Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business Traverse City sits at the foot of Grand Traverse Bay, where two long arms of clear, cold Lake Michigan water reach south into the cherry country of northern Michigan.
Front Street
State Theatre
The Village at Grand Traverse Commons
Mission Point Lighthouse
+5 more places
This guide walks you through the best places to visit in and around Traverse City, from Front Street and the bayfront parks to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Old Mission Peninsula and the Leelanau shoreline.
Few small American towns combine water, food and outdoor scenery as neatly as Traverse City. The bays are a shade of turquoise you might expect in the Caribbean, yet the water is fresh and the air smells of pine.
Just west of town, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore protects sand bluffs that rise hundreds of feet above Lake Michigan, along with forests, inland lakes and islands. Traverse City itself has a lively downtown with independent shops, a restored movie palace and a waterfront trail system that lets you leave the car behind.
Front Street is the heart of downtown, a run of brick storefronts with bookshops, outfitters, galleries, bakeries and cafes. The Boardman River runs just behind the street, and side lanes lead down to small riverside patios.
Tip: parking downtown fills up quickly on summer weekends, so use one of the public parking decks and explore on foot.
Front Street is the main shopping and dining street of downtown Traverse City. Photo: w_lemay, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
The State Theatre is a restored historic cinema run as a nonprofit community theater, with a glowing marquee and a ceiling painted like a night sky. It screens new releases, classics and independent films throughout the year, and it is a fine place to spend a rainy evening.
The State Theatre is a restored historic movie house on Front Street. Photo: Kevin Dooley, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Clinch Park is the downtown beach on West Grand Traverse Bay, with a sandy shoreline, a splash pad, a marina and a long waterfront walkway.
On the west side of town, the former Northern Michigan Asylum has been reborn as the Village at Grand Traverse Commons, a mixed-use neighborhood of shops, restaurants, apartments and wine tasting rooms. The Victorian brick towers of Building 50 are striking, and the surrounding grounds include walking trails through old orchards and woods.
Building 50 was the main hall of the former Northern Michigan Asylum, now the Grand Traverse Commons. Photo: Andrew Jameson, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Old Mission Peninsula is a slender finger of land about twenty miles long that divides the bay into its east and west arms.
Mission Point Lighthouse stands near the northern tip of Old Mission Peninsula. Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Bkonrad assumed (based on copyright claims)., Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
The drive north on M-37 is the main reason to come: the road runs along a ridge with water views on both sides, past cherry orchards, farm stands and a string of wineries. The peninsula's climate, moderated by the surrounding bay, suits cool-climate grapes such as Riesling, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay.
Vineyards and cherry orchards cover the hills of Old Mission Peninsula. Photo: stanthejeep, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5
West of town, the larger Leelanau Peninsula has its own wine trail, along with small villages such as Suttons Bay, Northport, Glen Arbor and Leland. At the very tip, Leelanau State Park protects the Grand Traverse Lighthouse, a historic light station with a small museum, plus a rugged beach and dune trails.
The Grand Traverse Lighthouse stands in Leelanau State Park near Northport. Photo: Sheen Watkins from Birmingham, MI, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore begins about a forty-minute drive west of Traverse City. Its most famous stop is the Dune Climb, a steep face of sand that rises from a parking area beside Glen Lake. Climbing the first ridge takes around fifteen minutes, and the view back over Glen Lake is excellent.
The Dune Climb is the most popular stop in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Photo: Chris Light, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
This seven-mile loop road winds through forest and open dunes, with marked stops at overlooks above Glen Lake and Lake Michigan. The Lake Michigan Overlook sits on a bluff hundreds of feet above the water.
The Lake Michigan Overlook on Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive sits high above the lake. Photo: Royalbroil, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Glen Haven is a restored village with a historic general store, blacksmith shop and a maritime museum in a former life-saving station at Sleeping Bear Point. The paved Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail connects Glen Haven with Glen Arbor, the Dune Climb and Empire, so you can cycle between stops.
Leland's Fishtown is a cluster of weathered wooden fishing shanties and smokehouses beside the Leland River where it meets Lake Michigan. Several shanties now hold small shops and food counters, while working boats still tie up along the docks. It is also the departure point for seasonal ferries to the Manitou Islands.
Fishtown in Leland preserves weathered shanties from the commercial fishing era. Photo: Gpwitteveen, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Cherries are everywhere in Traverse City: in pies, salsa, jam, dried snacks, sausages and even barbecue sauce.
Great Lakes whitefish is the other signature. You will find it broiled, fried, smoked and blended into smoked whitefish pate, which is a classic northern Michigan snack with crackers.
Downtown Traverse City has a strong restaurant scene focused on local farms, along with craft breweries, cideries and coffee roasters.
Popular dishes to try in Traverse City
Downtown Traverse City suits travelers who want to walk to restaurants, shops and the bay.
Old Mission Peninsula has quiet inns and bed and breakfasts among the vineyards, good for couples focused on wine and scenery.
Glen Arbor and Empire put you right beside Sleeping Bear Dunes, with cottages, campgrounds and small inns.
Suttons Bay and Leland offer a small-village feel on the Leelanau Peninsula, close to wineries and the Manitou ferry.
Where to stay in Traverse City
Summer is peak season. From late June through August the days are long and warm, the water is swimmable by mid-July and every beach, winery and trail is open.
September and early October are many visitors' favorite time.
Winter is cold and snowy, with lake-effect snow, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the dunes and nearby downhill ski areas.
Cherry Capital Airport sits just east of downtown and has nonstop flights from several major hubs, with more routes in summer.
A car is essential for exploring beyond town.
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore requires an entrance pass for vehicles, available online through Recreation.gov and at the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center in Empire.
Start with coffee and a walk along Front Street, then follow the Boardman River to Clinch Park. Rent bikes and ride the TART Trail along the bay before lunch downtown.
Drive west early to Sleeping Bear Dunes. Tackle the Dune Climb before the sand gets hot, then loop Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive.
Head north up the Leelanau Peninsula to Leland's Fishtown for smoked fish and a look at the shanties.
Spend a slow day on Old Mission Peninsula: farm stands, tasting rooms and a picnic at Mission Point Lighthouse. Return to town for a final dinner downtown and an evening stroll by the bay.
Looking for bike rentals, bakeries, wine tours or a reliable mechanic before your drive to the dunes?
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