Harbor Springs

Harbor Springs is a small, walkable harbor town on the quiet side of Little Traverse Bay. Downtown, the beach, the marina and the museums are a few blocks apart, so one day covers the town on foot. A second day is for the Tunnel of Trees to the north or a nature preserve on Lake Michigan, and in winter the town turns into a ski base.

Getting there and getting around

M-119 runs through town. East of downtown it follows the bay to US-31 near Petoskey, and west of town it turns north as the Tunnel of Trees. By our routing estimates, the drive takes about 4 hours from Grand Rapids, about 5 hours from Detroit and about 7 hours 20 minutes from Chicago. See getting here for the routes.

The closest airline airport is Pellston Regional, with Delta and United; our estimate puts it about 45 minutes from town. Cherry Capital in Traverse City has more flights and is about 2 hours away by our estimate. Private pilots can use Harbor Springs Airport, under 10 minutes from downtown by our estimate.

Once you are here, park once and walk.

• Summer parking. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, downtown time limits apply Monday through Saturday during the day: shorter on the street, a little longer in the municipal lots, and no limit on other streets and lots. The city lists free all-day parking at City Hall and the Police Department on Zoll Street, near Zoll Street Beach. Signs govern, so check the city’s parking page and the posted limits.
• Winter parking. Overnight street parking is banned from December 1 to April 1 in the early-morning hours, so plan where you will leave the car if you stay downtown.
• Beach parking. Zorn Park Beach has on-street parking on West Bay Street, under the same summer limits. Petoskey State Park, between here and Petoskey, needs a Recreation Passport on your car.
• Bikes. The paved Little Traverse Wheelway ends in Harbor Springs at Kosequat Park and runs around the bay to Petoskey and on to Charlevoix. A stretch along the bluffs in Petoskey has been closed for erosion repairs, so check its status before you plan a long ride.

Where to eat

Downtown Harbor Springs is small, but it has a few dining rooms with long followings, a good brunch and bakery scene, and cookie and ice cream stops for the walk to the beach. These are places local and regional writers single out:

• The Pier Restaurant. The waterfront dinner on East Bay Street, built on the original pilings over the harbor. It is known for Great Lakes fish, along with steaks, and in warm weather you can eat on its upper and lower decks over the water.
• The New York Restaurant. An eclectic bistro in a historic former hotel on State Street, overlooking the waterfront, with a long wine list, nightly specials and hand-rolled sushi on Thursdays. Book ahead.
• Small Batch at the Cupola. A restaurant, bakery and caterer on State Street, and the brunch pick in town. Seating is first come, first served, with a seasonal garden patio, so show up early in summer.
• Turkey’s Cafe & Pizzeria. A Main Street pizzeria and cafe that opened in 1975, in one of the town’s older buildings. Go for pizza, breakfast or a turkey sandwich at lunch.
• Gurney’s Harbor Bottle Shop. The picnic stop on East Main Street, with deli sandwiches made to order on thick homemade bread, plus wine and beer. Bring cash: it takes no credit cards, only cash or checks. You can call ahead and pick up, then take lunch down to Zorn Park.
• Birch Tree Bakery & Cafe and Johan’s Pastry Shop. The morning stops. Birch Tree is the popular coffee spot, and Johan’s is known for donuts and bagels.
• Lake N’ Leaf and Harbor Ice Cream. Side by side on West Main Street. Lake N’ Leaf opened in spring 2025 with salads, bowls and coffee, and Harbor Ice Cream next door is the long-running ice cream shop, now run by the same owner.
• Yummies. The ice cream stop on East Main Street, scooping since 1997 with more than 50 flavors to choose from. Hours change with the season, so check before you walk over.
• Tom’s Mom’s Cookies. The sweet stop on Spring Street, mixing its dough from scratch in small batches since 1985. Get the chocolate chunk.

If you drive the Tunnel of Trees, Legs Inn waits at the far end in Cross Village: Polish food in a stone-and-driftwood building raised in the 1930s. It lists a season from late May to late October and does not take reservations, so check before you go.

Where to stay

Our Harbor Springs listings cover three kinds of stay. The Colonial Inn dates to 1894 and sits in the historic Wequetonsing summer neighborhood. OTIS Harbor Springs is a boutique hotel just outside town on the road to the Tunnel of Trees. For skiing or golf, The Highlands puts you at the resort outside town.

For vacation rentals and the full list, see places to stay in Harbor Springs. Petoskey, across the bay, is the other base; see our Petoskey planning guide.

Our picks

Zorn Park Beach The town beach, a short walk from Main Street, with a marked swim area, a floating raft, a playground and a bathhouse. The water is colder than at most spots nearby, thanks to artesian springs. Lifeguards are on duty only on select summer days.

