Leland is a small village on the Lake Michigan side of the Leelanau Peninsula, about 25 miles northwest of Traverse City, and it is worth the drive for Fishtown alone. The historic district sits where the Leland River tumbles down to the lake, and the cluster of grey-weathered shacks, net sheds, and docks strung along the water is the most atmospheric spot in the region.
Fishtown is one of the last surviving commercial fishing villages on the Great Lakes, with structures dating from the late 19th century. The fishing families who worked these docks through most of the 20th century are mostly gone now, but the buildings have been preserved as a historic district, and a handful of the shacks still house working fishers alongside shops and a smokehouse. Carlson's Fisheries has been selling smoked whitefish and trout from the same dock for generations — buy some for the drive back.
Leland is also a jumping-off point for the wider region. The Manitou Island ferry departs from the dock here, connecting to North and South Manitou Islands within Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. A day trip to South Manitou, with its old lighthouse and wild dunes, is one of the most remote and rewarding excursions in northern Michigan; the ferry runs seasonally, so check times in advance. Beyond Fishtown, the village has a handful of galleries and restaurants and a quiet harbour, making it a natural lunch stop on any tour of the Leelanau Peninsula.