Overview
Hell is a town of 266 people (as of 2000) in Livingston County, in Southeast Michigan, best known for... well, its name. Despite its small size — the "main drag" of Hell is all of three buildings — the community has become a popular tourist destination for its irreverent name alone. The local businesses are given amusingly devilish titles, painted with licking flames, and stocked with gruesome and kitschy souvenirs of the sort you usually only see around Halloween. Every so often you'll hear of a nationwide promotional contest in which the prize is "a trip to Hell".
6 things to do · 2 places to eat · 1 bars & cafés · 2 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Hell
Pinckney State Recreation Area
Hunting, swimming, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, snowmobiling, cross country skiing, metal detecting, wildlife watching and camping. Contains dozens of lakes, Silver Lake and Bru…
Get married in Hell
A marriage that begins in Hell has no place to go but up. It can be rented by the hour: $125 for the first hour; $100 per additional hour. Wedding officiant and license not included. One couple opted for a cold day in He…
Hell Canoe and Kayak Rental
Canoe, kayak and fishing boat rental for visitors to the surrounding Pinckney Recreation Area. Tours available.
Vista Cruise to Hell and Back
Held every Father's Day weekend by the GM Skywagon Club. Hell Creek Ranch, 10866 Cedar Lake Rd.
Run Thru Hell
Hell Creek Ranch. Held in mid-August. 5- and 10-mile races sponsored by the Pinckney Running Club; participants receive a free T-shirt that says "I Ran Thru Hell".
Terrorfied Forest & Manor
Open seasonally (October) from dark (around 8 pm) to midnight Friday and Saturday, and dark to 11 pm otherwise, when open. Recommended only for those over 12 years of age.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Oct. Summer highs reach about 84°F; winter lows dip to about 16°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Jun and May. (climate data from nearby Ann Arbor)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- DTW Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, Detroit — 36 mi away (major hub). Directions
- LAN Capital Region International Airport, Lansing — 39 mi away. Directions
Hell is on a two-lane county road D-32 (Patterson Lake Road), about 5 minutes southwest of Pinckney; despite the saying, the road is paved with asphalt. The nearest major road is US-23 between Flint and Ann Arbor; from US-23, take MI-36 west to Pinckney, make a left on Dexter-Pinckney Rd., and then a right on Patterson Lake Road.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 2-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Get married in Hell, Hell Canoe and Kayak Rental
- Lunch The Creamatory
- Afternoon Run Thru Hell
- Dinner Hell Hole Restaurant & Bar
- Evening Dam Site Inn
Day 2
- Morning Pinckney State Recreation Area, Vista Cruise to Hell and Back
- Afternoon Terrorfied Forest & Manor
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
The area was \ settled by Europeans in 1838 by George Reeves, who owned a mill and general store. No-one is quite sure how the community got its name; one theory is that a pair of German travellers, upon disembarking in the hilly area, amused the locals by proclaiming it to be "So schön und hell", meaning so bright and beautiful. Another is that the swampy area was a good breeding ground for mosquitoes, and the traders canoeing through the area had a few choice words for their attackers. The third, and most widely believed, is that when the local officials asked what his settlement should be called, Reeves (possibly having overheard those German visitors) replied, "I don't care, you can name it Hell if you want to." Evidently, the name stuck.
One popular photograph depicts a wintertime town sign draped in icicles ("when Hell freezes over", which is also "a cold day in Hell"), and of course the community was kept massively busy on June 6, 2006, when most items were sold for $6.66. Hell was also the inspiration for a comic book entitled Hell, Michigan — created by Tilman Goins from Morristown, Tennessee — which chronicles the fictional residents' attempts to fight the demonic evil of their town. As an added attraction, visitors to Hell can buy a pass to become mayor for a day at a rate of around $100-110, at this website. Elijah Daniel, a popular comedian, rapper, and author, purchased this pass for August 30, 2017. He posted on Twitter about it and gained over 34,000 "likes". This spread lots of awareness about the town, with people from all over wanting to experience this extraordinary little town.
