A Michigan Beach City Shines With Sparkling Lake Huron Views And A Legendary Cheeseburger Festival

You don't need to download a massive guidebook to get around Caseville, Michigan. All you need is a little time and a great appetite – definitely skip out on fast-food burgers during the slightly longer than 2.5-hour drive into Caseville from Detroit's DTW airport. While a few different routes take you to Caseville, we highly recommend cruising to town via I-75, the fastest way to get your eyes on the magnificent Saginaw Bay. About two hours into your trip, just past the Indiana Dave Memorial Marker, you'll get off the interstate onto State Highway M-25, a scenic route on Michigan's breathtaking "thumb coast" that meanders along Lake Huron and eventually delivers you to Caseville. 

 Caseville provides you with your pick of wide-open sandy beaches, excellent outdoor action, and great camping.  Between the three state parks circling town and the miles of pristine coastline within easy reach, Caseville is one of several stellar examples of Lake Huron's underrated beach towns with laid-back vibes, For most of the year, anyways. This town wakes up in a big way every August when thousands of people roll through and set up camp as downtown transforms into the iconic Cheeseburger in Caseville. This Jimmy Buffett-inspired extravaganza — festival-goers wear burgers on their heads a la Parrotheads, and pink flamingos take over the town — showcases the very best of creative small-town tourism and makes Caseville a must-see American vacation destination. Between the festivities and all the natural fun surrounding town, a trip to Caseville gives you a lot to drink about.

When Jimmy Buffett wrote "Cheeseburgers in Paradise," he was not talking about Michigan. Caseville and Paradise don't sound similar — they don't rhyme or even have the same number of syllables. But that hasn't stopped this town from embracing Mr. Buffett and creating their own heaven on Earth with an onion slice. What began in 1999 as three days of peace and meat has blossomed into a 10-day event, complete with parades, concerts, and street meat. 

While you can pop in for a day, the real magic happens when you settle in and relish the breeze as the sweet smells of Lake Huron blend with the aroma of grilled beef. Some years feature 20 different full-sized burgers, so split your orders with your friends to avoid filling up too fast.  Alongside great burgers, the festival serves up plenty of margaritas and flamingo-themed madness along the shores of Lake Huron, and of course, you'll hear Jimmy Buffett cover bands. Frank Bama, lead singer of Air Margaritaville, eloquently described the festivities by saying, "If you can imagine Parrotheads having a pre-Buffett concert party that lasts all week, you'll have a pretty good idea of what goes on at Cheeseburger in Caseville."

Jimmy Buffet inspired this small-town celebration, and using Mr. Buffett's music as inspiration paid off with a hit that's worth the trip. If you can't make it to town during the cheeseburger festival, you can still sample award-winning beef. Three-time cheeseburger champ Walt's restaurant opens up a special stand for the festival, but the family-owned restaurant serves burgers for breakfast year-round. 

Thanks to Lake Huron, the beautiful nature surrounding Caseville gives you ample opportunity to walk off a few extra hamburgers. Caseville backs up against Saginaw Bay, a magnificent and sheltered section of the lake. Audubon scientists consider this bay one of the 12 most important wetland regions in the entire Great Lakes. Staying in this town gives you many different ways to explore the bay and all the fascinating natural areas formed where the land meets the water. There are three different protected natural areas around town: Sleeper State Park on the north end, the Sand Point Nature Preserve due south, and Caseville County Park in the middle. The two parks both offer great camping options, and the nature preserve is full of trails that walk you through some of the bay's best nature, bringing you right next to the wild and varying wildlife that lives off of this bay.

The main attraction around here is hitting the beach. The interplay between the Pigeon Rivermouth and Lake Huron creates fantastic paddling opportunities, full of rocks jutting out from the waters and interesting areas to explore. The waters are also teeming with walleye, perch, and trout fishing potential, and the Caseville municipal harbor makes it easy to get out and explore the bay during your stay. While you might want to think twice before swimming in the lake, the best thing to do outside around Caseville is simply sit back and watch. The sun dipping over the seemingly endless waters of Lake Huron provides stunning sunset and sunrise views.