Northern Michigan, also known as
Northern Lower Michigan (known colloquially to residents of more southerly parts of the state and summer residents from cities such as Chicago as "
up north"), is a region of the
U.S. state of
Michigan. A popular tourist destination, it is home to several small- to medium-sized cities, extensive state and national forests, lakes and rivers, and a large portion of
Great Lakes shoreline. The region has a significant seasonal population much like other regions that depend on tourism as their main industry. Northern Lower Michigan is distinct from the more northerly
Upper Peninsula and
Isle Royale, which, obviously, are also located in "northern" Michigan. In the northern-most 21 counties in the
Lower Peninsula of Michigan, the total population of the region is 506,658 people.