The two Manitau Islands in Lake Michigan were once settled, but are now uninhabited. This doesn’t mean they are abandoned, as both are part of the Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore. Each has a ranger station and the islands are emerged as a destination for day trips and adventure camping holidays. The visitors who need to stay require park and camping permits. Photo by: jensenl

North Manitau is the larger at 13 km long and 6.5 km wide, with some 32 km of shoreline. By the mid -1800s there exploitable resources and never had a thriving settlement. Ruined homesteads, logging roads, a few wild orchards and the old cemetery are all the remain of that era, and the main activities are wilderness, camping and deer hunting in season. Photo by: cedarkayak

South Manitau, though just 5 km by 5 km was always more popular than the larger island. It had some fertile ground and the only natural harbor between the Manitous and Chicago, making the island a regular stopping-off point for lake mariners from the late 1700s into the 20th century. The island has a system of trails and three campsites. Photo by: .jowo.

When to go: The Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore is open all year round, but the islands are really a May to September destination. Population: Uninhabited. How to get there: There is a ferry service from Leland Michigan. You should know: The Manitous are surrounded by numerous shipwrecks, which are popular with recreational divers. Photo by: Latitude 45