Go See It
Nahma, Michigan: Go See It
A former Bay De Noquet Lumber Company town on Big Bay de Noc, sold as a single unit in 1951, worth visiting today to walk its intact company-town layout, see a preserved 1900s logging locomotive, and eat or stay at the 1909 Nahma Inn.
The facts
- Drive
- 1 hr 14 min from Marquette
- Cost
- Free to walk the town and view the historic locomotive…
- Season
- Summer (June through early September) is the practical…
- Hours
- The town itself has no set hours (residential community
Address
Nahma Inn & General Store, 13747 Main St, Nahma, MI 49864. The community sits on M-183 on Big Bay de Noc, about 25 miles east of Escanaba and 21 miles west of Manistique (Delta County)
DirectionsMore detail
- From Marquette
- , 70.1 miles via US-41 S (Google Maps route, usual traffic, read Sept. 27, 2026)
- Cost
- Free to walk the town and view the historic locomotive and company-town buildings. The Nahma Inn charges its normal rates for dining and lodging — call (906) 644-2486 for current prices.
- Season
- Summer (June through early September) is the practical window — the Inn posts summer hours and the outdoor draws (boat launch, fishing) are warm-weather activities. No source gives an explicit best-season recommendation; this is inferred, not sourced.
- Hours
- The historic locomotive display is outdoors and always viewable). The Nahma Inn restaurant/lounge runs seasonal summer hours: Wed-Thu noon-8pm, Fri-Sat noon-9pm, Sun noon-8pm, closed Mon-Tue.
- From the Bridge
- 1 hr 58 min, 115 miles via US-2 W, with the Mackinac Bridge toll (Google Maps route, usual traffic, read Sept. 27, 2026)
Nahma was built in 1881 as a fully company-owned lumber town on Big Bay de Noc, and it ran that way until the last log was cut on July 26, 1951 — after which the whole town was sold at once, a sale Life magazine covered as “Sold — One Town.” It’s a quiet residential community today, but the original company-town layout is still there to walk.
Come for the 1909 Nahma Inn, a preserved steam locomotive on static display, and the boat launch on Big Bay de Noc — call ahead to confirm the Inn is open before you drive out.
Before you go
- Call first. the Nahma Inn & General Store was listed for sale on the open market in 2026 (that listing has since expired); its own site still posts active hours and a phone number, so treat it as operating but confirm by phone — (906) 644-2486 — before you drive out expecting it open.
- What to actually see. the Nahma and Northern Railway's Engine No. 5 steam locomotive on static outdoor display at Main St. and River St. (free, always viewable — last confirmed in place as of 2010, worth double-checking); the 1909 Nahma Inn building itself; and the public boat launch and fishing piers on Big Bay de Noc.
- No dedicated museum was found. Parking is roadside/small-town — expect to park on-street near the Inn or the locomotive site.
- Background. the whole town was built and owned by the Bay De Noquet Lumber Company from 1881 until the mill closed in 1951, when the town — homes, church, school and all — was sold at once to an Indiana buyer, a sale Life magazine covered as "Sold — One Town."
Sources
- Nahma Inn (official site) Read September 27, 2026
- Nahma Inn, history Read September 27, 2026
- Nahma Inn, restaurant and lounge hours Read September 27, 2026
- Wikipedia, Nahma Township, Michigan Read September 27, 2026
- Wikipedia, Nahma and Northern Railway Locomotive No. 5 Read September 27, 2026
- Michigan.org, Nahma Read September 27, 2026
- Visit Escanaba, Nahma community page Read September 27, 2026
- Statewide MI, 13747 Main Street listing (expired, for the Inn's sale status) Read September 27, 2026
- Google Maps, Marquette to Nahma Inn (drive time) Read September 27, 2026
- Google Maps, Mackinac Bridge to Nahma Inn (drive time) Read September 27, 2026
Verified September 27, 2026