East Main Street museums Three history stops within a few blocks: the Harbor Springs History Museum in the old county courthouse, the Andrew J. Blackbird Museum in the Odawa leader’s former home, and the Ephraim Shay Works Museum in the inventor’s six-sided house. The historical society lists the museums as open Tuesday through Saturday; check before you go.

The Tunnel of Trees The narrow drive north along the bluffs on M-119. Fill the tank in town, since there is no fuel on the route, and check for detours. Our M-119 route page has the details.

Thorne Swift Nature Preserve A Little Traverse Conservancy preserve off M-119 with a public Lake Michigan beach, about a mile and a half of trails, a dune observation platform and a nature center open in summer. No dogs.

Harbor Springs Farmers Market At State and Main on Saturday mornings from late May into October, and Wednesday mornings in summer, with local farmers, makers and food producers. Some dates add music and kids’ days.

Petoskey State Park by bike Ride the Wheelway from town to the state park’s mile of sand on the bay for a longer beach day. Bring your Recreation Passport if you drive instead.

Street Musique On select summer Thursdays, street musicians play around downtown for the evening. Check the chamber’s schedule for the nights.

One day, and two days

One day. Start with coffee at Birch Tree or a pastry from Johan’s, then walk the East Main Street museums. Pick up sandwiches at Gurney’s for lunch on the lawn at Zorn Park, and spend the afternoon at the beach. Get a cookie at Tom’s Mom’s or a cone at Yummies or Harbor Ice Cream, then have dinner over the harbor at The Pier or at The New York if you booked.

Two days. Brunch early at Small Batch, then drive the Tunnel of Trees north. Stop at Thorne Swift on the way out for the beach and the dune platform, and have a late lunch at Legs Inn in Cross Village in season. Back in town, end with pizza at Turkey’s. If it is a Saturday or a summer Wednesday, start the day at the farmers market instead.

With a third day, ride the Wheelway around the bay, or cross to Petoskey and Bay View; see our Petoskey guide.

With kids, and on a rainy day

With kids. Zorn Park Beach is the easy afternoon: a raft to swim to, a playground and a beach a few blocks from ice cream. Thorne Swift lists seasonal naturalist programs and has the nature center and dune platform for curious kids, with about a mile and a half of trail. The farmers market holds occasional kids’ days, and the paved Wheelway, closed to motor vehicles, works for kids on bikes.

On a rainy day. Spend it on Main Street. The three museums cover the town’s Odawa, lumber and resort history. Boyer Glassworks lists glassblowing demonstrations year-round, and downtown has galleries, the Between the Covers bookstore and the Rocking Horse Toy Company. Then settle in for a long lunch.

Best time to go

Summer is the busy season, when the beach, the marina and the evening music are all going. The big weeks:

• Fourth of July. A small-town parade loops through downtown, and you can set out chairs on the route from early morning. Fireworks launch from a barge on the bay at dusk; watch from Zorn Park Beach, the bluff near the high school or a boat.
• Blissfest. The folk, world and roots music festival fills the Festival Farm outside town on the second weekend of July. Book rooms early.
• Ugotta Regatta. Sailboats from around the country race on the bay in late July, the weekend after the Mackinac races.
• Odawa Homecoming Pow Wow. In August, free and open to the public, with dance and drum contests.

The shoulder seasons are quieter. In September, the Taste of Harbor Springs brings local restaurants to Marina Park (its 30th year was 2025), and the Harbor Springs Festival of the Book holds author talks around town; tickets go fast. Fall color is the busiest time on the Tunnel of Trees, so drive it on a weekday if you can.

We’d pick a weekday in September for a first visit: the Taste and the book festival are on, and you skip the July festival weeks.

Winter

Winter is a real season here, and plenty downtown stays open.

• Downhill. Nub’s Nob is the family-owned hill, with terrain parks, night skiing, and daycare for skiers’ kids. The Highlands is the bigger resort, with lessons and three terrain parks.
• Cross-country and snowshoe. Several Little Traverse Conservancy preserves are groomed for skiing when the weather allows, and others make good snowshoe hikes. Pond Hill Farm adds tubing, sledding, snowshoeing and a winter-only weekend brunch.
• Snowmobiling. A local club grooms more than 100 miles of the Moose Jaw trail system.
• Downtown. Galleries such as Hanni Gallery, Little Traverse Tileworks and Boyer Glassworks stay open, and the restaurants named for winter visits include Small Batch, Birch Tree, Turkey’s, Gurney’s, The New York and The Pier. Harbor Springs Ice Fest fills downtown with ice sculptures, live carving and an ice park in Zorn Park. Harbor Springs Restaurant Week, with special menus around town, runs from late February into March.

Ski seasons and grooming depend on snow, and winter hours are shorter, so check conditions and call ahead before you drive out.

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