SanthuToday Michigan State is home to the country’s best and popular backpackers’ favourite spots to explore its breathtaking beauty of beaches, natural spots, history and rich cultures. In the same row, today we are going to discuss one of the Michigan’s most visited city offers stunning natural beauty, vibrant local cultures and countless outdoor activities.
Yes, that is Traverse City. Traverse City often known as “Cherry Capital of the World” located on the shores of Lake Michigan’s Grand Traverse Bay. As a backpacker, if you are looking to indulge in any kind of natural beauties or spend some time with the region’s best beaches, picturesque landscapes, and wineries or do unique things in Michigan’s most underrated travel destinations, then Traverse City could be your next destination.
To know how to enjoy your days at Traverse City in Michigan as an enthusiastic backpacker, then you must go through what are the unique things to do in Traverse City, in a more comprehensive way. Let dig more about that;
10 Unique Things to Do in Traverse City
1. Hike to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lake shore is an ideal place to start your Traverse City journey as well as your first hiking journey too. If you wish to know about Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, it is a large collection of freshwater sand dunes that rise up to 400 feet above the lake. A lot of backpackers might get misconceptions about Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is just a park, but it is beyond that, it is just a lakeshore.
To make your hiking you need to get a valid pass from NPS and for better understanding collect maps from Philip A. Hart Visitor Centre. Actually there are a total of 5 hiking trails available to enjoy your hiking, but check specific routes and close proximity to you before starting your trek.
We personally recommended every backpacker to choose either Empire Bluff Trail (trail about 1.5 miles) or Pyramid Point Trail (2.7 mile trail). Both are cover journeys within 2.8 miles, however it is great to allow a perfect opportunity to experience the epic beauty of Lake Michigan and Manitou Islands. Empire Bluff Trail easily gets perfect captures of entire dunes, coast views, North Bar Lake and perfect sunset views to your camera.
Don’t forget to take some precautionary measures before starting your dune hikings, since it has desert-like environments, backpackers must have to hold a sufficient amount of water, ideal shoes for dune hikings and perfect body conditions.
2. Try to Pick Fresh Cherries
Like we said earlier Traverse City is well known as the “Cherry Capital of the world” where visitors pick fresh cherries as a fun activity. This could be done if you travel to Traverse City between early June to late August. Since it is the capital of the cherry, you can expect a number of orchards and bounty. Even today there are some cherry orchards run by the private or families. They often provides or guide how to pick fresh cherries especially U-Pick by the Third Coast Fruit Co. It is exclusively known agritourium activity run by the Wunsch family, they invite visitors to their farms to make hand harvest of cherries from trees.
However, Hallstedt Homestead is another popular cherry picking local orchard where they not just allow you to pick cherry, moreover provide employees (internship students) as your fellow guide to learn the ropes, explain basics and offer tools to pick the cherries. Both these private cherry picking companies/schools offer dark sweet cherries like summit or black star and red tart like montorency.
Try to do your Cherry Picking activity during morning time, it makes you pick under cooler temperatures as well as easy to pick cherries. If you really want to make this fun activity with your family, then better to make plans for the National Cherry Festival.
Make sure that cherry picking is a seasonal activity and you must be there between June to August. In spite of that, each cherry picking process required a certain amount where visitors paid the exact amount of fruit they picked. Usually the amount could be $ 4 to $5 per pound (depending on variety).
3. Taste Local Wine Collections
One of the best things to do in Traverse City is to explore vast areas of vineyards and taste vibrant wine collections. Whether you’re an elite visitor and new to Traverse City, attending any wine tasting tour is a crucial thing. Choose Old Mission Peninsula or Leelanau for a unique wine tasting experience at its local wineries.
As we knew that Traverse is surrounded by vast areas of vineyards, over 100 Michigan wineries are located within its limit. But Old Mission Peninsula most sought after one to make your first wine trail journey. Located north of the Traverse City, home to around 10 wineries such as Chateau Chantal and Mari Vineyards including family owned. This allows you to drink a glass of wine along with enjoying the epic beauty of local scenic vineyards and Traverse City bay.
Located on the west side of the city, Leelanau Peninsula is another epic place to taste wine. Leelanau is held around 25 wineries, but Black Star Farm is the most popular among them. Black Star Farms has a feature like wine flights to see its massive vineyards and lovely patio. Taste your collections of wines along with taking wine trails, waterfront views and spending time at outdoor seating.
