Traverse City Trip Overview
E-bikes make light work and add a load of fun! Our professionally-led guided tour includes stops along the spectacular Leelanau bike trail where you’ll learn about local history, wildflower identification, wineries, and more. Views of Grand Traverse Bay, picturesque farms, vineyards, and visits to two nature preserves along the trail make this one the region’s most popular paved bike and pedestrian-only trails.
A picnic of delicious local food and drinks is included. Although the guided tour is 5 hours, guests are welcome to keep their bikes the entire day. Distance total: 34 miles round-trip.
Additional Info
Duration: 5 hours
Starts: Traverse City, United States
Trip Category: Outdoor Activities >> 4WD, ATV & Off-Road Tours
Explore Traverse City Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Traverse City, Michigan, United States
E-bikes make light work and add a load of fun! Our professionally-led guided tour includes stops along the spectacular Leelanau bike trail where you’ll learn about local history, wildflower identification, wineries, and more. Views of Grand Traverse Bay, picturesque farms, vineyards, and visits to two nature preserves along the trail make this one the region’s most popular paved bike and pedestrian-only trails.
A picnic of delicious local food and drinks is included. Although the guided tour is 5 hours, guests are welcome to keep their bikes the entire day. Distance total: 34 miles round-trip.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Pass By: Boardman River, Traverse City, MI 49685
We we will pass over the present day mouth of the Boardman River. Early European settlers called this river the “Ottaway,” after the indigenous people that gathered regularly near this very spot to exchange goods and share stories. Everything changed in 1847 when Captain Harry Boardman, of Naperville, Illinois purchased this land for the purposes of harvesting the large virgin pine forests surrounding the river.
Stop At: Clinch Park, 161 E Grandview Pkwy, Traverse City, MI 49684-2566
Travelers will ride through Clinch Park which separates Lake Michigan and the Boardman River.
Duration: 15 minutes
Pass By: Leelanau County, Leelanau County, Michigan
We will pass from Grand Traverse County into Leelanau County, or what locals simply refer to as “The County.” It is sometimes called “The Peninsula,” but that name, on the whole, tends to refer to the Old Mission peninsula, the 10 mile spit of land that separates East and West Grand Traverse Bay. The Leelanau Peninsula and Leelanau County are one in the same. They are ~20 miles wide at the base and extend the full 30 miles length of Grand Traverse Bay.
Stop At: DeYoung Natural Area, 9509 E Cherry Bend Rd, Traverse City, MI 49684, USA
Travelers will stop at the DeYoung Natural Area, a 191-acre preserve that features historic barns, a farmhouse, wetlands, forests, a stream, a lake, and trails that wander the property. Bikes will be parked so that a short hike along Cedar Lake can be taken, led by our professional guide who will teach about regional history and the unique plants, trees, and birds of the area. A light snack will be provided at the end of the hike.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Leo Creek Preserve, Suttons Bay, MI 49682, USA
Travelers will enjoy a picnic of locally sourced food and beverages. They’ll also be taken on a guided tour of this very unique 9-acre preserve which features a meandering creek-side trail in the coolness of a cedar forest. The preserve also showcases pollinator, native, and edible gardens, which can be explored independently or with our guide’s plant and landscaping expertise.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Suttons Bay, Suttons Bay, Leelanau County, Michigan
At this point in the tour, the guide invites guests to lock their bikes up and head to the charming village of Suttons Bay. Restaurants, shops, a beautiful beach, and The Inland Seas Education Center are some of the many places to visit in Suttons Bay. Tour-goers can head back to Traverse City along the Leelanau Trail at their leisure. On their way back, they may choose to stop at Shady Lane Cellars, a picturesque winery that is .2 miles from the bike trail along Shady Lane Road. Those who choose to do the return trip on their own will need to return the bikes to the Wind Dancer Kiosk in Traverse City by 5:00. If guests would like to bike back directly to Traverse City with the guide, they can expect to be done with the by 1:00 p.m.
Duration: 1 hour
