Snowmobile

• Reliable Snowmobile Information

Keith is a Board Member of the Au Sable Valley Snowmobile Association and more importantly—a Volunteer Groomer Driver. Check out interactive map with snowmobile trails here.

• Trail Reports by Email

Trail Reports don't get any better than this. It's the straightest and latest directly from the trail. We don't fool around with this folks. If it's good, it's good; if it's bad, it's bad. Sign up for Email Report here.
Here's a useful page with links to different trail reports on the web. Click here.

• Off-Trail Riding

There are thousands of acres of State Land in Crawford County that include hundreds of miles of two-track trails. The two-tracks provide great riding when the weekend traffic is unbearable and dangerous, and when the designated trails are shot. We know how to get you a ride when the trail system has gone south.

• Ride From Your Room

An acre of parking for the unimportant over-the-road tow vehicle. Eliminate the trailering and sled from your room. We're so close to the trail system that the groomer is parked out back.

• Heated Garage

In the unlikely event that your high technology modern sled should take a dump while you're here, pull it in the garage and take care of the repairs indoors and out of the elements.

• We Are a Family-Oriented Facility

• Ride Often and Ride Safely

Canoe/Kayak

• Packages on the Au Sable and Manistee Rivers

We offer packages on both rivers. They save you a few bucks and we'll make the arrangements. Float trips are available in an array of different lengths and levels of difficulty.
Fay's Motel is also a proud sponsor of several teams of competitors in the internationally recognized Au Sable Canoe Marathon that begins with a shotgun start in Grayling each July (last full weekend). This event is well worth witnessing first hand and Grayling rolls out the red carpet.

Shelhaven Rentals (Manistee River)
Penrod's (Au Sable River) • Borcher's (Au Sable River)

Fishing

• 44 Lakes in Grayling Area Alone
• Bass • Walleye • Pike • Trout • Panfish

There are 44 lakes in Crawford County with accesses that range from ramps that can accommodate a 20 footer, to those accessible only by 4-wheel drive and a canoe or rowboat—for year round fishing fun. Fish species are wide ranging from walleye in Lake Margrethe to the usual panfish in the smaller lakes. Higgins Lake is 20 minutes down the road and offers perch and lake trout. Houghton Lake, Michigan's largest inland lake, is within 30 minutes and offers walleye, bluegill and northern pike.

When you return from a day on the water, you're welcome to use our fish cleaning station with running water and a place to dump refuse. We're both anglers and love to be on the water. Give us a call for advice on fishing destinations.

Hunting

• White-tailed Deer • Bear • Ruffed Grouse • Woodcock • Turkey
• Black & Gray Squirrel • Cottontail • Snowshoe Hare

Keith and our awesome English Setters, Mollie and Star, are out and about training and looking for the Grouse and Woodcock around the first of September. There's no doubt that we can offer up more insight and information about bird hunting in this area than any motel owners in these here parts. Sign up for Hunting Email Report here.

Golf

• Packages on Nearby Courses

We offer golf packages at Fox Run (Grayling, 10 min.), Grayling Country Club (Grayling, 5 min.), Grandview (Kalkaska, 20 min.), Twin Birch (Kalkaska, 25 min.). Give us a call and we'll take care of your tee times and save you some dollars.

ATV/ORV

• 12 Trails within an Easy Drive:

Crawford County Map

Mushrooms

• Morels

During the spring you can find us out doing the mushroom squat, in search of the elusive, great tasting Morels. Sign up for email mushroom report here.

Cross-Country & Downhill Skiing

• Five Top Trail Facilities Nearby

We are centrally located to several excellent cross country ski trails, including Hartwick Pines State Park, Hanson Hills Recreation Area, Forebush Corners and Cross-Country Ski Headquarters and Cross Country Ski Shop.

Hiking

• Seven Trail Systems Nearby

Several excellent trail systems are an easy drive from Fay's, including Beal Plantation, Hartwick Pines State Park, North Higgins Lake State Park, Mason Tract Pathway, Wakeley Lake Pathway, Hanson Hills Recreation Area, and the Rayburn Estate.

Biking

• Mountain Bike Trails Nearby

The Beal Plantation, Hanson Hills, Hartwick Pines, and Wakeley Lake bike trails are a short ride away. The Grayling City bike path passes right by the motel.

Shopping

• Outdoor Specialties and Much More...

Thanks to our location, Grayling has excellent selection of shops that specialize in outdoor pursuits of all kinds. Grayling also offers a unique collection of retail shops with antiques, souvenirs, pottery, arts-n-crafts, jewelry, florists, specialty gifts, photography, bikes, and Michigan-made products. High speed internet access is available at the library.

Museums/Historical Sites

• Several Historical Sites and Museums Nearby

In addition to the Hartwick Pines Lumbering Museum (see below), the Crawford County Historical Museum, the Wellington Farm Park, the Civilian Conservation Corps Museum, the Higgins Lake Nursery, the Beal Plantation, and the Lovell Historical Museum are all an easy drive away.

Hartwick Pines State Park

• Features an Old Growth Pine Forest of Huge Trees

Hartwick Pines is an unusual combination of both natural and historical points of interest. The centerpiece of the Park is a 49 acre stand of old growth pine forest that recalls the grandeur of the original forests that once covered northern Michigan. Hartwick Pines also hosts a Logging Museum, which contains many artifacts and information on the lumbering era that fueled the first great wave of settlement. The park includes over 9,600 acres, and a variety of trails on which to experience the land: a 1 1/4 mile barrier-free paved interpretive trail, mountain biking and hiking trails, and groomed cross country trails. Start at the Visitor Center to view hands-on exhibits.

Fish Hatchery

Open daily from Memorial Day through Labor Day, the Fish Hatchery contains over 45,000 trout in its various ponds. For a small fee, you can catch trout for dinner.