It is always a welcoming idea to take any guided tours at both of your wine tasting journeys. Both Leelanau and Old Mission Peninsulas often provide guided shuttle services like shuttle buses or bay tours to understand about different varieties of wine collections and to guide vineyards. Otherwise you can reserve directly through its official website and reserve your schedules for tasting, and flight timings.
4. Enjoy Bike Ride at TART Trail
If you’re the kind of person who’d like to do bike riding to see the most elegant beauty at every corner of the city, then you must probably listen to the TART trail. This cross town trail is exclusively made for bike riding and cyclists. Take a bike for rent and ride at Traverse Area Recreational and Transportation trail along the scenic waterfront.
TART trail stretches 10.5 mile long paved urban transportation and some recreation corridors and it expands till the western end point at Carter road, which ultimately leads to Leelanau Trail. While riding a bicycle or bike under TART, trail riders are very fortunate to take a stop at West End Beach, Traverse City state park or Clinch Park and do some activities. However, it is an easy way to find some restaurants and attractions within the city if you don’t have time to cover during your trip.
There are a good number of stopping points you’ll catch while riding a bike. Take a stop at West Bay Waterfront, if you wish to find epic sunset or sunrise views. To taste the city’s coffee, local breweries or to find shopping centres, Downtown Traverse City is a good place to stop. If you’re a photographer looking for perfect places to get perfect scenic photos, stop your ride at Boardman Lake loop, where iconic bridges, lakeside views and deep forest paths are available to click.
Besides bikers, even walkers, joggers and runners can use this trail to do some exercise or leisure activities. It is quite wooden stretches and the calm surrounding atmosphere makes your activity more tranquil and charming even for families or kids.
5. Spend Some in Antrim Creek Natural Area
Your primary purpose of things to do in Traverse City could be to enjoy leisure atmospheres or to relax on a quiet beach arena then you have to head to Antrim Creek Natural Area. Located in the northern part of Michigan or close to Torch Lake where visitors even with their family can do activities at Michigan shorelines or enjoy hiking or rockhounding.
Actually this natural area is protected. 156 acres of park allow you to take 2.3 miles of hiking trails. While walking its trails we bet you will be enjoy great time to see beautiful dunes and creek overlooks in closer view. Currently there are numbers of trails available to choose, visitors either can choose Nipissing or Trillium Ridge Trails. Make sure that both are perfect ways to see hardwood forest and conifer swamp.
Stone Skipping is a great activity if you’re going with your kids. Thanks to flat and smooth pebbles. Skipping stones help to throw in shallow waters and some pretty to skips. Choose the northern end of the beach where plenty of pebbles are available to do stone skipping.
However Rockhousing is unique and must be done here. It allows visitors to pick any Petoskey stones or Charlevoix stones. These kinds of stones are more common in this region and you feel it is really unique in nature, especially Petoskey stones. These stones are fossilised corals that look like honeycomb patterns which originated from the Devonian period. However, Charlevoix stones are similar to Petoskey, but it feels tighter than that. Both will appear when the beach is clean and calm.
6. Discover Local Farmers Market
Visiting Traverse City local farmers market would be the most interesting way to understand the local cultures, daily life of the local community and get a clear picture about what the fruits, vegetables, artisans and handmade products are displaying. Market is located in the downtown of Traverse City.
The Sarah Hardy Farmers Market of Traverse city opens in 2 different seasons; from early May to late October it opens 7:30 AM to 12:00 PM, and from June to October it operates 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM. However “The Village Farmers Market (Grand Traverse Commons)” is open 2 different seasons, November to April from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM Saturday. But its outdoor market operations start on Monday from June to October between 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Even Interlochen Farmers Market operates at different times and seasons.
Despite these 3 popular local markets in Traverse City, there are a good number of local markets that exist and each are operating at different time periods and seasons. But as a visitor your primary reason for doing things in Traverse City is to understand local cultures or local community and leisure walk amidst trendy markets, then it could be a great choice for you.
What really a backpacker can expect under these unique Traverse local markets are some seasonal grown fruits such as cherries, vegetables and some flowers. Each market is often known for different exhibitions, like Sara Hardy is well known to buy fresh seasonal items like asparagus, peaches, cherries and strawberries. Whereas in Farmers Market, visitors can expect boutique shops along with eggs, cheeses and some restaurants to eat out. If you’re a big fan of cheese, milk and any other dairy products or baked goods, craft/artwork/souvenirs then Gallagher’s farm market is an ideal location to visit along with your family.
7. Explore Traverse City’s Light Houses
Currently the city boasts total of 2 major light houses each one has unique features and purposes of construction. Grand Traverse and Mission Point lighthouses are popular which allow visitors to see historical glimpse and help to see epic water views of Lake Michigan.
