Traverse City is quickly popping up on people’s Michigan bucket lists. As someone who grew up coming to this city every summer, I went on a mission to find my favorite hidden gems throughout the area. Plus if you are like me and love to save money while you travel, you’ll love this list of 5 free things to do in Traverse City, Michigan. That being said here are my new favorite spots to hit up every time I visit Traverse City!
Bonus: mundos
Let’s start our day with the important things… Coffee! Now even though this one isn’t completely free I just couldn’t pass up an opportunity to write about this place! I had been searching for the best coffee shop in the city and struggling to find one I loved. Then I found Mundos! The atmosphere is the perfect mix of calming and inspiring. Everything is super cute and if you need a place to work this is a great option. Everyone was friendly and welcoming. They had some food options like overnight oats and a handful of baked goods. Not to mention the star of the show, the coffee itself! They had all your options from lattes, cappuccinos, espresso, all the works. This is the perfect place to get your caffeine fix before checking out all the cool free places we have to see!
1. Hippie tree & Commons natural area
After you grab your morning coffee, right around the corner awaits one of Traverse City’s most unique spots. The Grand Traverse Commons Natural Area is the perfect spot to go for a little hike in the woods and get away from the crowds. While wandering the woods you will find the Hippie Tree! Now I usually am not a huge art person or someone who gets particularly excited about random spray-painted trees. However, this was actually a really cool spot, and I am super glad I went! There was something magical about this cove of trees and quite mesmerizing. It’s not far from parking so you don’t have to hike far, the easiest way to get there would be to park right by the community garden and start on the trailhead that is right there. Once you get to the first fork in the trail, take a right and follow the trail until you see the trees. You can’t miss it as you’ll find painted steps and trees along the way. The best part about all of this is it’s completely free!
2. The botanic garden at historic barns park
Connected to the Natural Area is the Botanic garden. They have everything here from a butterfly garden, an adorable fairy garden, and many many trails! This is the perfect place to get out and take a breather or a little stroll. The gardens are really well kept and have a beautiful variety of flowers. Another amazing perk… It’s also completely free! They do have a gift shop if you are interested in planters or souvenirs to take home for your own garden. They are always adding and opening more sections of the garden making this a location I continuously come back to!
3. The village pavilion and bocce courts
Just a short drive or walk from the gardens lays the cutest hangout I’ve found so far in the city! Nestled between all the coffee shops, dinners, and boutiques rest the village pavilion. Now the area itself is cute and the perfect place to eat lunch after a morning of exploring the surrounding nature. Yet another perk of this location is the free yard games out and about. This is the perfect place to unwind, rest up a bit, and get ready for your next adventure. By now I have been here multiple times and have yet to see it really busy. Since it sits further back it tends to get overlooked making it the best place to hangout with friends and play a round of bocce!
4. Walking the docks
Now let’s head to the lake! If you do want to spend a couple of extra dollars you could rent bikes and explore throughout downtown and the docks. However, if you are like me your feet will serve you just fine! I love coming down here and exploring everything the docks have to offer. Everyone is always friendly and there is always something going on. The docks also connect to a free splash pad/park for the kiddos and allow easy access to the downtown area. If you get hungry there is also a little food stand to pick up lunch. This is a cute place to walk around while getting a taste of TC life. The beach also is right at the end of the docks if you get hot after your adventure and need to cool off in the lake!
5. Mission POINT beach
I am always surprised about the number of people who don’t know about Mission Point beach. At this point, I have been to beaches all over the world but this is still easily in my top five favorites! All you have to do is drive to Mission Point Lighthouse and the beach lies right behind it. Now the drive could be an event itself, you will drive right through wine country with some of the best views in Michigan! Make sure to also stop at one of the farmers’ stands for fresh produce or at one of the many lavender farms along the way! The water is some of the clearest I have ever seen and just begs to be swam in. If you are into lighthouses or history there is also the lighthouse to check out and historical home. Yet again my absolute favorite thing is it’s free! If you want to tour the lighthouse I believe there is a fee but to access the beach and parking it is free.
At the end of the day, there is always so much to discover in Traverse City, I could go on and on with lists of locations to check out! Please feel free to share your favorite spots with me or any places you think I should check out as well. I am always on the hunt for new adventures and locations!
Until next time! – Olivia Grace
Leave a Reply