Bay Shore, MI

Bay Shore is an unincorporated community and census-designated place along Little Traverse Bay on Lake Michigan, just west of Petoskey. The CDP crosses the Charlevoix and Emmet county line, lying mostly in Hayes Township with a smaller section in Resort Township. The community once used both Bay Side and Bay Shore; the Bay Shore name became established when the Chicago and West Michigan Railway built a station here in 1892. The 2020 census counted 657 residents.

The lake remains Bay Shore’s clearest reference point, while Petoskey supplies the nearby regional center. The old station helped turn a shoreline settlement into a named community, and the post office that opened in 1892 served the place until 1965. Today the community sits at the edge of three school districts, with the Public Schools of Petoskey serving its eastern portion. Bay Shore is a small Lake Michigan place whose boundaries cross counties, townships, and school systems while its shoreline keeps the map pointed toward Little Traverse Bay.