Leland

Leland is a small village built around Fishtown, the old commercial fishing docks on the Leland River. It sits on a narrow strip of land with Lake Michigan on one side and Lake Leelanau on the other, so you get a beach on each lake and everything else within a short walk. One day covers Fishtown, a swim and a hike. A second day is for the rest of the peninsula.

The island ferry is the big caveat right now. The boat to North and South Manitou leaves from Fishtown, but it did not run in 2026 while the park rebuilt the island docks. See our Sleeping Bear planner for the islands and the latest on service.

Getting there and getting around

M-22 runs through the village on its loop around the Leelanau Peninsula. From Traverse City, the simplest route is M-22 north to Suttons Bay, M-204 west across the peninsula, then M-22 north for the last couple of miles into town. By our routing estimates, the drive takes about 3 hours 20 minutes from Grand Rapids, about 5 hours 30 minutes from Detroit and about 6 hours 40 minutes from Chicago. See getting here and the M-22 route for the drive.

The nearest airline airport is Cherry Capital Airport in Traverse City, which our estimate puts about 50 minutes away by car. Private pilots can use the turf strip at Woolsey Memorial Airport near Northport.

Once you are here, park once and walk.

• Parking. The harbor lot is closest to Fishtown, but it fills quickly and some spaces are metered. Side streets such as River, Pearl, William, North, Cedar and Pine, plus Lake and Main streets, are the other options.
• On foot. Fishtown, Main Street, Van’s Beach and the museum are all a few blocks apart.
• By boat. The Leland Township Marina sits right beside Fishtown, with fuel, pump-out and showers listed for its May to September season.

Where to eat

Leland’s food scene runs on whitefish, cheese and ice cream, and much of it is seasonal. Fishtown businesses typically reopen between April and late May, so check before you go early or late in the year.

• The Blue Bird. On the Leland River since 1927, long known for locally sourced whitefish and its cinnamon rolls. The family rebuilt it as a smaller restaurant closer to the water, with a big patio over the river, and it reopened for the 2026 season on May 1.
• Village Cheese Shanty. The Fishtown sandwich stop, with dozens of cheeses and sandwiches and bag lunches to go. It typically reopens in April and is listed as a May to October shop.
• The Cove. Fishtown’s waterfront restaurant at 111 W. River Street, by the Leland dam with views over Lake Michigan to the Manitou Islands. It is known for whitefish, seafood chowder and other seafood, and it is listed as a May through October restaurant for lunch and dinner, not breakfast.
• Carlson’s Fishery. A five-generation family fishery in Fishtown selling fresh and smoked fish, fish sausage and jerky. It typically opens for the season in April. Pick up smoked whitefish for a beach picnic.
• The Leland Lodge. The lodge’s restaurant got a new menu in 2025 under John and Linda Sisson, who ran the Leelanau Country Inn for two decades, with a focus on fresh ingredients bought day to day. The lodge lists itself as open all year.
• Morning on Main. A new breakfast spot at 101 S. Main Street, in the old Early Bird building, which opened in April 2026 and serves breakfast only. It is new, so check its hours before you go.
• Little Boat Coffee. A newer coffee bar in the Leland Courtyard from the team behind Hive Coffee in Suttons Bay, set to open in late 2025. It is new, so confirm it is open before you plan breakfast around it.
• Leland Harbor House. An outdoor gear shop at River and Main that also pours Leelanau Roasting Co. coffee and scoops Moomer’s ice cream.
• Dam Candy Store. The sweet stop in Fishtown: jars of candy by type, plus an ice cream counter. It is listed as open daily from May to October.

Where to stay

The village pick is The Leland Lodge, taking guests since 1927, with hotel rooms, cottages and its own restaurant a short walk from Fishtown and the beaches. It lists itself as open all year.

For vacation rentals and the full list, see places to stay in Leland.

Our picks

Fishtown Walk both banks of the river among the shanties, smokehouses, fish tugs and charter boats, then browse the shops tucked into the old buildings. The Art Shanty hosts a rotating lineup of artists through the season.

