Traverse City & Leelanau, Michigan
Up North Michigan Vacation Rentals
Nine places to stay in Traverse City and Leelanau, hosted by locals who live here year round
You Know the Hand Thing
Every Michigander has done it. Someone asks where you're going this weekend, you hold up your left hand, point somewhere above the knuckles, and say "up north." No further explanation needed. Nobody means a specific town or county. They mean the stretch of the drive where the billboards thin out and the pines take over.
Where the line sits is a permanent argument. Clare calls itself the gateway. Some people say it's the 45th parallel, the halfway mark between the equator and the North Pole, which crosses just north of Traverse City. My own test is simpler: if the gas station sells night crawlers and fudge under the same roof, you've arrived.
I'm Carrie, and my family hosts nine rentals here at the base of the pinky, where Grand Traverse Bay splits Leelanau from Old Mission. This page is the honest pitch for why this corner of up north makes the best home base, and which of our places fits the trip you're actually planning.
Why Traverse City Is the Up North Base
Plenty of up north towns are perfect for an afternoon. The trouble starts at 7 pm when the one restaurant has a 90 minute wait and the grocery store closed at 6. Traverse City is the rare spot that keeps the setting and adds the rest: two arms of a bay that turns turquoise in July, Sleeping Bear Dunes 30 to 40 minutes west, wineries up both peninsulas, and a downtown where dinner is a decision instead of a search.
From here, the classics are all day trips. M-22 around Leelanau, with stops in Suttons Bay, Leland, Glen Arbor, and Empire. The Dune Climb and the Lake Michigan overlooks. The Leelanau wine trail. You sleep in one bed all week and point the car a different direction each morning.
If you're still comparing neighborhoods and towns, our where to stay in Traverse City guide breaks the area down street by street.
Nine Rentals, Four Kinds of Up North Trip
"Up north" means a different picture to everyone, so we've grouped our places by the trip people are actually planning. Every one of them is on our properties page if you'd rather browse the full list.
The Cabin in the Woods
For a lot of people, up north means one specific picture: a cabin surrounded by trees, a fire going, nobody around. That's the A-Frame.
The Walkable Small-City Stay
The other version of up north skips the gravel road. You want a small city where you can walk to coffee, dinner, and a tasting room, then drive 30 minutes to dunes and wineries. Three of our places do exactly that.
Historic Hearth
1 BR · 1 bath · sleeps 2 · Grand Traverse Commons
A restored condo inside Building 50 at the Village at Grand Traverse Commons, the 1885 landmark turned neighborhood. Dinner at Trattoria Stella and wine at Left Foot Charley are a walk downstairs. Built for couples.
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Spiral Sanctuary
2 BR + loft · 2 bath · sleeps 6 · Grand Traverse Commons
Also in Building 50, with a rooftop deck and room for six. Same walk-to-everything setup as Historic Hearth, sized for a family or two couples.
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Midtown Square
1 BR · 1 bath · sleeps 4 · Midtown, Traverse City
A modern condo in Midtown with a sofa sleeper for extra guests. Rare Bird is a 3 minute walk, the TART Trail is 6, and downtown Front Street is about 10.
View property →The Trail-and-Bay Townhouses
Four townhouses side by side on one block in the North Boardman neighborhood, each sleeping 6. The TART Trail runs past the front doors, downtown is a 10 minute walk, and the bay beach is about 12. Take one unit, or take all four and put 24 people on the same street.
Trailside Townhouse
2 BR + loft · 2 bath · sleeps 6 · North Boardman
Direct TART Trail access and a garage for bikes and gear.
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TART Trail Townhouse
2 BR + loft · 2 bath · sleeps 6 · North Boardman
Step out the door and you're on the trail. Open floor plan that works as the group's gathering spot.
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Boardman Basecamp
3 BR · 2 bath · sleeps 6 · North Boardman
Three true bedrooms, good for the couples or grandparents who want doors to close.
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North Boardman Townhouse
2 BR + loft · 2 bath · sleeps 6 · North Boardman
Open-concept main floor, patio, and garage. Same block, room for six more of your people.
View property →The Family Home Base
Some up north trips need a real house: full kitchen, separate bedrooms, a yard, and a quiet street where kids can ride bikes after dinner.
