Good Harbor Bay Beach — Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Up North Guide  ·  Traverse City and the Leelanau Peninsula

The Hidden Gems Guide.
The Top 7.

a local's guide, not a travel blog

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7
Places Most Visitors Never Find
100+
Years Old — The Ancient White Birch at Houdek Dunes
5
James Beard Nominations for Chef Anton at Stella

The Guide

The best ones are the ones nobody talks about.

No. 07

Northport

Peterson Park

Northport  ·  Leelanau County Park

Peterson Park is a small Leelanau County park perched on a bluff above Lake Michigan about 25 miles north of TC, and almost nobody outside the county knows it exists. A viewing platform sits right at the edge of the parking area with one of the best sunset views on the entire peninsula — no hiking required. Steep stairs lead down to a rocky beach strewn with Petoskey stones and agates that rewards patient rock hunters. No crowds, free parking, dogs welcome, no admission.

VibeQuiet, local, and genuinely beautiful — the kind of place you tell one friend about
What to DoHead down the stairs and walk the rocky shoreline while there's still light — Petoskey stones are everywhere. Then climb back up to the platform and watch the sun go down over the Manitou Islands.
Insider TipThe rock hunting is best after a storm when the waves churn up the beach. Check the forecast.
Peterson Park — rocky shoreline, Northport

No. 06

Traverse City

Trattoria Stella

The Village at Grand Traverse Commons  ·  Traverse City

Trattoria Stella opened in 2004 as the first business in Building 50 of the former Northern Michigan Asylum — now the Village at Grand Traverse Commons — when the rest of the building still had broken windows and caged porches. That leap of faith became one of the finest restaurants in the Midwest. Chef Myles Anton has received five James Beard Award nominations. The menu changes daily and is built around housemade pasta, whole-animal butchery, house-cured charcuterie, and whatever is best from local farms that week. The building itself carries a remarkable history: the original asylum doctors believed in a 'beauty is therapy' philosophy — that beautiful surroundings would improve patient wellbeing. Stella continues that tradition.

VibeIntimate, candlelit, and genuinely exceptional — one of the best dining rooms in northern Michigan
What to GetWhatever fresh pasta is on the board. The charcuterie to start. A glass from the Michigan wine list.
Insider TipClosed Tuesdays. Reservations strongly recommended. Bar seating is walk-in.
Trattoria Stella — dinner spread

No. 05

Leelanau Peninsula

Houdek Dunes Natural Area

Leelanau Conservancy  ·  Just North of Leland on M-22

The Leelanau Conservancy's largest and most ecologically diverse preserve — and one of the least-visited spots on the peninsula. Houdek Dunes is a 3.3-mile trail system through a landscape unlike anything else in Michigan: active blowout dunes, stabilized forested dunes, ancient white birch stands (some over a century old, unusually rare for the species), and Houdek Creek, the largest tributary flowing into North Lake Leelanau. The varied terrain means you're constantly moving between sun-drenched open sand, cool birch forest, and wetland edge — each transition feeling like a different park. Almost nobody goes here.

VibeWild, quiet, and genuinely strange — the most ecologically interesting walk on the peninsula
What to GetThe full 3.3-mile loop. The landscape changes completely every quarter mile.
Insider TipIf visiting in late May or early June, look for the pink lady slipper orchids — they bloom in profusion along the sandy trails.
Houdek Dunes Natural Area — Leelanau Peninsula

No. 04

Leelanau Peninsula

Good Harbor Bay Beach

Lake Michigan  ·  Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

The beach most visitors to the peninsula never find, and the one locals consider the best. Miles of soft white sand, water that turns genuinely Caribbean-blue on a clear afternoon, and views of Pyramid Point to the west and the Manitou Islands to the north. A small freshwater stream empties into the lake at the south end — warmer than the bay and perfect for kids. There's no food or shops nearby. That's exactly the point. Pack in, spend the day, watch the sunset over the water.