Van’s Beach The Lake Michigan beach in town, reached by a path at the end of Cedar Street. Go at sunset.

Bartholomew Park on Lake Leelanau Also called Nedow’s Beach, at the end of Pearl Street: a dock, a picnic area and a launch on North Lake Leelanau, with lifeguards on some summer days.

Whaleback Natural Area A Leelanau Conservancy preserve 1.5 miles south of town off M-22. The access trail is steep, then levels out to a short hilltop loop with a Lake Michigan view. Plan on about an hour and a half.

Clay Cliffs About 1.5 miles of flat and hilly trail to a platform roughly 200 feet above Lake Michigan, with Lake Leelanau visible on the way.

Leelanau Historical Society Museum Rotating and permanent exhibits on the peninsula’s maritime, logging and farming past and Anishinaabek art, on Cedar Street.

The Manitou Islands, when the ferry returns The park expects the island docks to reopen in 2027, but service is not confirmed. Check our Sleeping Bear planner before you plan an island day.

One day, and two days

One day. Coffee in the village, then a morning in Fishtown: the shanties, the shops and the boats. Pick up sandwiches at the Cheese Shanty and smoked fish at Carlson’s for lunch on Van’s Beach. In the afternoon, hike Whaleback or Clay Cliffs, then have dinner on the patio at the Blue Bird or chowder and whitefish at The Cove.

Two days. Start the second day at the museum, then swim at Bartholomew Park on Lake Leelanau. In the afternoon, drive south on M-22 to Glen Arbor and the northern half of Sleeping Bear, or east on M-204 to Suttons Bay. Finish with dinner at the Leland Lodge.

With kids, and on a rainy day

With kids. Bartholomew Park has a dock and a picnic area on Lake Leelanau, and Suelzer Township Park, at the north end of North Lake Leelanau, has a playground and a dock. Hancock Field in town has a playground, a skate park and courts. Fishtown’s fish tugs and charter boats tie up along the river, and Dam Candy Store and Harbor House cover the treats.

On a rainy day. Spend an hour at the historical society museum, then the library on Cedar Street. Check the Old Art Building on Main Street for classes and shows, and browse Leelanau Books and the Fishtown shops. Adults can stop at the Grand Traverse Distillery tasting room, back in a larger space on Lake Street in 2026.

Best time to go

Summer is Leland’s season, when Fishtown is fully open and the harbor is busy.

• June. The Leland Wine & Food Festival fills the harbor one Saturday afternoon with Leelanau wineries, local food and live music. Locals treat it as the start of summer.
• July. The Fourth comes over two days: fireworks at Hancock Field Park around dusk on July 3 and a parade through downtown on the afternoon of the Fourth. The Old Art Building holds its Artists’ Market and the Art Leelanau show during the month, and the library runs a free summer lecture series. Book rooms early.
• August. Leland’s sidewalk sales come early in the month.

The shoulder seasons are quieter:

• Spring. Fishtown reopens in stages from April to late May, and cherry blossoms and orchards along M-22 usually peak in mid-May.
• Fall. M-22 is a color drive, and the village marks late October with a Friday evening event and a weekend of deals and treats downtown and in Fishtown.

We’d pick June for a first visit: Fishtown is open, the festival is on, and July’s crowds have not arrived.

Winter

Leland is very quiet in winter, and many Fishtown businesses close until spring.

• Stay and eat. The Leland Lodge lists its hotel, restaurant and bar as open all year. The Blue Bird took a winter break in early 2026, so call ahead.
• Snowshoe and ski. Houdek Dunes Natural Area, about five miles north on M-22, is open for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing on sandy, rolling trails.
• Ice fishing. Lake Leelanau is fished through the ice when it is safe. Check conditions and current DNR rules first.
• Holiday lights. Fishtown has been lit for the holidays from mid-December into early January. Check the Fishtown Preservation Society for this year’s plans.

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