You Cannot Miss Us. Well, You Can. Here Is How Not To.
Wilderness Valley Farm is in the woods of Otsego County, Northern Michigan, about twenty minutes west of downtown Gaylord. Wherever you are starting from, the address below is all your GPS needs.
Pick Your Starting Point
Every route below ends at the same gravel drive. Tap your town for turn-by-turn directions with your starting point already filled in.
Head west out of downtown Gaylord and follow the county roads into the woods of western Otsego County. Twenty minutes door to gate, and the drive itself is half the charm.
Turn-by-turn from Gaylord →Take I-75 North toward Gaylord, then head west toward the farm. Under an hour, and an easy add to a Grayling weekend on the AuSable.
Turn-by-turn from Grayling →Follow US-131 South through Walloon Lake country toward Boyne Falls, then work east into Otsego County. Under an hour from Petoskey’s Gaslight District to the farm gate.
Turn-by-turn from Petoskey →Drop south through Petoskey and pick up US-131 toward Boyne Falls, then east to the farm. A classic Up North day trip in reverse.
Turn-by-turn from Harbor Springs →Head out past Boyne Mountain at Boyne Falls and continue east into the Otsego County woods. Under an hour from the Boyne City marina to the reindeer.
Turn-by-turn from Boyne City →Take M-72 East or US-131 North depending on your side of town, and aim for western Otsego County. Make it a full day: the farm, then dinner back in TC.
Turn-by-turn from Traverse City →You are closer than you think. Head northeast off US-131 or M-88 into western Otsego County and follow the signs for Nicklaus Drive.
Turn-by-turn from Mancelona →Follow M-32 West across the top of the Lower Peninsula, through Atlanta and into Gaylord, then continue west to the farm. Sunrise-side families, this one is for you.
Turn-by-turn from Alpena →Take I-75 South past Indian River and Vanderbilt toward Gaylord, then west into the woods. The reindeer are worth the trip down.
Turn-by-turn from Cheboygan →Straight down I-75 South from the bridge to Gaylord, then west to the farm. Pair it with the drive home from a Mackinac trip and end the vacation with a yak.
Turn-by-turn from Mackinaw City →The Last Quarter Mile
One important note: Nicklaus Drive is also home to a golf resort, so your GPS may mention Black Forest & Wilderness Valley Golf Resort as you get close. Keep following signs for Wilderness Valley Farm and pull into the farm’s marked parking area. Parking is free and on-site, steps from the gate.
Travel Questions
6500 Nicklaus Drive, Gaylord, MI 49735. If your GPS offers the golf resort on the same road, keep going and follow the signs for Wilderness Valley Farm.
About twenty minutes west of downtown Gaylord, in the woods of western Otsego County.
Yes. Free on-site parking in the farm’s marked lot, steps from the entrance gate.
Yes. Petoskey and Boyne City are under an hour away, and Traverse City families regularly make it a full farm day. Tap your town above for exact turn-by-turn directions.
I-75 if you are coming north or south through Grayling or Gaylord, US-131 from the Petoskey and Boyne Falls side, and M-32 from Alpena and the east. All three funnel toward western Otsego County.
The farm is open Saturdays from 10am to 5pm during the season. Buying tickets online before you leave is the fastest way through the gate.
Now That You Know The Way