Tunnel of Trees Michigan: What’s Open, What’s Closed, and How to Drive It in Fall 2026

Last Updated: September 2026

Michigan’s Tunnel of Trees is the stretch of M-119 running north from Harbor Springs to Cross Village along a bluff above Lake Michigan, and as of September 2026, more of it is open again. Two washed-out sections have been repaired and reopened, but two remain closed to through traffic: Devil’s Elbow south of Good Hart, and the complete washout near Division Road, which MDOT expects to stay closed until summer 2027.

The good news: the drive is still absolutely worth doing, and nearly every business along the route is still reachable. You just need to know which way to go. I’ve driven this road in summer when the canopy blocks the sky and in October when the maples turn all at once, and I’ve spent the last few weeks tracking what’s open as the detours shift.

⚠️ ROAD STATUS: The closed sections are open to local traffic only, meaning residents and people reaching businesses inside them. Detours are signed and every stop below is still reachable. Check MDOT’s MiDrive road map the morning you go, and call ahead before you count on any single business.

How to Use This Guide Right Now

This guide is organized around the closures rather than around the old start-to-finish route, because that’s the decision you actually have to make before you leave the house. The first section covers what reopened, where the road is still closed, what the detours are, and which businesses sit on each side.

After that it runs the way the drive does — Harbor Springs north through Good Hart to Cross Village — with the stops worth slowing down for and notes on which ones need a detour. If you’re short on time, protect two things: a walk in at Woollam and a long lunch at Legs Inn.

Tunnel of Trees Road Closures and Detours

Two major sections of M-119 are now open again, and two remain closed to through traffic. Historic April flooding and a heavy rain event on June 29, 2026 left six washouts along the Tunnel of Trees, and four were serious enough to close the road.

What Reopened

M-119 near West Stutsmanville Road reopened on September 3, 2026. The slope beneath the road collapsed in April, and a $300,000 repair added a new retaining wall along two segments and new guardrail. Expect single-lane closures with traffic regulators while crews finish the restoration work.

M-119 at South Lamkin Road, known locally as Ball Hill, fully reopened in August after a June 29 washout.

Still Closed: Devil’s Elbow and the Good Hart Detour

Devil’s Elbow has been closed since the June 29 washout, and a sheer cliff now comes right up to the roadway. MDOT has said it will stay closed for the foreseeable future, because the damage extends far down the slope beyond the state’s right-of-way, and an earlier stabilization attempt was washed away by another storm in late July.

The detour runs on West Stutsmanville Road, Townline Road, Church Road, and Robinson Road into Good Hart, and it’s signed. Don’t try to drive past the closure signs. There are concrete barriers on both sides, and the road is so narrow that turning around is difficult once you’re in there.

Still Closed: Division Road and Getting to Cross Village

Near Division Road, the road washed away completely on April 13, and MDOT is still in the design and hydraulic analysis stage. This section is expected to stay closed until summer 2027. Traffic is detoured on Island View Road and North State Road.

For Cross Village, skip that part of M-119 and take State Road north from Harbor Springs. Legs Inn points visitors to State Road (C-77) or Levering Road (C-66) from the south. This is the route to use if Legs Inn is your destination.

Longer term, MDOT plans to hire a consultant to study erosion, drainage, and slope stability along the whole Tunnel of Trees, so expect this road to keep changing over the next few years.

What’s Still Open Along M-119

South of the closures, reached normally on M-119 north of Harbor Springs: Thorne Swift Nature Preserve, Pond Hill Farm, OTIS Harbor Springs, Birchwood Farms Golf & Country Club, Ahrens Gallery & Studio, Brek-n-Ridge Farm, and Little Big.

Near Good Hart, reached by the detour: the Good Hart General Store, A Studio, Woollam Family Nature Preserve, Turtle Moon Farm, Goodhart Artist Residency, and Graham Real Estate. Trillium Woods Coffee, which had to close during the washouts, has reopened, but access is limited and traffic isn’t allowed past it.

Near Cross Village, reached via State Road: Legs Inn, Crow’s Nest Restaurant, Three Pines Studio, Black Barn Farm, Peninsulas Gift Shop, The Village Mart, and the Curio Shop.

