Things to Do Up North in Michigan This Fall: 2026 Guide

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — “Up North” on The Mitten Daily means the Grand Traverse region and the shore north of it: Traverse City, the Leelanau and Old Mission peninsulas, Benzie County and Sleeping Bear Dunes, and up US-31 to Charlevoix and Boyne City. In fall, the region is best seen as a series of day trips from one base, with Lake Michigan stretching the color season well into late October along the shore.

This regional guide covers mid-October through November 2026. For Traverse City itself, with winery hours, orchards and a full events list, see our Things to Do in Traverse City This Fall guide. We confirmed dates and hours with organizers’ own pages on Oct. 13, 2026; confirm them again before you drive.

Fall color drives across the region

Timing. Northern Lower Michigan’s leaves were just beginning to turn in early October, MLive reported on Oct. 2. Near the water the season runs longer: Traverse City Tourism says Lake Michigan’s influence often holds color on the peninsulas to about the end of the month, well after trees inland have gone bare.

M-22, Leelanau Peninsula. Budget a whole day to circle the peninsula, from Suttons Bay up to Northport and back down the Lake Michigan side.
M-37, Old Mission Peninsula. The short drive from Traverse City to the tip, with bay views on both sides.
Sleeping Bear Dunes. The Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive usually closes to cars in late October, per the National Park Service, though walkers can still use it afterward. You need a park entrance pass either way.
US-31 to Charlevoix, then Boyne City. Follow the Grand Traverse Bay shore north through Elk Rapids and Eastport to Charlevoix, then loop around Lake Charlevoix to Boyne City.
Benzie County. Traverse City Tourism also lists drives through Benzie County, Interlochen and the Boardman Valley among the area’s fall color routes.

Outdoors

Dune and bluff hikes. For fall views, the park points visitors to the North Bar Lake Overlook, the Meadow Loop off the Pyramid Point Trail and the old farms of Port Oneida. The park’s fee page lists a seven-day private vehicle pass at $25.
Biking. The TART Trails in Traverse City and the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail between Empire and Glen Arbor are paved and mostly gentle.
Paddling. Calm fall mornings are good for a short paddle on the Boardman River or Glen Lake. Water is cold by late October, so wear a life jacket and dress for immersion.

Wine, cider, orchards and farm markets

Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail. Its Hunt for the Reds of October continues daily through Oct. 31 (noon–5 p.m.). Two Toast the Season weekends come next, Nov. 6–8 and Nov. 13–15, also noon–5 p.m.
Old Mission Peninsula. Its wine trail’s ten members are clustered within a few miles, so it suits a tasting day with little driving. Expect shorter hours at many of them starting Nov. 1.
Traverse City farms. Hours for two M-72 favorites, Gallagher’s Farm Market and the Jacob’s Farm corn maze, are in our Traverse City guide.
Boyne City Farmers Market. The final outdoor market of the season is Sat., Oct. 17, 8 a.m.–noon, at Veterans Park, 207 N. Lake St., according to Boyne City Main Street. After that, the market moves inside the Veterans Park Pavilion on Saturdays, 9 a.m.–noon, with live music starting at 10 a.m.

Halloween and fall events with dates (2026)

Sat., Oct. 17. Boyne City’s last outdoor farmers market (above). In Traverse City, Witches Night Out downtown, 5–9 p.m.; our weekend story has the details.
Sat., Oct. 31. In Boyne City, the downtown Halloween parade starts at 4:30 p.m. on Lake Street and official trick-or-treating runs 5–8 p.m., according to Northern Michigan Guides’ Halloween listings. Boyne City’s indoor market is open that morning, 9 a.m.–noon.
Nov. 6–8 and Nov. 13–15, noon–5 p.m. Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail Toast the Season weekends.
Sat., Nov. 21, 7–11 a.m. Earlier Than The Bird early shopping in downtown Boyne City, with specials for shoppers in pajamas, according to Boyne City Main Street.
Fri., Nov. 27, 5–9 p.m. Holly Jolly Boyne: shops stay open, the parade starts at 6 p.m., and Santa leads the way to the tree lighting at Sunset Park.

Traverse City’s own Halloween and November events, including the downtown Halloween walk and the holiday light parade, are in our Traverse City fall guide.

Two days Up North

Day 1: Leelanau and the dunes. Drive M-22 from Traverse City through Suttons Bay to Northport, then down the west side through Leland to Glen Arbor. Stop at Sleeping Bear for the Pierce Stocking drive or a short hike, and finish with dinner in Glen Arbor or Empire.

Day 2: The bay shore to Boyne. Follow US-31 north along Grand Traverse Bay to Charlevoix, walk the channel and the beach, then loop around Lake Charlevoix to Boyne City for an afternoon downtown. On a Saturday, start at the Boyne City farmers market.

Family picks

A corn maze and pumpkin patch on M-72 west of Traverse City.
The Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive before it closes to cars for the season.
Boyne City’s Halloween parade, then trick-or-treating in town.
Rock hunting for Petoskey stones on the Lake Michigan beaches near Charlevoix.

Where to stay

Traverse City has the most hotels and is central for the peninsulas and the dunes.
Glen Arbor and Empire put you next to Sleeping Bear, but some lodging closes after October.
Charlevoix and Boyne City work as a base for the northern end, with Boyne Mountain resort nearby.

Tips

November 1 is when a lot of tasting rooms, farms and attractions move to late-season hours, so check again after that date.
Sleeping Bear is a national park, so a state Recreation Passport won’t get you in; buy the federal pass.
Book a driver or a wine-touring company if you plan to visit more than one tasting room.
Weekdays are calmer than color weekends, and lodging is cheaper in early November.

Official sites and maps

More from Up North

This is a seasonal guide. We publish a new one for each area every season (winter, spring, summer and fall); last updated Oct. 13, 2026.

Sources:
MLive, “Fall color exploding across Michigan’s U.P., starting to change in northern Lower Michigan,” Oct. 2, 2026, mlive.com
Traverse City Tourism, “Take A Traverse City Color Tour,” traversecity.com
National Park Service, Sleeping Bear Dunes current conditions and fees pages, nps.gov/slbe
Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail, lpwines.com
Boyne City Main Street, events calendar, boynecitymainstreet.com
Northern Michigan Guides, Halloween and trick-or-treat listings, northernmichiganguides.com
Other Traverse City details as checked for our Traverse City fall guide, Oct. 13, 2026
Photo: Nick Nolte, “M 109 Glen Lake SBDNL.JPG”, Wikimedia Commons, public domain, cropped and color-corrected, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:M_109_Glen_Lake_SBDNL.JPG

All Mitten Daily guides

Things to Do Up North This Fall (2026 Guide): Traverse City, Leelanau, Charlevoix and Boyne