As summer comes to a close, fall foliage fans habitually turn their attention to New England’s winding country roads, but the Midwest is home to a less-trafficked autumnal alternative. The Old Mission and Leelanau peninsulas jut into northern Lake Michigan like fingertips poking out of Michigan’s mitten, and by mid-October their hardwood forests have lit up in shades of amber, crimson, and gold. Aside from taking in the colors, visitors can also walk on nearly deserted lakeside beaches, ride chairlifts to panoramic viewpoints, and taste the fruits of harvest from acclaimed vineyards, roadside farm stands, and family-run U-pick orchards.
The gateway to these idyllic peninsulas is Traverse City, a city of about 15,000 that connects the land masses at the southern end of Grand Traverse Bay. Once a seasonal Anishinaabe fishing village and then a lumber port, Traverse City today is a vibrant freshwater destination full of indie shops, farm-to-table restaurants, and craft breweries.
Breathe in the cider-scented air and savor the quiet grace of a northern harvest on a fall trip to Traverse City.
Best fall activities, drives, and harvest tastings
In Michigan, it’s not only the trees, but also the vineyards, that change colors in autumn.
Photo by Jing lowdive Li/Shutterstock
From Traverse City, there are two appealing options for a lakeside drive.
To the northeast, the Old Mission Peninsula is about 3 miles wide and 19 miles long, and the M-37 highway runs the length of it. Pull over at one of the many roadside stands stacked with colorful squash and heirloom apples, or stop at one of the 10 wineries on the Old Mission Peninsula Wine Trail, which encompasses what has been an official American Viticultural Area, or AVA, since 1987. At boutique properties like Chateau Chantal and Brys Estate, you might watch the grape harvest in real time while walking through rows of fiery-leafed vines. (You also might spot a celebrity: Actress Amy Smart is a co-owner of Bonobo Winery.) At the tip of the peninsula, go for a short hike on the park trails around the whitewashed 1870 Mission Point Lighthouse.
Related: No One Thought This State Would Start Making Some of the Best Wine in the U.S.
Head northwest from Traverse City, and you can hop on M-22, which traces the coast of the Leelanau Peninsula for 116 miles. Here you’ll encounter more wineries; Leelanau has been an AVA since 1982 and has a wine trail of its own, with standouts such as Black Star Farms and Shady Lane Cellars. The 40-acre Jacob’s Farm, meanwhile, is home to elaborate corn mazes and U-pick apple orchards in the fall. On the west side of the peninsula, you’ll find the stunning Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, where wind-carved sand bluffs plunge hundreds of feet down into Lake Michigan.
Other things to do in Traverse City
The Traverse Area Recreational Trail passes through downtown Traverse City as well as quiet wooded areas outside town.
Courtesy of Traverse City Tourism
For those seeking culture, Traverse City’s creative current runs as deep as the Great Lakes. Drop by the Maritime Heritage Alliance to see vintage wooden schooners being restored, or visit the Village at Grand Traverse Commons, a 19th-century asylum with Victorian-Italianate vaulted brick arcades that are now home to indie bookstores, roasters, and potteries. Downtown, shop for chocolate-covered cherries, salsas, and other products at Cherry Republic (Traverse City styles itself as the “Cherry Capital of the World”), and browse locally made paintings and sculptures at Higher Art Gallery. And for outdoor adventure, rent a bike and cruise the paved, 10.5-mile-long Traverse Area Recreation Trail (TART) under canopies of fluttering yellow leaves, or launch a kayak onto the quiet Boardman River on a calm fall afternoon.
Where to eat and drink
Traverse City’s dining scene draws from the soils of the Leelanau and Old Mission peninsulas. At the James Beard Award–nominated Cooks’ House, take a seat in an intimate dining room where the kitchen crafts the shifting menu around ingredients such as foraged mushrooms, local venison, and late-season pears. A few minutes away, Modern Bird brings a fresh energy to fall dishes such as kabocha squash agnolotti and chawanmushi with roasted and pickled corned beef tongue with kohlrabi, earning it a spot on the New York Times’ list of the 50 best restaurants in America in 2025.
For drinks, Traverse City has a thriving craft brewery scene to complement its wineries. Right Brain Brewery (which in 2027 celebrates the 20th anniversary of its opening) and Rare Bird Brewpub are two standouts, but if you want to get the full picture, plan your visit around Traverse City Beer Week in November.
Where to stay
The Inn at Black Star Farms offers a boutique luxury hotel option on a 160-acre winery estate only 12 miles outside Traverse City.
Courtesy of Traverse City Tourism
If you want to stay in town, Delamar Traverse City is right on the shore of Grand Traverse Bay and is within walking distance of downtown’s shops. The 173-room-and-suite property will pack you a picnic for the day’s excursion (and you can keep the basket as a souvenir). For a pastoral retreat in Wine Country, book a room at the adults-only Inn at Black Star Farms, a 10-room-and-suite B&B located on the winery’s 160-acre estate on the Leelanau Peninsula.