The Petoskey Area Visitors Bureau closure page keeps the business list and detour map updated, and MiDrive shows live road conditions.

About the Tunnel of Trees Scenic Drive

The Tunnel of Trees Scenic Heritage Route follows M-119 along the northwest coast of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula in Emmet County, hugging a bluff above Lake Michigan from Harbor Springs north to Cross Village. It’s one of Michigan’s Pure Michigan Byways, and the road narrows considerably once you leave Harbor Springs — from there it weaves beneath a canopy of hardwoods and cedars most of the way north.

Much of M-119 is so narrow it carries no painted centerline. The road winds, the shoulders are thin, and there are tight bends with limited sightlines. It’s not suitable for RVs or large vehicles, and even in a standard car you’ll want both hands on the wheel. Keep your speed well under the 45 mph posted limit on the curves, watch for cyclists, and respect the private property lining the route.

Along the way you’ll catch glimpses of Lake Michigan, and on clear days you can pick out Beaver Island far offshore. The lake views come and go between the trees, which makes each one feel earned.

How Long Does the Tunnel of Trees Drive Take?

Driven straight through at the posted limit with no closures, the Harbor Springs to Cross Village run takes about 40 minutes. With the current detours in place, budget 3 to 4 hours for a version of the drive that still feels worth it — the reroutes add mileage, and you’ll be doubling back rather than making one clean north-south run.

Weekdays are noticeably quieter than weekends, and that matters more than usual right now — the detour roads are narrow and carrying traffic they weren’t built for, and the reopened section near Stutsmanville still has single-lane work zones. During peak fall color, typically the second and third weeks of October, plan a Wednesday or Thursday, since Legs Inn is closed Tuesdays, and leave early. The morning light through the canopy is worth it anyway.

Where to Start the Drive

Start in Harbor Springs and drive north. Heading north opens the lake views more consistently and puts the best stops in a natural sequence. It also matters logistically right now: both detour options begin from the Harbor Springs side, so starting there gives you the choice of the Good Hart reroute or the State Road run to Cross Village.

Coming from the south, pick up M-119 just east of Petoskey off US-31. Allow time in Harbor Springs first — it’s a far better place to fuel up and grab food than anywhere north of it.

💡 PRO TIP: Screenshot the current detour map from the Petoskey Area Visitors Bureau before you leave Harbor Springs. Cell service drops out in stretches along this corridor, and the Good Hart reroute involves several turns onto county roads — not something you want to be guessing at with no signal.

Where to Stop Along the Tunnel of Trees

Thorne Swift Nature Preserve

Thorne Swift Nature Preserve sits 3.8 miles northwest of Harbor Springs on Lower Shore Drive — south of the closures, reachable on M-119 as normal. Short trails run through cedar swamp and hardwood forest to a dune observation deck and down to the Lake Michigan beach, manageable with kids in well under an hour. Elizabeth Kennedy donated the property to Little Traverse Conservancy in 1981.

Lady’s Slipper orchids grow here in spring. I walked past one twice before a naturalist pointed it out, which is how I know it’s easy to miss.

Pond Hill Farm

Pond Hill Farm is a rustic farm café, market, and seasonal activity hub just off M-119 — south of the closures and open as normal. Trails, a market stocked with local jams and wine, and a kitchen making the kind of food you want after a morning outside. In winter it runs fat tire biking and skiing on a trail loop, one of the few reasons to drive this corridor in January. Give it an hour, and see my full Pond Hill Farm guide for more.

Good Hart General Store

The Good Hart General Store is a proper stop, not a stretch break, and it’s open — you just have to take the detour to reach it. Michigan-made gifts, apparel, and the gourmet pot pies people come back for specifically. A landmark on this drive for decades. Allow 20 minutes and expect to leave with more than you planned to buy.

Trillium Woods Coffee

Worth knowing about specifically because of how the closures work. Trillium Woods Coffee had to close during the washouts and has since reopened, but access is limited, and traffic is not permitted past it. It’s a natural turnaround point if you’re not doing the full detour into Good Hart.

