Cross Village

Cross Village is a tiny lakeshore village at the north end of the Tunnel of Trees, and the drive is most of the point. Come for an afternoon: lunch at Legs Inn in season, a short walk through the village’s history, and some time on the Lake Michigan shore. Between late October and late May, with Legs Inn closed, there is very little here beyond the scenery.

Getting there and getting around

Most people arrive on M-119 from Harbor Springs, about 20 narrow, winding miles with no center line and plenty of cyclists. Read our Tunnel of Trees route before you go. There is no fuel or EV charging along the way and very few public restrooms, so plan stops; Cross Village does have a gas station. Much of the land along the road is private, so park only where it is marked. State Road is the inland way back south toward Petoskey.

Once you are here, the village is small enough to walk.

Where to eat

Legs Inn. The one restaurant in the village, and the reason many people make the drive. It serves Polish food and draft beer in a 1930s building of local stone and timber, with an outdoor garden for dining. It lists a season from late May to late October, does not take reservations and does not allow pets. Days and hours are limited, so check before you go.

Otherwise, the village has a convenience store. For more choice, eat in Harbor Springs before or after the drive.

Where to stay

Legs Inn rents a few lakeside cottages in the woods with beach access; contact it directly. For hotels and inns, stay in Harbor Springs or Petoskey: see the Harbor Springs guide and places to stay in Harbor Springs.

Our picks

Drive the Tunnel of Trees. Take it slowly, ideally on a weekday. Fall color is the busiest time, especially on weekends.

Lunch at Legs Inn. Look for the stove legs along the roofline that give it the name, and the carved roots and driftwood inside, the work of Stanley Smolak, who built the inn with Odawa and other local workers. It is a State of Michigan historic site.

Walk the historic tour. Start at the marker beside the large white cross on the bluff. The township’s tour covers 10 sites, from the Odawa village of Waganakisis to the 1918 fire that burned most of the town, and a QR code links the map.

Go down to the old port. From Legs Inn, Waterfront Drive leads to the beach at the Port of Cross Village.

Walk to the lake at the Woollam preserve. About 1.7 miles south on M-119, a trail of roughly half a mile runs through hilly woods to 3,300 feet of Lake Michigan shoreline. No dogs, because of nesting birds.

Hike a piece of the North Country Trail. The North Country Trail runs through this corner of Emmet County, over the forested dunes of Sturgeon Bay and through Wilderness State Park toward Mackinaw City.

A half day, or a day

A half day. Drive up from Harbor Springs in the late morning, have lunch at Legs Inn, walk the historic tour and drive back.

A day. Add the Woollam preserve and an hour on the beach at the old port, then take State Road back south.

With kids, and on a rainy day

With kids, try the beach at the old port, the short woods walk at the Woollam preserve and the children’s play area by the old schoolhouse. On a rainy day, Legs Inn’s carved interior is the main indoor draw in season.

Best time to go

Late May through October, when Legs Inn is open. Summer is the easy choice. Fall color is the prettiest and the busiest; come midweek. In May, the Zoo-de-Mack bike ride comes through on its way from Harbor Springs to Mackinaw City, so expect a crowd of cyclists that weekend.

What is close by

Harbor Springs and Petoskey are south for downtowns, beaches and lodging. Mackinaw City is to the north, and the village sits at the southern end of Wilderness State Park, which protects more than 10,000 acres.

Hours, menus and schedules change, so check with each place before you go.