An afternoon out of Petoskey
A Farm Day Trip From Petoskey Worth The Drive
Fifty six minutes inland from Petoskey there is a working farm with a reindeer herd, a Tibetan yak nobody else in Michigan has, and a different festival every Saturday. An afternoon, not a whole day.
Saturdays, 10am to 5pm · 6500 Nicklaus Drive, Gaylord, MI 49735 · Free parking
Why inland
Why It Is Worth The Drive From Petoskey
Petoskey is not short of a good Saturday. The state park, the Gaslight District and the tunnel of trees up M-119 are all closer. What none of them give you is an animal a six year old can put a hand on.
Animals The Bay Does Not Have
A reindeer herd you can stand next to. Tibetan yaks including Bud, the first white Tibetan yak in Michigan. Texas Longhorns and micro donkeys. Nothing within an hour of Little Traverse Bay has this, and it is the reason families drive inland instead of staying on the water.
One Ticket Covers The Farm
The animals, the hay wagon, the barrel train, the pedal kart track and that Saturday’s festival are all inside one ticket. Only food and the retail buildings are priced separately, so bring a card.
A Different Saturday Every Week
Honey Harvest, Farm Olympics, Apple Fest, Fall Colors On The Farm, Flannel and Bonfires, Pumpkin Fest, Halloween On The Farm. Come twice in October and the kids get two different days.
Straight talk
What About Pond Hill Farm?
If you live in Harbor Springs you already know Pond Hill, and it is a good farm. Fifteen minutes away, free to walk into, open both weekend days, with a u-pick patch and a corn maze. Wilderness Valley has none of those three. On a pumpkin-and-maze Saturday, Pond Hill is the easier call.
What sends families inland is the herd, at close range, with staff walking the animals out on halters so children can touch them. That is a different afternoon, not a better version of the same one.
The drive
Getting To The Farm From Petoskey
Fifty six minutes and forty four miles, and one turn worth writing down. Every time below is Google’s, measured this month, not ours.
The route. Out of Petoskey on US-131 south, east on M-32, then right onto Hayes Tower Rd, right onto Mancelona Rd and left onto Mt Frederick Rd. In October the M-32 stretch is the good part, hardwood on both sides most of the way to the Hayes Tower turn.
| Leaving From | Drive Time | Route Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Petoskey | 56 min 44 miles | US-131 south, then M-32 east. The turn people miss is Hayes Tower Rd. |
| Harbor Springs | 1 hr 11 min 54 miles | Down through Petoskey, then the same US-131 run. The longest on this list. |
| Bay Harbor | 1 hr 47 miles | US-131 south out of Petoskey. An hour on the nose. |
| Charlevoix | 1 hr 1 min 49 miles | M-66 south, then Mancelona Rd east. Skips US-131 entirely. |
| Boyne City | 44 min 35 miles | Hayes Tower Rd most of the way. Shortest run on Little Traverse Bay. |
| Boyne Falls | 35 min 29 miles | US-131 south, M-32 east, Hayes Tower Rd. Quickest on the table. |
| Indian River | 44 min 45 miles | Straight down I-75, then west. Nearly all freeway. |
| Cheboygan | 1 hr 5 min 68 miles | I-75 south the whole way. Break it in Indian River if you like. |
| Gaylord | 22 min 15 miles | Old US-27 south, then Mancelona Rd west. West of town, not in it. |
Address And Parking
6500 Nicklaus Drive, Gaylord, MI 49735
Parking is free and on site. No shuttle, no paid lot and no walk in from a field, which matters with a stroller or a grandparent.
Call the farm on 989-858-6859 if the weather looks marginal.
What Your GPS Will Say
Nicklaus Drive is a golf course address, so some phones announce the resort rather than the farm. Keep going. The farm entrance is signed off Nicklaus Drive itself.
The route never takes you into Gaylord. You leave M-32 at Hayes Tower Rd well before town, which surprises first time visitors.
The plan
Your Afternoon, Start To Finish
Out after lunch, home for dinner. A Petoskey family does not have to give up a Saturday to do this.
Noon: Lunch At Home, Then Go
You do not need the whole day. Feed everyone in Petoskey, leave around noon, and you are through the gate by one with four hours ahead of you.
One To Five: The Farm
Start at the animals while the children still have the patience for standing still, then let them loose on the pedal karts and the hay tower. The wagon runs all afternoon, with that Saturday’s festival on top.
Five: Home For Dinner
Back on M-32 by quarter past five and you are on the bay before seven. Nobody eats dinner in the car and nobody gets home after bedtime.
Choose your date
Pick Your Saturday
Ten fall Saturdays, then three in December. These are the ones left this season.
October 3, Apple Fest. Pressing, tasting and the orchard side of the farm. Apple Fest details
October 10, Fall Colors On The Farm. The M-32 drive peaks the same week.
October 17, Flannel And Bonfires.
October 24, Pumpkin Fest. Every guest takes a pumpkin home with admission, plus a painting station by the barn. The only Saturday the pumpkin is included. Pumpkin details
October 31, Halloween On The Farm. Costumes welcome. Halloween details
December 5, 12 and 19, Christmas At The Farm. The reindeer make more sense in December.
What it costs
Admission, And What Is In It
One ticket, everything on the farm for the day. No separate charge for the animals, the wagon or the karts.
| Adults, 14 to 59 | $15 |
| Seniors, 60 and over | $10 |
| Children, 3 to 13 | $10 |
| 2 and under | Free |
Common questions
Farm Day Trip From Petoskey: Common Questions
How far is Wilderness Valley Farm from Petoskey?
Fifty six minutes and forty four miles. US-131 south out of Petoskey, M-32 east, then off at Hayes Tower Rd before Gaylord. That is Google’s time with no traffic.
How far is it from Harbor Springs?
One hour and eleven minutes, fifty four miles, down through Petoskey to US-131. It is the longest drive of any town on Little Traverse Bay, so budget the extra quarter hour. Bay Harbor is one hour flat.
Is it worth the drive from Petoskey?
It depends what you want. For a pumpkin and a corn maze, Pond Hill Farm in Harbor Springs is fifteen minutes away, free and open both weekend days. What Wilderness Valley has that nothing near the bay has is the herd: reindeer, Tibetan yaks, Texas Longhorns and micro donkeys, close enough to touch.
Can we do it in an afternoon?
Yes, and that is how most Petoskey families do it. Leave after lunch, be at the gate by one, and you have four hours before the farm closes. Most visits run two to four hours.
When should we come in the fall?
Early to mid October, when the color on the M-32 stretch peaks. That lines up with Fall Colors On The Farm on October 10. If the pumpkin matters more, come October 24 for Pumpkin Fest, when it is included. The farm is open Saturdays only, so a Sunday trip is not an option.
Petoskey, It Is One Afternoon
Leave after lunch, let the kids put a hand on a reindeer, and be home for dinner on the bay. Saturdays, 10am to 5pm, through October 31.