Photo by Walter Martin on Unsplash
Five days on the shores of the Great Lakes: tall dunes and a scenic drive on Lake Michigan, a peninsula of orchards with a lighthouse at its tip, a car-free island with a fort, then a long road over the Mackinac Bridge to the sandstone cliffs of Lake Superior.
From average weather, 2021 to 2025: days that are warm but not hot, with few rainy days, score highest. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
How much walking? On foot, about 1.3 to 1.5 miles a day, and 244.0 miles by car in all across 5 days. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
A first day on the Lake Michigan shore, all inside Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Tall sand dunes and woods, a looping drive with lake overlooks, then a restored port village and an old life saving station on the beach.
A bowl of hot oatmeal with dried tart cherries, the fruit of this part of Michigan, a warm start before a day in the dunes.
Local tip Ask for the cherries on top, and carry a few more in your pocket for the trail.
A long stretch of Lake Michigan shore with tall sand dunes, beech and maple woods and inland lakes, about a drive west of Traverse City. The main dune climb lies across from Glen Lake, and it is a long, hot walk over sand to reach the lake. Bring water, sun cover and shoes you can empty. Check ahead on the park pass.
Go when Morning, while the sand is cool.
Local tip Sand in the sun gets hot, and the climb back up is harder than the way down. Carry water, wear shoes you can empty, and turn back early if you are tired. Check ahead on the park pass.
A looping scenic road inside the park, off M-109 between Empire and Glen Arbor, with numbered stops and overlooks of the dunes and the Lake Michigan shore. Drive it slowly and get out at the overlooks. Check ahead on the season and on the park pass.
Go when Late afternoon into evening (about 7:53 PM), when the light is low over the lake.
Local tip Take the loop slowly and get out at the overlooks, since the views over the dunes are better on foot than through the glass. Stay on the marked paths, because the dune plants are fragile.
A spread of smoked Great Lakes whitefish with crackers and a pickle, a picnic lunch to eat at an overlook or on the beach.
Local tip Buy it that morning and keep it cool, and take any scraps with you.
A restored port village on Sleeping Bear Bay, with a general store and a blacksmith shop from its lumber days and a beach on Lake Michigan. The old dock poles can still be seen off the shore. Check ahead on which buildings are open.
Go when Afternoon, with time for the beach.
Local tip Walk out along the shore and look for the old dock poles in the water. The village was a lumber port, so the buildings tell that story. Check ahead on which ones are open.
A Coast Guard station built in 1901, now a maritime museum in the park, close to Glen Haven. Look at the building and its displays, then walk out to the water. Check ahead on the opening.
Go when Afternoon, right after Glen Haven.
Local tip A small museum in a Coast Guard building from the days of life saving crews. Look at the building from the beach side too, and check ahead on the opening.
Lake whitefish, a mild fish of the Great Lakes, pan-fried or broiled and served with potatoes and a lemon wedge.
Local tip Ask whether the fish is from the lake, and have it simple to taste it.
A day on the Old Mission Peninsula, a narrow finger of land in Grand Traverse Bay. Start with an art museum in Traverse City, then drive north with water on both sides, past cherry orchards, to the old mission village and the lighthouse at the end of the road.
A warm muffin full of tart cherries and a mug of strong coffee, a good start before the museum.
Local tip Ask what came out of the oven that morning.
A fine art museum on the campus of Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City, with a collection of Inuit art, with changing exhibits and a sculpture court. A calm start, and a useful stop on a wet day. Check ahead on the opening.
Go when Morning, as an indoor start to the day.
Local tip Look for the Inuit prints and carvings first, since they are the heart of the collection, then see what is on in the changing galleries. Check ahead on the opening.
A narrow peninsula that runs about 17 miles north from Traverse City into Grand Traverse Bay, with water on both sides and cherry orchards on the slopes. Drive it slowly, stop only where it is safe, and watch for bicycles and slow farm traffic on the two lane road.
Go when Midday, as a slow drive with stops.
Local tip The road runs along the ridge, with the bay on both sides. Pull off only where it is safe, watch for bicycles, and keep to the public roads and the signed viewpoints, since the orchards are private land.
Chicken salad with dried cherries and nuts on a roll or a croissant, a lunch to eat at a picnic table with the bay in view.
Local tip Pack water and eat where the public land allows it, not in an orchard.
