A quiet, Irish-influenced enclave of some 600 people, Beaver Island floats in Lake Michigan offshore from Charlevoix. Forest covers most of its 9-mile length and 4.5-mile width. Visitors come to hike, bike, fish, kayak and snorkel to shipwrecked schooners. The ferry departs from downtown Charlevoix, making one to four crossings per day. The trip takes two hours.