Why visit Grayling
Townapedia lists 10 museums and landmarks, 3 parks and trails, 18 places to eat, 6 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Rialto Theater, M-72–Au Sable River Bridge and Grayling Country Club.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 80°F; February lows average 9°F, and about 88 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Grayling
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Grayling
Grayling is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the only incorporated community in Crawford County. As of the 2020 census, Grayling had a population of 1,867. The city is surrounded by Grayling Charter Township, but the two are administered autonomously.
From the Wikipedia article Grayling, Michigan (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks10
M-72–Au Sable River Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places
Bridge in United States of America
Parks, trails and playgrounds3
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Restaurants and cafes18
Ray's BBQ, Brew & Blues
Restaurant · Sandwich, Burger, American, Barbecue
204 Ingham Street
Mo-Th 11:00-22:00;Fr-Sa 11:00-23:00;Su 11:00-21:00
Burger King
Fast food · Burger
321 East State, Grayling
Mo-Th 07:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 07:00-22:00; Su 07:00-21:00
6 more on the map.
History
Michael Shoat Hartwick was Grayling's first settler. On the west side of the railroad tracks, he built a log hotel. The railroad platted out 40 acres (where Grayling now stands), naming it "Crawford". Fish swimming in the river were identified as grayling, and it is said that the residents preferred the name "Grayling" to "Crawford," and renamed the area after the fish.
Grayling's access to two major rivers (Au Sable River and Manistee River), and the presence of the vast forest around it, made it important in the lumber era. Logs were floated down the rivers to the lakes.
Grayling has had other names through the years. It was called "AuSable", "Forest", "Crawford Station", and during the lumbering era "Milltown".
The Arctic grayling that had inhabited much of Northern Michigan was eventually wiped out. The logging practice of using river beds to move logs in the springtime destroyed the breeding grounds for these fish. Before they could recover, non-native sport fish such as brook trout were introduced in the 1890s and competed with the grayling for food.
From the History section of Grayling, Michigan on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay6
Churches and places of worship11
Grayling Seventh-day Adventist Church
Church · Seventh Day Adventist · 1.1 mi
2470 Camp au Sable Road, Grayling
Shopping5
Gas and EV charging6
Schools, colleges and libraries7
Grayling Seventh Day Adventist School
School · 1.1 mi
2468 Camp au Sable Road, Grayling
Healthcare5
Munson Grayling Community Health Center
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.8 mi
1250 East Michigan Avenue, Grayling
Map of Grayling
72 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26°F | 10°F | 1.8 in | 25.8 in |
| Feb | 29°F | 9°F | 1.4 in | 18.9 in |
| Mar | 39°F | 16°F | 1.7 in | 10.8 in |
| Apr | 53°F | 29°F | 3.4 in | 4.2 in |
| May | 67°F | 41°F | 3.2 in | 0.1 in |
| Jun | 77°F | 51°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 80°F | 55°F | 3.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 78°F | 53°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 71°F | 45°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 57°F | 35°F | 4.0 in | 1.4 in |
| Nov | 43°F | 26°F | 2.6 in | 6.9 in |
| Dec | 32°F | 18°F | 1.9 in | 20.2 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Grayling (1 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Crawford County has had 5 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for biologicals.
- 2026-06-30: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2025-07-22: Severe Winter Storm (Severe Ice Storm)
- 2020-03-27: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2005-09-07: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Roscommon County Airport (HTL) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 21 miles away.
- Bellaire 32 mi northwest, about 52 min by car
- Elk Rapids 38 mi northwest, about 1 h by car
- Central Lake 39 mi northwest, about 1 h by car
- Boyne City 41 mi north, about 1 h by car
- East Jordan 41 mi northwest, about 1 h by car
- Traverse City 44 mi west, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Cadillac 46 mi southwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Chums Corner 47 mi west, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Gladwin 48 mi south, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Charlevoix 53 mi northwest, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Grayling, Michigan (Michigan Ave)2, Notorious4life ( talk ) ( Uploads ), CC0
- M-72-Au Sable River Bridge A, Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- I-75 MI exit 254, Scott Nazelrod, CC BY-SA 3.0
- M93 M72 jct, TenPoundHammer, CC BY-SA 4.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.