No. 03
Farm Market
Gallagher's Farm Market
Traverse City · 7237 E. Traverse Hwy (M-72)
Gallagher's Farm Market has been on M-72 west of Traverse City since 1972 — a family-run roadside market that becomes something genuinely special in fall. The pumpkin patch sprawls across the lot in every shape, size, and color imaginable. The bakery makes pumpkin cinnamon-sugar donuts fresh daily — warm, light, dusted in sugar, the kind of thing people drive out here specifically for. Homemade pies, fresh apple cider, jams and jellies, local produce straight from the farm. Out back, the petting zoo has pigs, chickens, and goats that kids and adults both end up spending longer with than expected. It's a 10-minute drive from downtown TC and the kind of stop that turns into an hour without anyone noticing.
VibeWarm, local, and completely of the season — the best fall stop on M-72
What to GetThe pumpkin donuts — fresh daily, warm from the fryer. A pie and a jug of cider to take home.
Insider TipOpen through October 31. Get there before noon on weekends for the best donut selection.
No. 02
Village
Fishtown, Leland
Leland · Leelanau Peninsula
Fishtown is a cluster of weathered grey fishing shanties and smokehouses along the Leland River — the last intact commercial fishing village on the Great Lakes. In summer it draws crowds. In October it's quiet, the maples along the river have gone deep red and orange, and the grey of the old cedar shingles against the color is one of the most photographed scenes in Michigan fall. Carlson's Fishery has been smoking fish off the same dock for three generations. The Village Cheese Shanty has some of the best cheese sandwiches you'll ever have. Walk the docks, buy something from Carlson's, and let the afternoon slow down.
VibeHistoric, quiet, and genuinely beautiful in fall — the postcard scene that earns its reputation
What to DoWalk the full length of the docks. Buy smoked whitefish from Carlson's. Browse the shanty shops.
Insider TipThe Manitou Island ferry runs through mid-October — if the schedule lines up, it's worth it.
No. 01
Hike
Pyramid Point
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore · Near Glen Haven
The best fall hike on the peninsula. A 2.7-mile loop through old beech-maple forest — both trees at their absolute peak in October — to a 300-foot bluff overlooking Lake Michigan and both Manitou Islands. Beech leaves turn a deep copper gold that holds longer than most other species. The trail is almost always quiet and the overlook faces west into the lake. Come in the afternoon when the light is low and the colors in the forest are lit from behind. It's the hike that makes people want to come back every year.
VibeWild, quiet, and breathtaking — the fall hike locals actually do
What to DoTake the full 2.7-mile loop. The overlook is 0.6 miles in — stop there, then continue through the beech forest.
Insider TipBeech leaves hold their color longer than maples — Pyramid Point stays beautiful deep into late October.
