Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes
Traverse City
A bayfront city at the head of Grand Traverse Bay, with a walkable Front Street downtown, bay beaches, cherry orchards and two wine peninsulas close by.
About 2 miles away (straight line)
Trail · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes
Leelanau Trail
A paved, flat, 17-mile trail between Traverse City and Suttons Bay through farms and woods, groomed in part for skiing and fat biking in winter.
The Leelanau Trail is the easy way to ride from Traverse City to Suttons Bay: 17 paved, flat miles, with the TART connecting it to downtown Traverse City at the south end. It suits families, casual riders and anyone who wants a long, steady run without traffic. Park at the Cherry Bend, Fouch Road, Shady Lane or Suttons Bay trailheads, and in summer you can ride one way and take a BATA bike bus back.
Leashed dogs are welcome, and the trail is open to walkers and runners as well as cyclists. It is the one trail in the TART network that TART Trails owns outright, and volunteers keep it up.
Winter turns part of it into a groomed ski trail. The stretch from the DeYoung Natural Area to the 4th Street trailhead is groomed when conditions allow, for classic and skate skiing, fat biking and snowshoeing.
Check for detours before you set out. A bridge project at Leo Creek was scheduled to need one from mid-September 2026 into late fall.
Practical information
- Managed by
- TART Trails, Inc.
- Season
- Used all year. In winter, the section from the DeYoung Natural Area to the 4th Street trailhead is groomed as conditions permit. Check the TART Trails grooming report before you go.
- Hunting season
- Hunting is allowed on private land next to the trail in season, so wear blaze orange or bright colors then.
- Official website
- traversetrails.org
Location
Map of Leelanau Trail
4 places on an OpenStreetMap map
Nearby towns
Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes · Small town
Suttons Bay
A walkable Leelanau village on Grand Traverse Bay with a public beach, a marina and a historic downtown, and the north end of the paved Leelanau Trail.
About 15 miles away (straight line)
Also nearby
Straight-line distances, not driving distances.
Beach
West End Beach
A city beach on West Grand Traverse Bay with sand at the water's edge, a big grassy area, volleyball, grills and picnic tables, right on the TART trail.
Under a mile away (straight line)
Ski area
Hickory Hills
Traverse City's own ski hill since 1952, with 16 runs, Nordic trails including a lighted loop and an FIS-certified course, and disc golf in summer.
About 1 miles away (straight line)
Beach
Clinch Park
Traverse City's downtown beach on West Grand Traverse Bay, with a splash pad, playground, city marina and the TART trail running through.
About 1 miles away (straight line)