Bay City, Bay County, Bay Regional Medical Center,
a great place to work and live!

In Bay County, you’ll find attractions to enlighten the mind and entertainment to excite the spirit. With so many choices, both indoors and out, for adult escapes or family getaways, you’ll find yourself coming back again and again to explore all there is to see here in spring, summer, fall and winter.

Hunting

The coastal marshes and open waters of the Saginaw Bay provide some of the most productive waterfowl hunting in the country. The hunting season is approximately 60 days long and begins the first week in October. Waterfowl hunting seasons and rules are reviewed and updated annually to protect waterfowl populations. Please call the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Division at 989/373-1263 for the most current information.

You can hunt from a canoe or 12-foot flat-bottom Jon boat at the Managed Wildfowl Wildlife Areas at Nayanquing Point (northern Bay County), Fish Point (east of Bay County), and Crow Island (southern Bay County). These areas are teaming with puddle ducks, mallards, greenwing teals, bluewing teals, wood ducks, black ducks, pinned tail ducks, widgeon (baldpate) ducks and gadwall. With a boat no smaller than 16 feet, hunters can find excellent open-water opportunities at Wigwam Bay (north of Bay City) an at Wild Fowl Bay and Quanicassee (east of Bay City). The Saginaw Bay provides outstanding lay-out hunting opportunities for diving ducks including canvasback, redhead, lessor and great scaup, goldeneye and ringneck.

Boating

Big ones, little ones. Boats that run of fuel, wind or people power. We love boats, boating and boaters! Tie up downtown or dockside dining or lose yourself on the 845 square miles of the Saginaw Bay. You’ll find lessons if you don’t know how and boats and kayaks for rent if you don’t have your own. With all the freighters that visit our port, even boat watching is a favorite pastime in Bay County.

Religion

Religious freedom is the cornerstone of our nation, reflected in the numerous religious denominations that worship in Bay County. Many churches built in the early days of Bay Area’s settlement are still standing – unchanged throughout the ages and passing on our history for generations to come.

Shopping

Serious shoppers or sidewalk browsers find much to interest them in Bay County’s wide array of unique shops and stores. Entertain yourself for hours in one of Bay City’s historic shopping districts or explore the shops in the Bay City Mall. Seek out unique finds at several shops in the quaint communities surrounding Bay City.

Dining

You’ll find plenty to whet you appetite in Bay County. From ghost town gourmet to New York-style delis. From hand-dipped chocolates to home-brewed root beer. Whatever your taste, whatever you pocketbook, you’ll never go hungry here!

Archeologists believe early Native Americans settled along the coastal marshes of the Saginaw Bay in 3,000 B.C. They were the first people to enjoy the bounty of the coastal wetlands created millions of years ago when glaciers carved the basin for Lake Huron—The Sweet Sea. For recreation or sport, the Saginaw Bay still provides ample opportunities to enjoy the Great Outdoors.

Bay City was the center of commerce in Michigan during the 1800’s. With the white pine logged from the Saginaw Valley and northern Michigan regions, Bay City’s earliest entrepreneurs built the world’s largest wooden sailing ships. The Sage-McGraw sawmill was the largest in the world in 1864. In the later part of the 1800’s the Saginaw Valley provided half the nation’s salt supply and lumbering employed more workers here than in any other industry in the United States. A four-block long area along Water and Third Streets in Downtown Bay City, known as "Hell’s Half Mile," was a favorite spring-time destination for lumberjacks following long, hard winters in Michigan’s woodlands. The area’s 26 hotels, 40 saloons and 2 liquor stores provided ample diversion for the fun-loving "shanty boys." Visitors today can still enjoy the historic buildings and sites that once fueled the nation’s economy.

Bill and Elaine Fournier started a trend when they bought and renovated the old Campbell Hotel on Water Street in what was once "Hell’s Half Mile." The building is now the home of the Bay City Antique Center and the heart of a diverse shopping district with an eye on antiques. Several antique and art shops have found a special niche in the several blocks around the Bay City Antique Center, and together they have made Downtown Bay City the mid-Michigan destination for shoppers looking for that rare find.

Festivals & Events

The spirit of community and celebration.  Community events are abundant in Bay County. Bay Area festivals and carnivals are a sure source of fun, while numerous activities on the Saginaw River such as the River of Light, the Pig Gig, River Roar, the River of Time, and 4^th of July Fireworks Festival offer excitement for all ages. Concerts, celebrations, sidewalk sales, and various tours assure you will always find something exciting in Bay County.

