📷 Photo by Dillon Austin on UnsplashTunnel of Trees and Michigan’s eastern Upper Peninsula
A canopy road above Lake Michigan, the Mackinac Bridge, Tahquamenon Falls and freighters at the Soo Locks.
- Distance
- 292 km (182 mi)
- Driving
- 3 h 15 min
- Suggested days
- 4
- Stops
- 9
- States
- MI
- Updated
- April 26, 2026
At a glance: 4-day road trip of about 292 km (182 mi) with 9 stops, from Petoskey to Sault Ste. Marie. About 3 h 15 min of driving in total.
More road trips in Michigan
Route description
Start in Petoskey, where you can hunt for fossil Petoskey stones on the beach, and drive around Little Traverse Bay to Harbor Springs. Here begins M-119, the Tunnel of Trees, a 20-mile road with no center line and 137 curves under a canopy of beech and maple, with glimpses of Lake Michigan.
From Cross Village take the back roads past Wilderness State Park to Mackinaw City. Ferries leave from here for car-free Mackinac Island. Then cross the five-mile Mackinac Bridge to St. Ignace; in high winds the bridge authority may escort trucks, trailers and RVs.
Drive north on I-75 and State Road 123 through forest and bogs to Tahquamenon Falls State Park, with the wide Upper Falls and the Lower Falls, where you can rent a rowboat. Continue to Whitefish Point, where the Shipwreck Museum tells of the Edmund Fitzgerald and other wrecks on Lake Superior.
Finish in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan’s oldest town, where freighters pass through the Soo Locks. Large RVs should bypass M-119 via US-31. The Tunnel of Trees is at its best in early October and the UP’s season runs from late May to mid-October.
Stop-by-stop itinerary
In driving order. Distances are estimates between consecutive stops.
- 1Start
Petoskey
MI - 29 km
Harbor Springs
MI - 315 km
Tunnel of Trees (M-119)
ViewsGood Hart, MIA narrow, winding road under a canopy of hardwoods on the bluff above Lake Michigan. There is no center line; big RVs should skip it.
- 446 km
Mackinaw City
MI - 55 km
Mackinac Bridge
ViewsMackinaw City, MIA five-mile suspension bridge linking Michigan's two peninsulas. Ferries to car-free Mackinac Island leave nearby.
- 6112 km
Tahquamenon Falls
NatureParadise, MIA 200-foot-wide waterfall colored root-beer brown by tannins, with the Lower Falls four miles downstream. A lovely trail links both.
- 738 km
Whitefish Point Light and Shipwreck Museum
HistoryParadise, MIThe oldest active light on Lake Superior and a museum that displays the bell of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Also a major spring bird migration spot.
- 866 km
Soo Locks
OdditiesSault Ste. Marie, MIWatch 1,000-foot freighters rise and drop between Lake Superior and Lake Huron from the free viewing platform.
- 91 km
Sault Ste. Marie
MI
Suggested stages and overnight stops
4 days, split by driving time. Campsites from OpenStreetMap: check opening dates before you go.
- Day 1: Petoskey → Mackinac Bridge · 46 mi · 0 h 50 minOn the way: Harbor Springs, Tunnel of Trees (M-119), Mackinaw City.Overnight nearby, for example: Tiki RV Park (4 mi); Castle Rock Campark (6 mi).
- Day 2: Mackinac Bridge → Tahquamenon Falls · 70 mi · 1 h 15 minOvernight nearby, for example: Pike Lake State Forest Campground-Luce (9 mi); Bodi Lake State Forest Campground (10 mi).
- Day 3: Tahquamenon Falls → Whitefish Point Light and Shipwreck Museum · 23 mi · 0 h 25 minOvernight nearby, for example: Andrus Lake State Forest Campground (6 mi); Shelldrake Dam State Forest Campground (6 mi).
- Day 4: Whitefish Point Light and Shipwreck Museum → Sault Ste. Marie · 42 mi · 0 h 45 minOn the way: Soo Locks.Overnight nearby, for example: Aune-Osborn Campground (2 mi); Kewadin RV Park (2 mi).
Best time to go
The most pleasant months are usually May–June and September. Still fine, with some compromises, in July–August and October. Cold, short days in December–March. July and August are the busiest months: book campsites early.
Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons
FAQs
How long is Tunnel of Trees and Michigan’s eastern Upper Peninsula?
4-day road trip of about 292 km (182 mi) with 9 stops, from Petoskey to Sault Ste. Marie. About 3 h 15 min of driving in total.
How many days do you need for Tunnel of Trees and Michigan’s eastern Upper Peninsula?
We suggest 4 days: about 3 h 15 min of driving, which leaves time for the stops.
Where does Tunnel of Trees and Michigan’s eastern Upper Peninsula start and end?
It starts in Petoskey and ends in Sault Ste. Marie.
Which states does Tunnel of Trees and Michigan’s eastern Upper Peninsula pass through?
Michigan.
Where can you camp along Tunnel of Trees and Michigan’s eastern Upper Peninsula?
OpenStreetMap lists 67 campsites and motorhome stopovers within 19 mi of the stops on this route. For example: Tiki RV Park, Castle Rock Campark and Aune-Osborn Campground.
When is the best time for Tunnel of Trees and Michigan’s eastern Upper Peninsula?
The most pleasant months are usually May–June and September. Still fine, with some compromises, in July–August and October. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)
