Old Mission Peninsula (M-37)

A 17-mile state highway running the full length of Old Mission Peninsula from Traverse City north to the 1870 Mission Point Lighthouse, designated a Michigan State Scenic Byway (2008) and a Pure Michigan Heritage Route. The road passes orchards, vineyards, and bluffs rising up to 200 feet above both East and West Grand Traverse Bay with panoramic water views. The peninsula sits on the 45th parallel — halfway between the equator and the North Pole — and its microclimate supports cherry and wine-grape agriculture that lines the route. Motorcycle-specific itineraries pairing M-37 with M-22 and US-31 are promoted by northern Michigan tourism organizations.