Bay City is a waterfront community with small town charm and big city amenities. You’ll find a variety of services in our historic hometown to renew your body and your mind during your visit here.

There’s no place like home….in Bay County. Contemporary, traditional, historic – whatever your taste, you can find a home in the Bay Area that fits it. Whether you’re looking for a house, town-home, apartment, riverfront condominium, a cozy subdivision, a piece of history, or a place with access to the Saginaw River and Bay, Bay County offers it all!

The lasting foundation of history. Bay County’s architecture echoes the history and changes of the area. From Victorian and turn-of-the-century architecture to various interesting and modern forms of influence, architecture in the Bay Area links us to our past.

Education in Bay County = SUCCESS! From learning your ABCs to getting a professional degree, the Bay Area provides all the educational opportunities you could ask for. Public schools, including Bay City Public Schools, Bangor Township Schools, Essexville-Hampton Schools, and Pinconning Area Schools, Catholic and Lutheran parochial schools, Saginaw Valley State University, Northwood University, Delta College, Davenport University, plus special academic programs – whatever your style of learning or program choice, the Bay Area has the institution to fit your needs.

Gifts from the land of plenty. Traveling through the countryside of the Bay Area, you’ll see fields full of dry beans, corn, wheat, vegetables, and other garden produce you can purchase at numerous roadside stands or the farmer’s market on Columbus Avenue in Bay City. Bay County’s dominant crop is sugar beets, and after harvesting, they are processed at Bay County’s own Monitor Sugar Company which has been satisfying a world of sweet tooths for over 100 years.

Business is booming in Bay County. Major corporations recognized around the world, such a General Motors, Dow Corning, and SC Johnson, small entrepreneurial companies, and family owned establishments are part of the diverse mix of businesses and industries flourishing in the Bay Area. Supported by an active Chamber of Commerce, Bay County continues to grow economically and industrially and will thrive as a center for business and industry well into the future.

More than getting from point A to point B. With the various modes of transportation available in Bay County, there isn’t anywhere out of your reach. Locally, you can travel by bus or taxi service. Expand your horizons and take your own vehicle on any of the highways and intestates that cross Bay County. Feel like flying? MBS International Airport can fly you anywhere you want to go with service from major airlines including United and Northwest. Include railway services and our international river port, which services both commercial and recreational nautical vessels, and the possibilities are endless.

Take a vacation in your own backyard. No matter what kind of adventure you’re looking for, Bay County has it: neighborhood parks, state parks, campgrounds, public gathering places, boat launches, marinas, golf courses, wetlands, walking trails, nature centers, plus an ice arena and skate park. The Bay Area is a great place for sports, offering numerous organized team and individual activities such as basketball, volleyball, hockey, swimming, skating, tennis, soccer, and softball.

United in Community.  Bay County has a deep sense of community, evident in its philanthropy. The United Way and Habitat for Humanity are very active in the Bay Area, along with Paint-N-Pride and Bay Area Community Foundation. Numerous projects throughout Bay County, such as the Riverwalk and RailTrail, are impressive examples of the community giving to benefit the community.

Wealth of inspiration. Culture and the arts are very significant in the Bay Area community, as they have been throughout our history. Museums, art galleries, theatrical productions, and various types of musical performances provide Bay County with opportunities for growth, enrichment, and enjoyment.

Boredom is not an excuse, but exhaustion could be!  When looking for entertainment, Bay City and Bay County have more than enough to offer. Community and cultural events are always on the schedule, or if you’re looking for music, dancing, or to socialize with friends, Bay City’s eastside or westside Midland Street are great locations. Movie theaters, the Riverwalk, and the Planetarium all contribute to Bay City’s reputation as MidMichigan’s entertainment capital.

Michigan – Great Lakes. Great Times.

• Thousands of inland lakes
• More public beaches than Hawaii
• More shoreline than the Atlantic seaboard
• More public golf courses than any state in the country
• Numerous ski resorts
• An interstate highway system that puts the outdoor glories of both peninsulas of Michigan within convenient reach
• Top rated for quality of life and affordability
• Year-round activities – with four distinct seasons
• Nearly 100 state parks