Traverse City Named Best Underrated Town in Michigan

Michigan’s most overlooked town boasts lakes, wineries and fun!

Of course, we know why we love Traverse City, Michigan, but what do others have to say about one of Michigan's most picturesque destinations?

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What comes to mind when you think of Traverse City?

Cherries, Michigan-made wines, and the beautiful blue waters of the Grand Traverse Bay are the first things I think of. And don't forget the World's Largest Cherry Pie tin! However, we Michiganders know Traverse City is about so much more than cherries.

Note: don't forget about about the other world record holding cherry pie tin located in nearby Charlevoix.

A 2025 report from lifestyle website Cheapism uncovered the most underrated towns in each U.S. state and out of all the places they could have picked in Michigan, Traverse City was chosen:

Visit Traverse City once and you may never want to leave — but the good news is, you don't have to. Between the wineries, lakes, beaches, and golf courses, you'll have more things to do than there are hours in a day or days in a year. Visitors and locals alike revel in a typical year's full of outdoor concerts, drive-in theater visits, and, of course, all the majesty of the West Grand Traverse Bay.

Cheapism says their goal was to uncover popular destinations that don't get much national attention, would you say Traverse City fits that bill? It's a go-to summer destination for natives but would out-of-towners know to travel that far north?

View the full list from Cheapism here.