A house in the village of Old Mission, a Michigan State Historic Site, linked to the Presbyterian missionary Peter Dougherty, who was sent to the Grand Traverse area in 1839 and settled at Old Mission at the request of Chief Ahgosa of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. It is thought to be the first post and beam house in the northern Lower Peninsula. Check ahead on whether it is open.
Go when Afternoon, on the way to the lighthouse.
Local tip The house belongs to the story of the Ottawa and Chippewa people of this shore and of the mission that grew here. Read the signs, keep a respectful tone, and check ahead on whether it is open.
A white lighthouse with a dwelling attached, built in 1870 at the end of the peninsula and a working light until 1933. It stands just south of the 45th parallel north. The shore here is stony, so wear sturdy shoes. Check ahead on the grounds.
Go when Afternoon, with an hour at the water.
Local tip Walk the stony shore beside the lighthouse and look back down the bay. The road ends here, so the way home is the same as the way up. Leave daylight for the drive.
A slice of tart cherry pie, warm if you can, the sweet that this part of the state is known for, back in Traverse City after the lighthouse.
Local tip Order it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, the way locals do.
A day on Mackinac Island, where cars are not allowed. Take a ferry across from Mackinaw City or St. Ignace, walk up to a fort on the bluff, then on to the highest point on the island and two shapes cut by an ancient lake. Check ahead on the ferry season and the schedule.
Stacks of pancakes with real maple syrup, a filling start before the ferry and a long day on foot.
Local tip Eat well, since the day is all walking and hills.
A former British and American military outpost on the bluff above the harbor, begun in the early 1780s and now a museum. Walk the ramparts and the buildings and look out over the harbor and the straits. The way up from town is a climb, so wear walking shoes. Check ahead on the opening.
Go when Morning, as soon as you land on the island.
Local tip Go up on foot with water, since the way from town is a climb. Walk the ramparts for the view over the harbor, and check ahead on the opening and on any timed entry.
An earthen redoubt built by British forces in 1814 on the highest point of the island, up the hill behind Fort Mackinac. Walk up through the woods for the view over the island and the straits. Check ahead on access.
Go when Midday, after the fort.
Local tip A short walk up the hill behind Fort Mackinac, through the trees, to the highest point on the island. The view is the point of the stop, so pick a clear day. Check ahead on access.
Whitefish fried or broiled on a bun with tartar sauce, a plain lunch of the Great Lakes to eat before the afternoon rides and walks.
Local tip Pick a simple spot with a short wait.
A limestone stack about 75 feet high, standing in the woods of the island interior, left behind when the waters of an ancient lake cut away the land around it. Reach it on foot or by bicycle, and check ahead on the path and the steps.
Go when Afternoon, on a bicycle or on foot.
Local tip The stack stands in the woods, away from the water, which is part of its charm. Keep to the path and the steps, and check ahead on the way up.
A natural limestone arch on the Lake Huron shore, 146 feet above the water, and a rare kind of formation for the Great Lakes. The Native peoples of the island have long held it as a place of power. Look through it from the path, and keep to the rails and the marked ways.
Go when Afternoon, at an easy pace.
Local tip Look through the arch to the lake from the path, and keep behind the rails. The Native peoples of the island have long held it as a place of power, so a quiet moment suits it.
Lake perch, lightly breaded and fried and served with fries, then a slab of Mackinac Island fudge, a dense chocolate sweet cut from a block, for the walk back to the ferry.
Local tip Share one piece of fudge, since it is rich.
A long road north, and a night away. Visit the old fort at the Straits, cross the Mackinac Bridge into the Upper Peninsula, stop at a rock stack above Lake Huron, then carry on to Munising on Lake Superior. Check the road ahead and plan to sleep in the Munising area.
A cold cup of fresh apple cider with a cider doughnut, a sweet start before the long road north.
Local tip Fill the water bottle too, since the road is long.
An 18th century French, and later British, fort and trading post at the Straits of Mackinac, in Mackinaw City. Built around 1715 and abandoned in 1783, it is now an open-air historic site with a reconstruction of the fort. Check ahead on the season and the opening.
Go when Morning, before the drive north.
Local tip Walk the reconstructed walls and the lanes inside, and look across the straits to the island. Check ahead on the season and the opening, since it is an outdoor site.
The suspension bridge that opened in 1957 and joins the Lower and Upper peninsulas across the Straits of Mackinac, on Interstate 75, with Lake Michigan on one side and Lake Huron on the other. The crossing is the stop. Check ahead on wind and on any rules for the bridge.
