Michigan’s famous Tunnel of Trees turns a short stretch of highway into one of the state’s best fall family road trips. Here’s how to drive it, where to stop, and why you shouldn’t be in a hurry.
There are Michigan road trips where the destination is the point. The Tunnel of Trees isn’t one of them.
Along a winding stretch of M-119 between Harbor Springs and Cross Village, the road itself is the attraction. Trees crowd the edges of the pavement, Lake Michigan occasionally appears through the branches, and around the next bend might be a tiny general store, an old church or absolutely nothing at all.
In fall, when northern Michigan trades its summer greens for brilliant yellows, oranges and reds, the drive becomes one of the most beautiful in the state.
The actual Tunnel of Trees is only about 20 miles long, but don’t make the mistake of treating it like a 20-mile drive. With a few well-chosen stops, lunch and time to explore Harbor Springs, this is easily a half-day adventure. Add Petoskey or an overnight stay, and it becomes one of Michigan’s best fall weekends.
Start in Harbor Springs
Begin in Harbor Springs, where M-119 heads north from one of Little Traverse Bay’s prettiest waterfront towns.
This is the place to fill the gas tank, grab coffee, use the restroom and pick up anything the family might need before heading north. Once you enter the most scenic portion of M-119, services become considerably more limited.
If you aren’t in a hurry, spend some time downtown first. Walk toward the waterfront, browse a few shops or pick up something for the car. Harbor Springs also makes a good home base for families who would rather return to a hotel and a full selection of restaurants after the drive.
Then point the car north.
The Road Is the Attraction
It doesn’t take long for M-119 to change.
The road narrows, the forest closes in and the drive starts feeling very different from the highways that brought you here. Portions of the Tunnel of Trees are famously narrow and lack a centerline.
It’s a good reason to slow down.
This is not the place to rush, pass another vehicle or spend the drive trying to get the perfect photo through the windshield. Give cyclists and motorcycles plenty of space, watch carefully around curves and allow faster traffic to pass when you can safely pull aside.
Families accustomed to wide suburban roads may be surprised by just how intimate the route feels. That’s part of the magic!
Instead of a highway cutting through the landscape, M-119 winds around it.
Make a Stop at Pond Hill Farm
Just north of Harbor Springs, Pond Hill Farm can turn the beginning of the drive into a larger family outing.
Depending on the season and what’s happening during your visit, it’s a good place to get out of the car, wander around and give kids a chance to move before continuing north.
That’s really helpful with younger travelers. The Tunnel of Trees is beautiful, make no mistake, but asking a six-year-old to appreciate 20 miles of fall foliage may be optimistic.
Build stops into the trip to keep everyone happy.
Let the Tunnel of Trees Unravel Slowly
From here, resist the urge to build an itinerary around a dozen attractions.
The Tunnel of Trees’ appeal is that there isn’t something demanding your attention every five minutes.
There are stretches where the trees are the experience. Through breaks in the foliage, you’ll catch glimpses of Lake Michigan from the bluff. Historical markers appear along the route, including markers connected to the area’s long history.
Peak color varies from year to year, so don’t plan a trip around one supposedly perfect October weekend months in advance and assume nature will cooperate. Watch fall-color reports as your trip approaches. Even outside absolute peak, the combination of Lake Michigan, forest and winding road makes this a worthwhile fall drive.
And if you do hit peak color, expect company.
Leave earlier than you think you need to, especially on an October weekend.
Stop in Good Hart
About 14 miles north of Harbor Springs, you’ll reach one of the best stops on the entire route: Good Hart.
The community’s landmark is the Good Hart General Store, a little red building that has stood here since 1934. Inside you’ll find a deli, bakery, groceries, gifts and even a U.S. Post Office.
Grab something sweet, browse the Michigan goods or pick up a cozy lunch. The store is especially known for its pot pies. (Although those may be better suited for taking home than eating in the car.)
More importantly, get everyone out for a while.