Grand Traverse Lighthouse is a historic lighthouse located in Leelanau State Park that explains maritime history along with some picturesque views. While exploring its architecture and historical significance you’ll come to know that the lighthouse has stood as guided mariners for more than 150 years. But as an enthusiastic backpacker its traditional brick duplex style of architecture and scenic Manitou passage help to intensify your things to do in Traverse City journey.
Built in 1858, Grand Traverse lighthouse is open daily through October except holidays. But remember the lighthouse is not in operation from November to March, but after June onwards it is open to the general public between 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. This 39 feet tall lighthouse is a more ideal location to bring your family to spend some time with maritime museums, enjoy Lake Michigan views, buy souvenirs at its gift shop and understand the history of shipwrecks, foghorns. Make sure that visitors have to pay $5 for adults and $2 for children as an entry fee.
Mission Point Lighthouse is another iconic lighthouse located within the city, which is completely different from Grand Traverse. Located on the Old Mission Peninsula, the lighthouse allows visitors to appreciate its wooden architecture, beauty of surrounding sandy beaches and epic view of local vineyards.
Built in 1870, compared to Grand Traverse lighthouse, entry to Mission Point lighthouse is completely free, but if you’re looking to climb its top of the tower or explore the second floor museum, then you have to pay $8 for adults and $2 for children.
Try to make a tour plan with your kids/family, there are a lot of thighs available to learn and enjoy. Not just epic views of Traverse Bay or understanding the past history, along with perfect places to easily reach nearby beaches and ideal locations to capture perfect sunset.
8. Spend Some Time at Traverse City State Park
If you’d like to do overnight camping or are not satisfied with your hiking journey at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, then Traverse City State Park is the perfect choice for you. Hiking here in this park allows backpackers to indulge in the natural beauty of the bay and take a perfect glimpse of local flora and fauna.
This urban park’s prime location on the eastern part of the Grand Traverse Bay contains a total of 3 miles of sands beach bay starting from State park beach to South airport road. While taking its flat trails surely you’ll be much blessed to spot pristine beaches, popular TART trail, some restaurants, and some camp grounds in a very limited time periods.
To find local flora and fauna it is crucial to do overnight camping. Camping is most often activity which every visitor would like to do here. Thanks to 343 different wooden year round campgrounds. Nearby campground help visitors to find some migratory birds like woodpeckers, warblers, owls and animals like chipmunks and red squirrels or whitetail deer’s.
Traverse City State Park is home to Michigan’s unique flora like ladyslippers, spring orchids and blooming trilliums and trees such as cedar, pines and hemlock.
9. Visit Leland
Your entire goal of Things to do in Traverse City is spend some time in a tranquil town or spend some time with adorable shops or find any local commercial fishing villages of the city, then Leland will be a better option to you.
Leland is the most isolated town located just 40 minutes away from the centre of the city you can get even after exploring iconic Sleeping Bear Dunes. But what we really like to say here is its most beautiful commercial fishing villages on the Great Lakes.
These fishing villages situated at the bay of the Carp River once served as fishing gear houses, smokehouses and icehouses. But today they kept it as a tourist landmark to say how rich the charter fishing industry and operations of fisheries are. Use charter boats or taste sandwiches of Leland at its Village cheese shanty.
Besides its fishing heritages, visitors even expect a number of adorable shops and restaurants or simply admire its architectural beauty. Make sure that if you like to have a more tranquil experience with your family despite the hustle and bustle of the tourist traffic, you can simply spend more time here.
10. Indulge in Local Cuisines
Throughout your journey of unique things to do in Traverse City you may cover major attractions and activities, but it shouldn’t miss out on experiencing vibrant cuisine options in Traverse City.
Visit nearby restaurants like The Little Fleet or Red Ginger get to know more about both local and international cuisines. The Little Fleet has been known for many years for its tremendous services such as Szechuan noodles, smash burgers, tacos, crispy bites and some pulled pork. The restaurant is an ideal location to drink craft beer, local homemade wines and ice creams.
However, if you’d like to have or are searching for Asian dishes then Red Ginger is the perfect hotspot to try. They often advertise their services like Lobster fried rice, Japanese Sushi and Sashimi, Vietnamese Spring Rolls and Shaking Beef, and Pork Belly Bao Buns. Here also visitors can expect multiple drinks options like Yuzu Margaritas and local Michigan Wines.
For separate drinking spaces choose Hotel Indigo’s H+L Social Rooftop Bar with some breathtaking views of Traverse Bay.