Saint Ignatius Catholic Church at Good Hart

A small historic mission church in the Good Hart area, tied to the L’Arbre Croche Odawa community that has lived along this shoreline for generations. The setting — a chapel with a Native American burial ground alongside it — is quiet in a way that stays with you, and a path leads from the church down to one of the most secluded stretches of public beach on the route.

This is one of my go-to spots. I’ve brought people here who didn’t know it existed and watched them go quiet for a while, which is usually the right reaction. Access depends on which side of the barricades you approach from — check MiDrive first.

Readmond Township Park

A pull-over with Lake Michigan access that rewards sunset and rock hunting more than swimming — there are a lot of large rocks along the waterline. As a place to watch a Lake Michigan sunset with almost nobody around, it’s hard to beat. Confirm access on MiDrive first; it sits in the stretch affected by the closures.

Woollam Family Nature Preserve

Woollam Family Nature Preserve is the best swimming beach on the drive: 3,300 feet of Lake Michigan frontage across 69 acres, reached by a walk in from a parking area that’s easy to miss. It’s 18.7 miles north of Harbor Springs on M-119, lot on the west side, or about 1.7 miles south of Cross Village. Beech-maple hardwoods near the road give way to upland conifers as you near the water.

This is the stop I plan a whole day around. Pack a lunch, bring a towel — and leave the dog at home, because dogs and horses aren’t allowed here at all. That rule catches people out constantly, and it isn’t seasonal.

More Conservancy Preserves Along M-119

Little Traverse Conservancy protects several smaller preserves along this corridor, including Five Mile Creek, Hoogland Family, and the Goodhart Scenic Preserve. These are the quiet ones — rarely crowded, free, good for a leg-stretch. Not all Conservancy properties have marked trails or parking, so check the Emmet County preserve list first.

What to Do in Cross Village

Legs Inn

Legs Inn is open, and it’s the single best reason to drive north on State Road right now. Polish and American food in a hand-built interior unlike anything else in northern Michigan — driftwood, roots, and carved stonework on every surface. Polish immigrant Stanley Smolak settled in Cross Village in 1921, and in the 1930s he enlisted Odawa and other local residents to build the inn from gathered timber and stone. Order the pierogi or the Great Lakes whitefish, and give it a long lunch.

Plan your fall trip around its season: Legs Inn is open noon to 8 p.m. and closed Tuesdays, and its 2026 season ends October 25. That’s just after typical peak color, so an October trip still works, but don’t leave it for the last weekend of the month.

Crow’s Nest Restaurant

Open and a solid backup if Legs Inn has a wait, which it often does in season, or if you land on a Tuesday. Casual, unfussy, and a much shorter line — the Crow’s Nest listing on the Petoskey Area site has current details, and it’s worth knowing about before you drive all the way to Cross Village.

Three Pines Studio and Gallery

Three Pines Studio is a quiet art studio and gallery in Cross Village, currently open. Good for browsing original work and craft supplies in a peaceful setting. Worth 20 minutes if art is your thing, easy to skip if it isn’t.

Black Barn Farm

Black Barn Farm sells naturally grown vegetables, flowers, herbs, eggs, and homemade pastas and pesto, and it’s open. Worth a stop if the stand is staffed — the pastas travel well and beat anything in a grocery store. Peninsulas Gift Shop, The Village Mart, and the Curio Shop are open in the village too.

Sturgeon Bay

A few miles north of Cross Village, Sturgeon Bay at Wilderness State Park offers three miles of sand and dunes — one of the most remote and least-crowded stretches of Lake Michigan beach in the Lower Peninsula. Worth the extra miles if you want to finish the day with a proper swim, and it sits well clear of the closures. You’ll need a Michigan Recreation Passport for your vehicle.

Side Trips: Harbor Springs & Petoskey

Things to Do in Harbor Springs

Harbor Springs is worth an hour, and with detours eating into the day it’s a smart place to build in extra time. Walk Main Street for the shops, stop at American Spoon for Michigan-made preserves, and grab a Tom’s Mom’s Cookie. Zoll Street Beach sits on Little Traverse Bay for a quick swim before you head north. OTIS Harbor Springs and Birchwood Farms Golf & Country Club are both open north of town.

