The Tunnel of Trees: Good Hart and Cross Village

One of the most beautiful drives in America runs through this stretch of Emmet County. It’s the Tunnel of Trees, a narrow, winding 20-mile run of M-119. The road heads north from Harbor Springs along a high bluff over Lake Michigan. It threads through a dense canopy of hardwoods, with the lake flashing through the trees. In spring you get a carpet of white trillium. In fall, blazing color. The townships it passes through are Friendship, Readmond, and Cross Village. All three are quiet, wooded, and largely undeveloped.

Along the way is Good Hart, a tiny hamlet of just a few buildings. It’s anchored by the beloved Good Hart General Store. That grocery-bakery-post-office has been a landmark since the 1930s. At the north end sits Cross Village, an old Odawa settlement once known as L’Arbre Croche, “the crooked tree.” It’s home to Legs Inn, a famous Polish restaurant built of stone and timber. You’ll also find small galleries and Lake Michigan beaches. This whole shore has deep Native American roots.

For buyers, this is some of the most scenic property in northern Michigan. It’s also some of the most tightly held. Lots are wooded and private, and shoreline is rare and pricey. There are few services nearby. So people come here for quiet and beauty rather than convenience. Homes are on wells and septic (see the well-and-septic note). And the road is narrow and shoulderless, so think carefully about your driveway and winter access.