Why Fall Is the Best Time to Visit Traverse City

For every other reason we give that your next journey should be to Traverse City in the fall, we always end up coming back to one biggie. Of course, it is the fall foliage, setting the landscape on fire and providing scenic views around every corner. We often stop in our tracks, still surprised that we live here and get to experience this beauty every day of the season, and we invite everyone to come and see for themselves.

Best Place to Enjoy Fall Foliage

The Old Mission Peninsula is known for its charming wineries, but it is also one of the most idyllic spots in which to go leaf peeping during fall in Traverse City, Michigan. Combine two adventures at once and sip your way along the wine trail, snapping photos of the foliage in between gulps of delicious Michigan wine. The Chateau Chantal winery offers a particularly beautiful spot to sip and savor, but any of the wineries will make a great spot to stop.

Summers are nice, winters are cold, but fall is positively idyllic in Traverse City, with beautiful weather. Not too hot, but chilly enough at night to encourage you to wear your new fall wardrobe. The cool-but-not-too-cool temperatures in Traverse City in the fall will entice you to play outside more than you normally might. Hiking the Arcadia Dunes Baldy Trailhead, driving along the Pierce Stocking Scenic Highway, and even picking apples at Jacob’s Farm are more ways you will find to play and extend your time outdoors during your stay.

Fall in Traverse City, Michigan, is prime wine season, and as the grapes are harvested, you will enjoy some very unique experiences. Explore not just the Old Mission Peninsula, but the Leelanau Wine Trails, sipping the day away. Apple and pumpkin picking (Jacob’s Farm), grape crushing (Chateau Chantel), and attending farmers' markets are some of our favorite fall outdoor activities. The Sara Hardy Downtown Farmers Market is open on Wednesdays and Sundays, so be sure to stock up on produce during your stay. The Old Mission and Leelanau Wine Trails showcase the wines from both regions, helping you find your favorite.

The harvest season is a time of abundance, fun, and togetherness, and there will be plenty of unique Autumn activities that will keep you entertained during your stay. On the first Saturday in October every year, Chateau Chantal hosts its annual Harvest Festival. Featuring your standard harvest festival activities (art fair, winery tour, and tastings) and not so standard activities (cork tossing and grape stompin’), you will immediately understand why fall is the best time to visit Traverse City.

As you hike along the Empire Bluff Trail at Sleeping Bear Dunes, there will be a few things you may notice that are different in the fall in Traverse City, Michigan. First, as beautiful as this time of year is, the crowds are noticeably absent, and you will feel even more peaceful and relaxed. And second, although you are looking in the same direction as you do in the summer months, the fire of the trees dressed in their autumn finest will make you gasp in joy. For bicyclists, we highly recommend the 17-mile-long Leelanau Trail, a paved path that connects Traverse City to Suttons Bay and has you pedaling through farms, fields, forests, and vineyards, all blazing with autumn’s glory.

The popularity of our Michigan town never stops, but it does slow down quite a bit in the fall. This is another reason fall is the best time to visit Traverse City, offering guests a peaceful, less-rushed experience and easier access to our most popular attractions. Fall is busy for the wineries; however, as harvest season approaches, you will want to taste all the wines. But restaurant waitlists will be shorter, shopkeepers will have more time to spend with their customers, and the road and ferry trips to Mackinac Island will be much more relaxing. (This last suggestion is best for visitors staying with us for a slightly longer period, as Mackinac Island will take up most of a day.)

Fall is not just the best time to visit Traverse City, Michigan; it is also the perfect time to stay in one of our Traverse City condo rentals. The warmth of a roaring fire after a long day of grape stomping and apple picking can never be overrated, and of course, if you just happen to be sipping a glass of wine from one of the wineries you visited, all the better.

Coming home to luxury amenities, watching a little television, and maybe even cooking a wonderful meal filled with veggies you purchased from the farmers' market will make you feel at home. Sunsets are even more beautiful when experienced from our patios and balconies, and the beauty of the fall foliage as seen from your bedroom window will make you wonder why you haven’t visited in the fall sooner.

Fall in Traverse City is a beautiful time to visit, but if you are visiting in peak foliage season, booking early is highly recommended. And because this time of year is so peaceful, so serene, we also suggest you keep your itinerary flexible, leaving yourself free time for impromptu naps at home or longer wine-sipping sessions on balconies with the best views in town. Reserve your favorite Elevated Stays Traverse City vacation home rentals today!