Go when Midday, in clear weather.
Local tip Keep your eyes on the road, and let a passenger do the looking. Lake Michigan lies on one side and Lake Huron on the other. Check ahead on wind and on any rules for the bridge.
Smoked whitefish or lake trout with crackers, a regional lunch of the straits, eaten before the Upper Peninsula road.
Local tip Keep the fish cool in the car, and buy only what you will eat that day.
A limestone stack that rises about 196 feet above the nearby water of Lake Huron, just north of St. Ignace and close to Interstate 75. A short stop to stretch your legs. Check ahead on access and the steps.
Go when Afternoon, as a leg stretch.
Local tip A short stop beside the road north of St. Ignace. Top up the tank and the water bottle, since the road ahead is long. Check ahead on access and on the steps.
A waterfall of about 50 feet over a sandstone cliff, on the edge of the town of Munising at the west end of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Trails lead to viewpoints. The flow is small outside the spring thaw. Check ahead on the trails and the visitor center.
Go when Evening, as your first look at the lakeshore.
Local tip The paths are short and well kept, and the falls run lighter outside the spring thaw. Wet rock and stairs can be slick, so mind your footing. Check ahead on the trails.
Whitefish from the cold waters of Lake Superior, broiled with butter and served with potatoes, a plain supper after the long drive.
Local tip Order it plain to taste the fish.
A day in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, on Lake Superior. A sandstone castle at the shore, a waterfall in the woods, then a rock chapel at the end of a long trail. Roads are limited and some are seasonal, so check ahead on the roads and trails.
A hot breakfast of eggs, sausage and toast, enough to carry you through a day of trails.
Local tip Eat well, then fill the water bottle.
A sandstone rock formation on the Lake Superior shore, one of the few places in the lakeshore where a road runs close to the water. A short walk leads to the overlooks. The sandstone is crumbly and loses pieces to rockfalls, so keep behind the railings.
Go when Morning, as soon as you can get there.
Local tip It is a road stop with a short walk to the overlooks, so it is easy to share with everyone in the party. The sandstone is crumbly, so keep behind the railings. Check ahead on the road.
A waterfall of about 40 feet on the Miners River, reached by a gravel path through the woods with stairs down to a lookout. Mind the wet steps. Check ahead on the path.
Go when Midday, as a woodland break.
Local tip A gravel path through the trees ends in stairs to the lookout. The steps are wet near the falls, and the path is longer than it looks on the way back. Check ahead on the path.
A baked pastry filled with beef, potato, onion and rutabaga, brought to the Upper Peninsula by Cornish miners, a hand pie made to carry to work.
Local tip Eat it hot or cold, with ketchup or gravy as you like.
A rock on the Lake Superior shore with a tree growing on top, reached on a long trail through the woods. It is a hard day for many walkers, so go only if you are fit, with water, good shoes and daylight in hand. Check ahead on the trail, the weather and the conditions on the lake.
Go when Afternoon, only with daylight to spare.
Local tip It is a long trail out and back, so set out only if you are fit, with water and good shoes. Check ahead on the trail, the weather and the lake, and turn back if anything looks wrong.
Baked apples under a crisp oat topping with a mug of warm apple cider, a Michigan sweet for the end of the trip.
Local tip Ask for it warm.
By average weather from 2021 to 2025, May to September are the most comfortable months for walking around Traverse City. This plan is built for september to October, which is one of the best months. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
It covers 5 days in Traverse City, planned for september to October. Each day is built around a small number of stops, with room to rest.
It was planned for most travelers. The pace and the places reflect that, so check it fits how you travel.
No. Places marked "book ahead" need a reservation. Hours, prices and availability change, so confirm before you go.
Yes. Archie drafts a day by day plan for your dates and takes your pace, the weather and who is travelling into account. You can start one from the Archie app.
Yes. It is a starting point you can change to fit your own trip: swap a place, add a day or move the pace.
On foot, about 1.3 to 1.5 miles a day, and 244.0 miles by car in all across 5 days. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
3 slow days in Door County, WisconsinAbout 80 miles awayAn easy add-on
3 days on the Apostle Islands and BayfieldAbout 270 miles away
3 days of skyline and deep dish in ChicagoAbout 280 miles awayMake it yours in a minute, then move days around and add what you want.
A trip idea · Updated November 2026
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