Midland is one of our favorite places in Mid-Michigan for a relaxing day trip, especially when we want to spend time outdoors. We’ve visited Dow Gardens many times over the years, walked across the iconic Tridge, and stopped to see the colorful blooms at Dahlia Hill. Just a little farther north, the Clare area offers a completely different experience with Amish country stores, farms, and events. From beautiful gardens and wooded trails to reindeer and Amish markets, there’s a surprising variety of things to see and do in this part of Michigan.
⭐ Why I Recommend It
We especially love visiting this area in the fall. Dow Gardens is beautiful when the leaves begin to change, and walking through Whiting Forest is always one of our favorite parts of the visit. Heading toward Clare gives the day a completely different feel—we love seeing the Amish buggies along the country roads, browsing the flea market and country store, and picking out their beautiful mums. They’re some of the biggest we’ve found, and surprisingly affordable!
Quick Facts
- 📍 Location: Midland & Clare, Michigan
- 🌳 Known For: Gardens, outdoor recreation, Amish Country, and unique family attractions
- 🚗 Getting Around: A car is necessary, especially for exploring the countryside around Clare
- 👨👩👧👦 Good For: Families, nature lovers, photographers, and relaxed day trips
Visitor Tips
- 🍁 Plan a fall visit if you can. The changing leaves make Dow Gardens and Whiting Forest especially beautiful.
- 🗺️ Give yourself a full day: Midland and Clare can easily be combined, but there’s enough to see that you won’t want to rush from stop to stop.
- 🌸 Look for seasonal finds in Amish Country. We love buying the huge, affordable mums in the fall.
- 🐴 Watch for Amish buggies. Slow down and give them plenty of room when driving the country roads around Clare.
Things to Do
Dow Gardens & Whiting Forest
Dow Gardens and Whiting Forest are beautiful places to explore in Midland, with colorful gardens, peaceful walking paths, unique forest structures, and an incredible canopy walk high among the trees. There is a lot of ground to cover, but that’s part of the experience—around every corner there seems to be another beautiful view. While it’s worth visiting throughout the year, fall is especially spectacular when the gardens and forest are surrounded by changing leaves.
⭐ Why I Recommend It
We go to Dow Gardens almost every fall, and it continues to be one of our favorite places in Midland. We especially love walking through Whiting Forest and taking in the views from the canopy walk. There is a lot of walking, but with the beautiful gardens, wooded trails, bridges, and fall colors along the way, we never mind spending hours exploring. If you visit in the fall, the views can be absolutely spectacular.
Quick Facts & Visitor Tips
- 🌳 What It Is: A combination of botanical gardens, wooded trails, and Whiting Forest
- 🌉 Don’t miss the canopy walk: Whiting Forest is a highlight, especially for kids, with elevated walkways and unique structures to explore.
- 👟 Wear comfortable shoes: Dow Gardens and Whiting Forest cover a large area, so expect plenty of walking.
- 🍂 Fall is our favorite time to visit: The changing leaves make the forest and gardens especially beautiful.
- ⏰ Give yourself a few hours: There’s enough to see that you won’t want to rush through.
- 🌦️ Check the weather: Most of your visit is outdoors, so plan accordingly.
Dahlia Hill
Dahlia Hill is a beautiful seasonal stop in Midland filled with hundreds of colorful dahlias growing along a terraced hillside. It doesn’t take long to visit, but when the flowers are in bloom, it’s absolutely worth stopping to walk through and admire all the different colors and varieties.
Quick Facts & Visitor Tips
- 🌺 Plan around the blooms: The dahlia display begins in July and continues to build throughout the season, reaching its fullest display through mid-October.
- ⏱️ Plan for a short stop: You don’t need to set aside a large part of your day to enjoy it.
- 📸 Bring your camera: The huge variety of colorful flowers makes this a great photography stop.
- 🌿 Pair it with another Midland attraction: It makes an easy addition to a day at Dow Gardens and Whiting Forest.
- 👟 Wear comfortable shoes: The garden is built along a hill, so expect some slopes and steps.
Rooftop Landing and Reindeer Farm
Rooftop Landing Reindeer Farm is a unique family attraction in Clare where visitors can get up close with reindeer and other animals. Beyond the reindeer, the farm offers a variety of animal experiences and seasonal activities, making it a fun stop even outside of the Christmas season. During the holidays, the farm transforms into an especially festive destination with Christmas activities and plenty of holiday cheer.
⭐ Why I Recommend It
We visited Rooftop Landing Reindeer Farm during the summer and had such a fun experience! Feeding the reindeer and petting the Highland cows were highlights, but our favorite part was definitely the sloth encounter. Getting to see and interact with the animals up close made the visit so memorable. We’d absolutely go back—and we’d especially love to return during the Christmas season to experience all of the holiday festivities!
Quick Facts & Visitor Tips
- 🦌 Feed the reindeer: Getting up close and feeding the reindeer is one of the highlights of visiting Rooftop Landing Reindeer Farm.
- 🦥 Consider the sloth or capybara encounter: This was our favorite experience! Spots are limited, so booking the encounter ahead of time is a good idea.
- 🐮 There are more than reindeer: You can also see Highland cows, alpacas, sloths, and other animals.
- 🚂 Leave time to explore: Summer activities include a train ride, playground, animal encounters, photo opportunities, and seasonal treats.
- 🎄 Christmas offers a completely different experience: The holiday season adds Santa, candy cane making, Christmas photo ops, a Christmas market, and other seasonal activities.
- 🎟️ Check before you go: Dates, hours, admission, and seasonal offerings can change, so check the farm’s website before your visit.
Clare & Amish Country
Just north of Midland, the Clare area offers a glimpse into Michigan’s Amish Country, where horse-drawn buggies share the roads and country stores, farms, and markets dot the countryside. It’s a fun area to explore at a slower pace, whether you’re browsing the aisles at Colonville Country Store and Yoder’s Kuntry Market, visiting Yoder’s Amish Auction & Flea Market, and stopping at Tobacco River for huge, affordable mums in the fall.
⭐ Why I Recommend It
We always enjoy spending time in Clare and Amish Country. We love seeing the horse-drawn buggies along the roads, wandering through Colonville Country Store, and seeing what we can find at Yoder’s Amish Auction & Flea Market. One of our favorite fall finds is the huge, beautiful mums—we’ve brought them home with us and have been amazed by how affordable they are! It’s an easygoing experience that we enjoy enough to keep coming back.
Quick Facts & Visitor Tips
- 🚗 Take your time on the country roads: Watch for horse-drawn buggies and give them plenty of room when passing.
- 🛍️ Explore the Amish shops: Clare County is known for Amish-made furniture, quilts, baked goods, produce, and other handcrafted items.
- 🌸 Look for seasonal finds: Fall is one of our favorite times to visit, especially for the huge, beautiful mums at surprisingly affordable prices.
- 📅 Plan ahead for Yoder’s: The Amish Quilt Auction & Flea Market is a special event held only twice a year—once in May and again on Friday and Saturday of Labor Day weekend.
- 🛒 Give yourself plenty of time at the flea market: Hundreds of vendors sell everything from Amish-made goods and quilts to crafts, plants, food, antiques, and flea-market finds.
- 📷 Be respectful: Enjoy the scenery and Amish culture, but respect residents’ privacy when taking photographs.