Bringing the whole crew? The townhouses have their own page: group vacation rentals in Traverse City. And the neighborhoods each have a guide: Lake Ann, the Commons, North Boardman, and Holiday Hills.
Up North, Season by Season
The old pattern was Memorial Day to Labor Day, then lock the cottage. That's gone. All nine of our rentals run year round, and each season here is a different trip.
Summer
June to AugustBay season. Swim at Clinch Park or drive out to the Lake Michigan beaches, then eat dinner on a patio downtown. By July the bay turns a clear turquoise that surprises first-time visitors. Our beach rundown covers where to swim and when each spot is at its best.
Best beaches in Traverse City →Fall
Late September to late OctoberThe drive everyone comes for: M-22 around the Leelanau Peninsula and M-37 up Old Mission, when the hardwoods turn and the vineyards go gold. Color usually peaks here in the second and third weeks of October. Book early; fall weekends sell out almost as fast as summer now.
Fall color guide with peak dates and routes →Winter
December to MarchLake-effect snow turns the whole region into a quiet, white version of itself. Ski Hickory Hills or Crystal Mountain, cross-country the VASA, then thaw out in the A-Frame hot tub or walk to dinner downtown. Rates are lower and the crowds are gone.
Winter in Traverse City →Spring
April to MayThe sleeper season. Cherry blossoms cover Old Mission and Leelanau in mid-May, morel hunters go quiet about their spots, and you can get a summer-quality weekend at a spring price. If you have flexibility, this is the best value on the calendar.
Cherry blossom season guide →
The Up North Way to Book: Direct With the Host
The old cottage rentals worked on a phone call and a handshake. We've kept the spirit and modernized the plumbing: every property books on book.roostnorth.com, and you deal with us from the first question to checkout. Best price, best service, booked direct with the host.
In practice that means the person answering your message is the person who knows which beach is calm on a north-wind day and which restaurant takes walk-ins on a Friday. Stay minimums run 3-4 nights in peak season, sometimes relaxed to 2-3 nights closer to the dates. The full case is on our why book direct page.
Up North Michigan Vacation Rentals: Frequently Asked Questions
Where exactly is "up north" in Michigan?
There is no official line, and Michiganders argue about it constantly. Most agree you are up north somewhere past Clare on US-127 or Cadillac on US-131, and everyone agrees you are up north by the time you reach Traverse City. The 45th parallel, the halfway point between the equator and the North Pole, crosses just north of town. On the hand map, Traverse City sits at the base of the little finger, where Grand Traverse Bay splits the Leelanau Peninsula from Old Mission.
Why stay in Traverse City instead of a smaller up north town?
Traverse City gives you the up north setting with real amenities: two arms of Grand Traverse Bay, Sleeping Bear Dunes about 30 to 40 minutes west, two wine peninsulas, and a downtown with restaurants and shops that stay open year round. Smaller towns are wonderful for an afternoon, but most have a handful of dinner options and limited lodging. From Traverse City you can day-trip to all of them and still walk to a good meal at night.
When should I book an up north rental for summer?
For July and August weekends, book in winter or early spring. Cherry Festival week and mid-summer Saturdays go first. We usually have 3-4 night minimums in peak season, sometimes relaxed to 2-3 nights closer to the dates, so a flexible midweek stay is the easiest way into a busy stretch.
Which rental is closest to Sleeping Bear Dunes?
The Roost A-Frame in Lake Ann. It is 28 minutes from Empire Beach, 26 from the Empire Bluff Trail, and 31 from the Dune Climb, with a private hot tub and firepit waiting when you get back. It is the natural pick for a dunes-focused trip.
Can you host a large group or family reunion?
Yes. Our four North Boardman townhouses sit side by side on one block and sleep up to 24 guests total, 6 per unit, each with its own kitchen, bathrooms, and laundry. Contact us before booking multiple units and we will line up the calendars for your dates.
What does booking direct mean?
It means you book on book.roostnorth.com and work with us, the local hosts, from the first message to checkout. Best price, best service, booked direct with the host. No call center, and one person to text for restaurant tips, early check-in questions, or an extra pack-and-play.
Book Your Up North Stay
Nine rentals at the base of the pinky, from a cabin in the woods to a block of townhouses near the bay. Pick your dates and your trip style.
Best price, best service, booked direct with the host