In 2015, the town of Hell was listed for sale at a price of $900,000. After nearly eight years on the market, the Phone Up Studios, Inc., acquired the town in December 2023. The sale marked the culmination of an extended period of real estate availability for Hell, resulting in a change of ownership and potential future developments under the stewardship of the acquiring company.
Aside from its fire-and-brimstone appeal, Hell is situated in the middle of the lovely Pinckney State Recreation Area. A short drive away from the village will bring you to lakes, rivers and forests for hiking, horseback riding, swimming, canoeing, kayaking and fishing.
Tourist information
- Go to Hell MI website
Get in
Hell is on a two-lane county road D-32 (Patterson Lake Road), about 5 minutes southwest of Pinckney; despite the saying, the road is paved with asphalt. The nearest major road is US-23 between Flint and Ann Arbor; from US-23, take MI-36 west to Pinckney, make a left on Dexter-Pinckney Rd., and then a right on Patterson Lake Road.
Get around
Given that downtown Hell is so small, you won't need anything more than your own two legs to get around. There's ample free parking by the general store and the ice cream parlor.
Do
Do Get married in Hell
A marriage that begins in Hell has no place to go but up. It can be rented by the hour: $125 for the first hour; $100 per additional hour. Wedding officiant and license not included. One couple opted for a cold day in Hell to finally make their vows. Operated by Screams Souvenirs.
Do Hell Canoe and Kayak Rental
Canoe, kayak and fishing boat rental for visitors to the surrounding Pinckney Recreation Area. Tours available.
Events
- Motorcycle runs and car cruises are popular in Hell during the warm months; late September features the Last Rides Reunion, in which over 40 hearses drive through town.
Do Run Thru Hell
Hell Creek Ranch. Held in mid-August. 5- and 10-mile races sponsored by the Pinckney Running Club; participants receive a free T-shirt that says "I Ran Thru Hell".
Buy
Shop Screams Souvenirs and Halloween
A convenience store with groceries, sundry supplies, and the local post office, if you want to send your friends and relatives a postcard from Hell. They do a lot of business forwarding tax returns on April 15th (really!).
Eat
Eat The Creamatory
T-shirts, souvenirs (of the mundane and frightening varieties), Department 56, motorcycle paraphernalia, and copies of the Hell, Michigan comic books. You can also purchase both bats (to take out of Hell) and confectionery snowballs (which don't stand a chance). The ice-cream parlor offers cones, shakes, malts, floats and sundaes, with a coffin buffet laden with oddly-named ice-cream toppings including ghost poop (actually marshmallows), toenail clippings (shredded coconut), bat droppings (chocolate chips) and dark ooze (hot fudge). The children's play area outside the Ice Cream Parlor features the Gates of Hell, and painted plywood cutouts for you to stick your head through and get your photo taken.
Drink
Drink Dam Site Inn
Located by the dam on Hell Creek, of course. Country tavern featuring pub food, weekend entertainment and a pool table in the back. Soups, salads, appetizers, burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, subs, and pizzas; dinner also features steak, pork, chicken, seafood, and frog's legs. Bar specialties include beer-in-a-can (a holdover from the rowdy earlier days of bar brawls) and cocktails including the Bloody Devil.
Sleep
Stay Hell Creek Ranch and Campground
100 primitive and electrical sites. Horseback riding, fishing, kayaking and canoeing available. Horseback riding is $22 (1 hour) or $40 (2 hours); canoe rental is $30 (3-4 hours). Nightly camping rate is $7 (rustic) or $16 (RV).
Go next
- Paradise is only about 5.5 hours north on I-75, in the Upper Peninsula. Hell is usually hotter.
Nearby
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City / town · 16 listings · 8 mi away
Dexter
City / town · 24 listings · 8 mi away
Brighton
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Ann Arbor
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Saline
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Ypsilanti
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Jackson
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Northville
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My experience
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