
The route

Driving route · 31 stops. Live GPS playback and turn-by-turn pins are in the app.

Every stop

What you'll see and hear

31 narrated stops along the way — waterfalls, overlooks, history, and Ranger Boone's campfire tales.

  1. Welcome — M-22, the Lake Michigan Coast
    01

    🥾 Welcome — M-22, the Lake Michigan Coast

    Welcome — M-22, the Lake Michigan Coast — a stop on M-22.

  2. When the Pine Went Out
    02

    🌲 When the Pine Went Out

    When the Pine Went Out — a stop on M-22.

    When the Pine Went Out guide →
  3. Manistee — the Victorian Port
    03

    🌲 Manistee — the Victorian Port

    Manistee — the Victorian Port — a stop on M-22.

    Manistee — the Victorian Port guide →
  4. An Inland Sea
    04

    🌲 An Inland Sea

    An Inland Sea — a stop on M-22 South.

    An Inland Sea guide →
  5. The Forest That Grew Back
    05

    🌲 The Forest That Grew Back

    The Forest That Grew Back — a stop on M-22.

    The Forest That Grew Back guide →
  6. Why the Sunsets Are Like That
    06

    🌲 Why the Sunsets Are Like That

    Why the Sunsets Are Like That — a stop on M-22 South.

    Why the Sunsets Are Like That guide →
  7. A Coast Made of Sand
    07

    🌲 A Coast Made of Sand

    A Coast Made of Sand — a stop on M-22.

    A Coast Made of Sand guide →
  8. Life on a Small Harbor
    08

    🌲 Life on a Small Harbor

    Life on a Small Harbor — a stop on M-22.

    Life on a Small Harbor guide →
  9. Onekama & Portage Lake
    09

    🌲 Onekama & Portage Lake

    Onekama & Portage Lake — a stop on M-22.

    Onekama & Portage Lake guide →
  10. The Sign That Started a Fight
    10

    🔥 The Sign That Started a Fight

    Now here's one you'd never guess had a courtroom in it. Pull up a seat — Boone Merrick's the name. You've already seen it, and you'll see it a hundred more times before Traverse City: that white diamond with M-22 in…

    The Sign That Started a Fight guide →
  11. Lake-Effect Country
    11

    🌲 Lake-Effect Country

    Lake-Effect Country — a stop on M-22 South.

    Lake-Effect Country guide →
  12. The Night They Dug the Lake Open
    12

    🔥 The Night They Dug the Lake Open

    Now hold on there — because back at that quiet little harbor we passed, a whole town once picked up shovels and changed the map of Michigan in an afternoon. Ranger Merrick, at your service. Picture Onekama in eightee…

    The Night They Dug the Lake Open guide →
  13. Fruit Country
    13

    🌲 Fruit Country

    Fruit Country — a stop on M-22.

    Fruit Country guide →
  14. Cherries, Wine, and What Comes Next
    14

    🌲 Cherries, Wine, and What Comes Next

    Cherries, Wine, and What Comes Next — a stop on M-22.

    Cherries, Wine, and What Comes Next guide →
  15. Arcadia Bluffs & Inspiration Point
    15

    🌲 Arcadia Bluffs & Inspiration Point

    Arcadia Bluffs & Inspiration Point — a stop on M-22.

    Arcadia Bluffs & Inspiration Point guide →
  16. How a Bluff Falls Into a Lake
    16

    🌲 How a Bluff Falls Into a Lake

    How a Bluff Falls Into a Lake — a stop on M-22.

    How a Bluff Falls Into a Lake guide →
  17. The Graveyard Offshore
    17

    🌲 The Graveyard Offshore

    The Graveyard Offshore — a stop on M-22.