• American Spoon — Main Street, Harbor Springs
• Harbor Springs Lyric Theatre — classic and current films in a small-town theater on Main Street
• Stafford’s Pier Restaurant & Pointer Boat Tour — lakeside dining and a guided cruise of Little Traverse Bay

Things to Do in Petoskey

Petoskey sits on Little Traverse Bay just east of where M-119 begins. The historic Gaslight District and Bayfront Park are both worth time — and with the drive shortened by closures, Petoskey is the obvious place to spend the hours you get back. See my full Petoskey travel guide.

Where to Go After Cross Village

Cross Village is the northern end of the route, but the drive doesn’t have to stop there. Continue north to Sturgeon Bay and on to Mackinaw City — from there, the ferry for things to do on Mackinac Island or the Mackinac Bridge into the Upper Peninsula. With the closures making this a half-day rather than a full one, pairing it with Mackinac makes more sense than ever.

Before you leave Cross Village, look for the tall white cross on the bluff above Lake Michigan. It catches you off guard, and it’s a reminder that this shoreline has been drawing people north for a very long time — longer than the road, and longer than whatever it takes to rebuild it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Tunnel of Trees open right now?

Mostly, with two closures. As of September 2026, M-119 has reopened near West Stutsmanville Road and at Ball Hill, but it remains closed to through traffic at Devil’s Elbow south of Good Hart and near Division Road. Detours are in place, and nearly every business along the route is still reachable.

What is the Tunnel of Trees detour?

For Devil’s Elbow, traffic is detoured on West Stutsmanville Road, Townline Road, Church Road, and Robinson Road into Good Hart. For the Division Road closure, the detour uses Island View Road and North State Road, and State Road north from Harbor Springs is the easiest way to Cross Village.

When will the Tunnel of Trees fully reopen?

Not soon. MDOT expects the Division Road section to stay closed until summer 2027, and it has given no firm timeline for Devil’s Elbow, where the damage extends far down the slope.

Is Legs Inn open during the road closure?

Yes. Legs Inn in Cross Village is open noon to 8 p.m., closed Tuesdays, through October 25, 2026. Reach it by State Road or Levering Road from the south rather than M-119.

Where does the Tunnel of Trees start and end?

The Tunnel of Trees runs along M-119 from Harbor Springs north to Cross Village, on the northwest coast of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula in Emmet County. Most visitors start in Harbor Springs and drive north.

How long does the Tunnel of Trees drive take?

Without closures, about 40 minutes driven straight through at the posted 45 mph limit, or 2 to 3 hours with stops. With the current detours in place, budget 3 to 4 hours to see both the Good Hart side and Cross Village.

Are dogs allowed at the Tunnel of Trees nature preserves?

Not at the two best-known ones. Little Traverse Conservancy prohibits dogs at both Woollam Family Nature Preserve and Thorne Swift Nature Preserve. Check the Conservancy’s preserve rules before bringing a dog to any property along M-119.

When is the best time to drive the Tunnel of Trees?

Fall color typically peaks in the second and third weeks of October and is the most popular time. Spring trillium blooms in late April and May are beautiful and far less crowded, and summer offers the fullest canopy. Weekdays are much quieter than weekends, which matters more than usual while detours route traffic onto narrow county roads.

Can you still see the tree canopy with parts of the road closed?

Yes. The stretch of M-119 running north out of Harbor Springs is open and canopied, and the Stutsmanville Road and Ball Hill sections have reopened. You lose the Devil’s Elbow and Division Road sections, not the canopy itself.

Where can I check current Tunnel of Trees road conditions?

Two places. The MDOT MiDrive map shows live state highway closures, and the Petoskey Area Visitors Bureau maintains a Tunnel of Trees closure page with a detour map and a list of open businesses. Check both the morning you travel, because the closures have changed several times this year.

Is there a fee to drive the Tunnel of Trees?

No. M-119 is a public state highway with no toll or pass required, and the Little Traverse Conservancy preserves along it are free. Sturgeon Bay sits inside Wilderness State Park, which requires a Michigan Recreation Passport for vehicle entry.

Can RVs drive the Tunnel of Trees?

No. M-119 is narrow and winding with tight bends, thin shoulders, and long stretches with no painted centerline. It is not suitable for RVs, trailers, or large vehicles even when fully open, and the current detour roads are no better.