Alpena is the only city in and the county seat of Alpena County in the state of Michigan. The population was 10,483 at the 2010 census. After Traverse City, it is the second most populated city in the Northern Michigan region. Alpena County had a total population of 28,360 at the 2010 census.
Located on Thunder Bay along the shores of Lake Huron, the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary is located in the city. The population swells with many visitors and tourists during the summer months.
Starlight Beach
Alpena and Northeast Michigan feature many opportunities for recreation, relaxation, and reflection on the beauty of God’s works including trails, parks, lighthouses, and beaches.
Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Alpena is home to the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and is a mecca for exploring historic underwater treasures. Known as Shipwreck Alley, this area of Lake Huron is rich with maritime history and is a prime destination for diving, snorkeling, free-diving, and paddle-boarding over shipwrecks.
It is estimated that nearly 200 shipwrecks lie within the boundaries of the approximately 4,500-square-mile marine sanctuary. A marine sanctuary is like a national park in the water. A visit to the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center shares the story of these wrecks.
The Lady Michigan glass-bottomed boat takes visitors out over some of the marine sanctuary’s shallow shipwrecks and offers a hosted experience to learn the stories of these wrecks firsthand. More information can be found at www.alpenashipwrecktours.com.
Biking Paths
Alpena and Northeast Michigan offer more that 100 miles of biking trails for all ages and ability levels, including paved paths, rugged trails through forests, and groomed single tracks. Biking is a
year-round activity in Northern Michigan.
Thunder Bay River Breakwall
Canoeing, Kayaking, and Paddle Boarding
Inland Northeast Michigan is 66% water in addition to lying on the shores of Lake Huron. There are many opportunities for canoeing, kayaking, and stand-up paddle boarding on sheltered inland lakes and rivers as well as sea kayaking on the big lake. There are even shipwrecks in the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary which are accessible by kayak.
Fishing and Hunting
With more than 1,000 miles of shoreline in the region, and over 300,000 acres of open water (not counting Lake Huron!), there are diverse and plentiful fishing opportunities just about everywhere. Alpena and Northeast Michigan have been featured three times on the television show Major League Fishing because of the plentiful and varied species, healthy habitats, and accessibility to a variety of bodies of water. Brown trout fishing is featured each year as a part of Alpena’s Brown Trout Festival.
The area also features many opportunities for hunting on public and private lands.
The Arts
Alpena features a variety of arts activities throughout the year including art galleries, museums, theater groups, and historic places.
Economy
Alpena enjoys a relatively low cost of living compared to most urban areas.
While tourism is an important component of the area’s economy, both Alpena and Rogers City (located 40 miles north of Alpena) have an industrial base. In particular, Alpena is home to Lafarge-Holcim cement plant and to Besser Company (maker of a concrete block making machinery), as well as a drywall board manufacturing facility owned by Decorative Panels International. Rogers City is the location of the world’s largest limestone quarry, which is used in steel making in the Great Lakes and Rust Belt regions. Other major employers on the area include Alpena Public Schools, MyMichigan Health, Alpena Community College, and the State of Michigan.
Healthcare
MyMichigan Health, a federally-designated rural regional medical referral center, is the largest employer in the city. The Alpena facility recently went through a major renovation and upgrade.
Education
Alpena, along with the rest of Alpena County and portions of Presque Isle County, is served by Alpena Public Schools. The district has one high school, a junior high, an alternative/adult high school, and six elementary schools. Geographically, it is the largest school district in the Lower Peninsula, encompassing more than 620 square miles (1,600 km2).
There are two private schools in Alpena. All Saints Catholic School is affiliated with the four Roman Catholic parishes in the city (St. Anne’s, St. Bernard’s, St. John the Baptist and St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception) and provides preschool to 8th grade education. Immanuel Lutheran School is supported by the Immanuel Lutheran Church and has preschool to 8th grade classes.
Alpena is also home to Alpena Community College. ACC is a two-year associate degree community college that has partnerships with Spring Arbor University and several other Michigan institutions. In 2017 ACC was selected as one of only 150 community colleges in the nation eligible for the fourth $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance in America’s community colleges.
Airport
Alpena County Regional Airport (APN) is the main commercial airport in Northeast Michigan and handles daily Delta Connection flights to Detroit and Minneapolis/St. Paul operated by SkyWest Airlines. The Michigan Air National Guard’s Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center co-utilizes the airfield.
Sinkholes and Other Natural Wonders
Alpena and Northeast Michigan feature a variety of interesting geological formations including sinkholes (karst topography), limestone quarries, and an abundance of Devonian Era fossils.
Sinkholes are fascinating locations to discover Devonian Era fossils from prehistoric life 400+ million years ago. Also keep a close eye out for unique plant-life as the environment in the bottom of some sinkholes is home to flora not found anywhere else in Northern Michigan. While many sinkholes in the area are on private land there are some incredible locations that are open to the public. The Stevens Twin Sinks and Bruski Sink, Rockport State Park sinks, Sunken Lake, Mystery Valley, and Misery Bay sink are all easily accessed via woodland trails or a kayak ride out on the water.
Sinkholes Alpena (visitalpena.com)
Tourism
Northeast Michigan is home to seven spectacular lighthouses that helped guide ships to safe harbor. Most lighthouses are open mid-May through mid-October. This unique collection of lighthouses features a haunted lighthouse, the Great Lake’s oldest accessible lighthouse, and the tallest accessible lighthouse.
Bay View Park
Rockport State Recreation Area