VibeUnspoiled, uncrowded, and spectacular. The best hidden beach on the peninsula — that a local will tell you about. ;)
What to BringEverything — food, water, chairs. Nothing's nearby and you won't want to leave.
Insider TipTake CR-651 off M-22 between Glen Arbor and Leland. A National Park pass is required — around $20, purchasable on site.
Good Harbor Bay Beach — Lake Michigan

No. 03

Leelanau Peninsula

Clay Cliffs Natural Area

Leelanau Conservancy  ·  South of Leland on M-22

One of the most dramatic and least-known viewpoints on the Great Lakes. Clay Cliffs is a 104-acre Leelanau Conservancy preserve wedged between Lake Michigan and Lake Leelanau — with shoreline on both. The 1.5-mile trail climbs through old hardwoods and wildflower meadows to an observation deck perched 200 feet above Lake Michigan, with simultaneous views of Lake Michigan to the west and Lake Leelanau to the east. A nesting pair of bald eagles has claimed the site as their own. The trillium bloom in May is one of the finest on the peninsula.

VibeDramatic, wild, and quietly moving — two lakes visible at once from a single overlook
What to DoWalk the full loop and stop at every vista. The two simultaneous lake views from the overlook are the payoff.
Insider TipVisit in May for the trillium bloom, or at dusk when the slanting light hits the clay faces. Both are extraordinary.
Clay Cliffs Natural Area — Leelanau Peninsula

No. 02

Empire

Grocer's Daughter Chocolate

Empire  ·  11590 S. Lacore St. (M-22)

A small, women-led artisan chocolate shop in the tiny village of Empire — bright green buildings right on M-22, hard to miss if you know to look, easy to drive right past if you don't. Founded in 2004 by Mimi Wheeler, originally from Denmark, who was never satisfied with the chocolate available in the US and eventually decided to make her own. Sourced directly from small-scale farmers in Ecuador, made with local Michigan ingredients — Sleeping Bear Farms honey, Amish dairy, local cherries — and crafted by hand in small batches. In 2022 they added a gelato shop next door.

VibeTiny, warm, and genuinely special — the kind of shop you tell everyone about on the drive home
What to GetThe sea salt caramels and a Michigan cherry truffle. The drinking chocolate in any season.
Insider TipBright green buildings on M-22 just south of Empire — unmissable once you know they're there. Open 11am daily.
Grocer's Daughter Chocolate — Empire, Michigan

No. 01

Traverse City

Right Brain Brewery + Boardman Lake Trail

Traverse City  ·  225 E. 16th St.

Right Brain is TC's original microbrewery — a converted warehouse in the SoFo district with walls covered in local art, 30+ beers on tap, and 30+ vintage pinball machines. Whole ingredients only, never extracts. If you taste something — cherry pie, smoked pig, jalapeño, Thai chili — it's because they put it there. The Mangalitsa Pig Porter won a Gold Medal at the Great American Beer Festival. "Keep Beer Curious" is the motto, and they mean it. Right Brain sits directly on the Boardman Lake Trail — TC's beloved 4.2-mile paved loop, finished in 2022, crossing two bridges over the Boardman River, winding through dense woods, and opening onto a long boardwalk over the lake cove at the southern end. Walk the trail after your pint. It earns the beer.

VibeFunky, unpretentious, and genuinely local — a brewery that feels nothing like a tourist spot
What to GetOrder a flight and let the descriptions guide you.
Insider TipIn the SoFo district, not downtown — about a 10-minute drive from Front Street. Free street parking all around.
Right Brain Brewery — Traverse City

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Where We Recommend Staying

Streamside — A private woodland retreat in the heart of the peninsula.

Tucked into the woods of the Leelanau Peninsula, Streamside is the kind of place that makes the whole trip feel worthwhile — not just a place to sleep, but a reason to come back. A stream runs through the property. The barrel sauna is waiting when you get back from the trail.

Hot tub, fire pit, hammock grove, and three bedrooms for the group. Private enough to feel like a real escape. Close enough to everything on the peninsula to make every day count.

Hot Tub Barrel Sauna Fire Pit 6 Guests Pet Friendly 5★ Superhost
Discover Streamside →
Streamside — fire pit Streamside — barrel sauna Streamside — interior Streamside — aerial
★★★★★Airbnb Superhost

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Wineries  ·  Bars & Breweries  ·  Foodie Guide  ·  Nature Lovers  ·  Best of Leelanau's Small Towns  ·  The Perfect Long Weekend  ·  Kid-Friendly Spots  ·  Romantic Getaway  ·  Hidden Gems  ·  Fall Colors  ·  Winter Wonderland  ·  Peak of Summer