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M-119Northern Lower Peninsula, Michigan

Tunnel of Trees

Narrow and blind — a road to savor, not attack

Distance
20mi approx
Drive time
45 minutes
Start
Harbor Springs, MI
End
Cross Village, MI
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The road

The most famous stretch of pavement in Michigan, and the least suited to speed. M-119 north of Harbor Springs narrows to roughly a lane and a half with no center line, hugging the bluff above Lake Michigan while hardwoods close overhead. It is short, and it takes longer than the mileage suggests.

Worth knowing

  • No center line for most of its length — the road is genuinely that narrow
  • Tree canopy closes overhead almost the whole way
  • Lake Michigan drops away through the trees on the west side
  • Good Hart General Store roughly halfway, and Legs Inn at the Cross Village end

Before you go

  • There is nowhere to pass and no shoulder to speak of. Following a slow car is part of the route.
  • Blind driveways and cyclists throughout, and the canopy keeps the surface damp long after rain.
  • Peak color weekends bring bumper-to-bumper traffic. Go early or go midweek.

Best season

Late September into October for color; closed-in and green all summer