Lakes of the North, MI

Lakes of the North is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Antrim County, spread across Mancelona and Star townships. The 2020 census counted 1,044 residents, but population alone misses the scale: the association’s history describes 8,028 lots on more than 110 miles of roads, with over 1,500 homes established by January 2025. Its physical scale comes from a planned residential recreation layout, with long internal roads and shared facilities connecting the development.

The development began in the late 1960s after American Central bought 9,350 acres and subdivided 8,028 lots, reserving about 3,000 acres as common ground. Sales of roughly one-acre parcels began in 1968, and the association was incorporated in 1972 as one of Michigan’s first property-owner associations. All 8,028 lots were eventually sold, and the association’s roads now run through separate plats that read as one large development. The 2025 home count shows how much of the original plan is occupied. That history still shapes the map: the Lakes of the North Association spans both townships and maintains the roads, facilities, and shared land that tie the separate plats together.

The facilities are unusually central to the place’s identity. An 18-hole golf course grew from the original nine holes, beginning with a nine-hole course and pro shop, while the development also includes a clubhouse, indoor pool, riding stables, two beach houses, winter sports facilities, a campground, and an airport. Later additions brought the Settings Restaurant and a newer clubhouse with a pool, waterslide, hot tub, and workout room. The airport and golf course give the development its own points of arrival and recreation, while the beach houses and winter facilities keep its calendar tied to multiple seasons. On the ground, Lakes of the North is easy to recognize: a large Antrim County community whose roads, common land, airport, golf course, and seasonal facilities function as one connected place.