One of the biggest mistakes families make on scenic drives is staying in the vehicle for the entire trip. Even beautiful scenery eventually becomes background when you’re looking at it through glass.
Good Hart gives the trip a natural pause.
Find Your Lake Michigan Moment
One of the surprises of the Tunnel of Trees is that despite following the Lake Michigan shoreline, this isn’t a road with uninterrupted water views.
Much of the lake sits beyond the trees and below the bluff.
That makes the glimpses of blue through the foliage even better.
If your family wants actual time beside the water, plan a separate beach or shoreline stop rather than assuming you’ll constantly be able to pull over along M-119. Public shoreline access exists around the Good Hart area, but some roads leading toward the lake become gravel or dirt.
This is also a good reason to wear real shoes.
Fall along Lake Michigan can be considerably cooler and windier than it felt when you left home. Keep sweatshirts or jackets accessible rather than buried underneath everyone’s luggage.
Finish in Cross Village
Eventually the forest begins to open and M-119 delivers you into Cross Village.
Don’t immediately turn around.
Walk over to the bluff and take in the view of Lake Michigan before deciding what’s next.
For many families, that next stop will be Legs Inn.
The historic Cross Village restaurant sits at the northern end of the Tunnel of Trees and is almost as memorable as the road itself. Built beginning in the 1920s and 1930s by Stanley Smolak, the building incorporates local stone, timber, roots and other natural materials into a wonderfully eccentric piece of northern Michigan architecture.
The menu leans heavily into Polish favorites, including pierogi, kielbasa, bigos and goulash, while the children’s menu offers several familiar choices.
Legs Inn has seasonal dates and hours that can change. It doesn’t take reservations, either. Check current information on their website before making it the centerpiece of your day’s dining plans.
If there’s a wait, remember where you are. You’re on the Lake Michigan shoreline in Cross Village in the middle of fall.
There are worse places to spend some extra time waiting for a table.
Don’t Drive Back the Same Way (Unless You Want To)
Once you reach Cross Village, families have a decision to make.
You can retrace M-119 and experience the Tunnel of Trees from the opposite direction, but you don’t have to.
For a quicker return toward Harbor Springs and Petoskey, take the inland route rather than doubling back along the entire scenic road. This is particularly useful after dark, in poor weather or when the kids have officially stopped caring about leaves.
If everyone still has energy, continue north and turn the drive into a larger northern Michigan adventure.
The Tunnel of Trees doesn’t need to be the whole trip. It can be the centerpiece.
Make It a Fall Weekend
For families coming from Metro Detroit, this is better as an overnight trip than an exhausting there-and-back day.
Stay around Harbor Springs or Petoskey and give yourself time to enjoy the scenery.
A simple fall weekend could look like this:
Friday: Drive north after school or work and check into your hotel.
Saturday morning: Breakfast in Harbor Springs, then begin the Tunnel of Trees before the heaviest afternoon traffic.
Saturday afternoon: Stop in Good Hart, finish the drive in Cross Village and have a late lunch or early dinner.
Saturday evening: Return to Harbor Springs or Petoskey and relax rather than immediately beginning the long drive home.
Sunday: Explore Petoskey, walk the waterfront or add another nearby northern Michigan stop before heading south.
Suddenly a scenic drive becomes a real weekend away without requiring a complicated itinerary.
A Few Things Parents Should Know Before You Go
The Tunnel of Trees is beautiful precisely because it hasn’t been engineered into a giant tourist attraction.
That also means families should arrive prepared.
Fill up before beginning the drive. Download your map or directions in advance. Bring water and snacks. Use the restroom when you have the opportunity. Don’t count on cell service for every decision.
Most importantly, leave extra time.
The drive from Harbor Springs to Cross Village can take around an hour during the busy fall color season even though the route itself is only about 20 miles. Add stops and lunch, and you can easily spend several hours exploring.
That’s not poor planning.
That’s the whole point.
Sometimes the best Michigan road trip isn’t about where the road takes you.
It’s about finally giving yourself permission to enjoy the road along the way.
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