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M-22: Leland to Empire, Leelanau Peninsula, Michigan
Photo: Jim Sorbie · CC BY 2.0

Drives Michigan Michigan's Lower Peninsula

M-22: Leland to Empire

M 22, Leelanau Highway · Leland → Empire

Leisurely26 mi40 min500 ft climbHigh point ≈ 700 ftOne way
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The drive

This stretch of M-22 runs from Leland south through the Leelanau Peninsula to Empire, much of it inside Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Leland is about milepost 76 of M-22's 116.7 miles, and Empire is about milepost 52, so the drive runs against the numbering, from north to south.

On the way the highway passes through the Port Oneida Rural Historic District, a National Register district of about 150 buildings, mostly in farmsteads, with remnant fields, orchards and fences, between Lake Leelanau and Glen Arbor. South of Glen Arbor, M-22 takes an inland route between Big and Little Glen lakes, while M-109 carries the Lake Michigan Circle Tour designation. Empire is home to the national lakeshore's headquarters at the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center.

The drive is 25.9 miles and takes about 40 minutes without stops. Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive is a separate road off M-109 between Empire and Glen Haven.

Along the way

  1. Leland
  2. Glen Arbor
  3. Empire
Elevation
500 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 700 ft
LelandEmpire
Curves
Mostly gentle curves
LelandEmpire
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • The national lakeshore's entrance passes cover its sites; for road-specific questions the park's number is 231 326-4700.
  • The lakeshore's conditions page lists any road closures.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check Sleeping Bear Dunes road and facility conditions (NPS).

Questions about this drive

How long does M-22 from Leland to Empire take?

M-22 from Leland to Empire is 25.9 miles and takes about 40 minutes.

Does M-22 go through Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore?

Yes. M-22 and M-109 are scenic highways that run through the park, and Port Oneida lies along M-22 between Glen Arbor and Lake Leelanau.

Is M-22 between Leland and Empire twisty?

It is rated Leisurely: rolling two-lane road with easy curves, 500 feet of climb in all.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.
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Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

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Map of M-22: Leland to Empire, from Leland to Empire