HGTV Names Picturesque Michigan Town Most Charming in U.S.

Michigan is full of fantastic towns with quaint shops and restaurants, interesting histories, and natural beauty. One particular spot is getting national attention as the most charming small town in the state.

READ MORE: This Quaint Michigan Town Has the Best Main Street Shopping in the State

HGTV went on a mission to find the best small towns in the U.S. The network says these "best kept secrets" are a "quintessential part of American life."

Not to long ago, a different list named Frankenmuth the most charming spot in Michigan... This time around, another town gets the honor!

According to HGTV, the most charming town in Michigan is Houghton.

Located on Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, picturesque Houghton is surrounded by inland lakes and streams.

HGTV also notes its 233 miles of snowmobile trails, "world-class" biking experiences, and stunning sunsets over Lake Superior.

UP NEXT: Two Michigan Towns Named 'Most Pristine' in U.S. 

One particular place to visit is McLain State Park. In the summer enjoy swimming and boating, and in the winter months take in the spectacular ice formations. (A note that McLain State Park closed Aug. 1, 2024 for the rest of the season for renovations.)

Downtown Houghton you'll find boutiques, specialty shops, and restaurants.

It's also home to Michigan Tech University, founded in 1885. The school hosts a winter carnival each February, drawing thousands of guests from around the world.

Houghton has a rich mining history, with Native Americans mining copper thousands of years before Europeans settled there. According to the National Park Service,

The earliest known metalworking in North America begins when Indigenous Peoples start mining copper on the Keweenaw Peninsula. They dug shallow mines and used heavy stones to break waste rock away from copper masses. The copper was used to fashion bracelets, beads, tools, fishhooks, and other items for trade. Objects made of Keweenaw copper have been found in archeological sites across the continent.

The town is named for Douglas Houghton, Michigan's first State Geologist, who published a report on the area's copper in 1841. This brought an influx of European settlers looking to mine the Keweenaw Peninsula. Copper production would steadily decline over the next century, but you can still visit the Quincy Mine or the Coppertown USA Minning Museum in Houghton.