    The Graveyard Offshore guide →
  18. The Ship the Lake Gave Back
    18

    🔥 The Ship the Lake Gave Back

    Stay with me a minute, because I want to tell you about a ship that this lake swallowed, kept for eighty-five years, and then handed back. Her name was the Three Brothers. Wooden steamer, working the lumber trade lik…

    The Ship the Lake Gave Back guide →
  19. How a Harbor Town Works
    19

    🌲 How a Harbor Town Works

    How a Harbor Town Works — a stop on M-22 South.

    How a Harbor Town Works guide →
  20. Frankfort & Elberta — the Harbor
    20

    🌲 Frankfort & Elberta — the Harbor

    Frankfort & Elberta — the Harbor — a stop on M-22.

    Frankfort & Elberta — the Harbor guide →
  21. The Betsie Valley & the Rails
    21

    🌲 The Betsie Valley & the Rails

    The Betsie Valley & the Rails — a stop on M-22.

    The Betsie Valley & the Rails guide →
  22. Point Betsie Light
    22

    🌲 Point Betsie Light

    Point Betsie Light — a stop on M-22.

    Point Betsie Light guide →
  23. Birds of the Shoreline
    23

    🌲 Birds of the Shoreline

    Birds of the Shoreline — a stop on M-22 South.

    Birds of the Shoreline guide →
  24. The Light and the Long Dark
    24

    🔥 The Light and the Long Dark

    You've just passed that white tower down on the sand. Don't roll away from it too fast — because somebody had to live in it, and I don't think most folks stop to reckon what that meant. Picture the job. You are the k…

    The Light and the Long Dark guide →
  25. The Men Who Rowed Out
    25

    🌲 The Men Who Rowed Out

    The Men Who Rowed Out — a stop on M-22.

    The Men Who Rowed Out guide →
  26. The Bird That Nests on the Beach
    26

    🌲 The Bird That Nests on the Beach

    The Bird That Nests on the Beach — a stop on M-22.

    The Bird That Nests on the Beach guide →
  27. Beachcombing the Coast
    27

    🌲 Beachcombing the Coast

    Beachcombing the Coast — a stop on M-22 South.

    Beachcombing the Coast guide →
  28. Crystal Lake & the Rolling Hills
    28

    🌲 Crystal Lake & the Rolling Hills

    Crystal Lake & the Rolling Hills — a stop on M-22.

    Crystal Lake & the Rolling Hills guide →
  29. The Dunes Ahead
    29

    🌲 The Dunes Ahead

    The Dunes Ahead — a stop on M-22.

    The Dunes Ahead guide →
  30. Approaching Empire
    30

    🌲 Approaching Empire

    Approaching Empire — a stop on M-22.

    Approaching Empire guide →
  31. Journey's End — Empire
    31

    • Journey's End — Empire

    Journey's End — Empire — a stop on M-22.

Plan your visit

Good to know

How long is the M-22 South: Manistee to Empire (Michigan) tour?
The tour has 31 stops over about 51.8 miles with roughly 50 min of narrated audio. You set the pace — pause, linger, or skip ahead anytime.
Do I need cell signal to use the tour?
No. Download the tour before you go and it works completely offline — the audio plays by GPS even with no bars, which is exactly where most park tours lose signal.
How does a self-guided audio tour work?
You drive the route at your own pace and the Ranger Tales app plays the story for each stop automatically when you arrive, using your phone's location. No tapping, no reading while you drive. Ranger Quinn guides and Ranger Boone tells the campfire tales.
How do I get the tour?
Download the free Ranger Tales app from the App Store, then unlock this tour inside the app. The tour downloads to your phone so it's ready offline before you arrive.
Can I cancel or get a refund?
Change of mind? Full refund if you request it within 24 hours of purchase. If a verified technical issue prevents access, contact support within 7 days for a refund or credit. All requests are reviewed at our discretion and refunded to your original payment method.
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Pick a date and book online — checkout is secure, and your unlock code arrives by email. Works offline once it's in the app.

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M-22 South: Manistee to Empire (Michigan) — in your pocket

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M-22 South: Manistee to Empire (Michigan)
one-time · yours forever · works offline