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🗺️ Farm Day Trips guide
Things to Do Near the Lavender Farm of Gratiot County & Mt. Pleasant, Michigan
Pick lavender and try lavender ice cream near Ithaca from mid-June to late July, then cross the swinging bridges at Deerfield Nature Park.
5 places · updated October 17, 2026
Gratiot County sits in the flat farm country at the center of Michigan's Lower Peninsula, with Ithaca as its county seat and US-127 running north to Mt. Pleasant and south to St. Johns. It is a quiet, uncrowded part of the state where a day trip means a small-town courthouse square, a cider mill, river trails and wetlands full of birds rather than beaches and traffic.
Sixteen Sprigs Lavender Farm near Ithaca grows about 1,200 plants and opens during the bloom, which it puts at mid-June to late July. Visitors can pick their own, shop the on-farm store, try lavender ice cream and join tours and classes, and groups can book private tours ahead. The farm has closed for the 2026 season, but its goods are also sold at Phillips Orchards and Cider Mill near St. Johns, at the Meridian Township Farmers Market in Okemos and at Horrocks Farm Market in Lansing. Pair a bloom-season visit with downtown Ithaca and an afternoon in Mt. Pleasant, about 35 minutes north.
The lavender farms
- Sixteen Sprigs Lavender FarmLavender farm · Ithaca
mid-June to late July
Open May to late August (2026 hours by bloom phase); U-pick, tours and workshops mid-June to late July; private group tours booked ahead. Closed until 2027.
Best time to visit
Spring and early summer are best for birders at the Maple River State Game Area along US-127, with migrating songbirds in May and herons, egrets and ospreys into summer. Lavender season at Sixteen Sprigs runs from mid-June to late July, when you-pick, the farm store, classes and lavender ice cream are all on. Late summer brings Uncle John's Cider Mill's 2026 Dog Days 5K (August 15) and Art & Craft Show (August 22–23). September and October are cider-mill months: Phillips Orchards opens weekends for U-pick apples and pumpkins, Apple Barrel Cider Mill in Ithaca stays open later, and Uncle John's holds its Fall Festival Weekend on October 17–18 in 2026, with a $5 corn maze. In winter, Deerfield Nature Park grooms cross-country ski trails along the Chippewa River.
Places to see nearby parks, trails, beaches and landmarks
- Gratiot County Courthouse🏛️ Historic site · Ithaca · about 1 mi, 5 min drive
Built in 1902 for $57,322.60 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976; its tall tower was once used to hang fire hoses to dry. It anchors a short walk past the 1894 fire hall with its rare fireman weathervane.
- Pattengill Monument🌉 Landmark · Ithaca · about 1 mi, 5 min drive
A 1925 monument on North Maple honoring a beloved local teacher, built with stones from every Michigan county and a piece of the marble used for Lincoln's head at the Lincoln Memorial.
free
- Gratiot County Historical Museum🏛️ Museum · Ithaca · about 1 mi, 5 min drive
The county history museum at Center and Maple, which keeps a scrapbook of drawings by Union soldier Jesse Fleming from 1864–65. A genealogical library nearby holds county school records since 1901.
Tuesdays noon–4
- Maple River State Game Area🌲 Preserve · Ithaca · about 17 mi, 20 min drive
Marshes, flooded fields and wooded swamps on both sides of US-127 in southern Gratiot County, popular for spotting herons, egrets, bald eagles, ospreys and nesting prothonotary warblers. May brings migrating songbirds.
Best for wildlife viewing in spring and summer; waterfowl hunting in fall
free
- Clinton County Historical Society Museum (Paine-Gillam-Scott House)🏛️ Museum · St. Johns · about 22 mi, 25 min drive
A house museum dating to 1860 in St. Johns, with a metal sculpture on the lawn honoring the St. Johns Bicycle Band, which played from 1886 to 1891.
Sundays 1–4, Wednesdays 2–6
- Ziibiwing Center🏛️ Museum · Mt. Pleasant · about 28 mi, 35 min drive
The Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe's museum and cultural center, whose permanent exhibit, Diba Jimooyung (Telling Our Story), includes a birch bark lodge and scenes of maple sugaring and wild rice harvesting. Allow 1 to 1.5 hours; parking is free.
Monday–Saturday 10–6 (summer hours may vary)
- Island Park🏞️ Park · Mt. Pleasant · about 29 mi, 35 min drive
A 50-acre park at the north end of downtown Mt. Pleasant with river-view trails, a StoryWalk whose pages change every few months, a kids' spray park and summer concerts at the amphitheater.
- Deerfield Nature Park🏞️ Park · Mt. Pleasant · about 32 mi, 40 min drive
591 acres on the Chippewa River with 8 miles of trails, two swinging bridges and a covered bridge, plus canoe and kayak launches, a sandy beach and two disc golf courses. The River Loop to Covered Bridge route is the easiest walk.
Year-round, 8 a.m. to dusk; groomed ski trails in winter
$6 daily vehicle permit
Where to stop: farms, food and stays
- Apple Barrel Cider MillApple orchard · Ithaca
A year-round Ithaca cider mill pressing apples from the family farm in view of shoppers, with donuts, pies, fudge and honey.
- Phillips Orchards & Cider MillApple orchard · St. Johns
U-pick apples and pumpkins on fall weekends, cider and donuts, and Sixteen Sprigs lavender goods in the market.
- Uncle John's Cider MillApple orchard · St. Johns
A big family cider mill on US-127 with a pie barn open daily, a hard cider taproom and fall festival weekends.
- Max & Emily'sRestaurant · Mt Pleasant
A downtown Mt. Pleasant café for breakfast, soups, salads and creative sandwiches, plus scones and cookies.
- Creative Moments Gift ShopGift shop · Ithaca
A two-floor gift shop on Ithaca's Center Street full of handcrafted goods and local art.
A one-day plan
- 10:00 AMSixteen Sprigs Lavender Farm
During the mid-June to late July bloom, pick a bundle, browse the farm store and have lavender ice cream. About an hour. The farm is closed for the rest of 2026; check their website for next season's dates.
- 11:15 AMDowntown Ithaca: Courthouse and Pattengill Monument · about 5 min drive
Walk the courthouse square, the 1894 fire hall and the Pattengill Monument. About 45 minutes.
- 12:00 PMApple Barrel Cider Mill · about 5 min drive
Pick up cider, donuts or a pie for later (Monday–Saturday). About 20 minutes.
- 1:00 PMMax & Emily's Bakery Café · about 35 min drive
Lunch of soup and a sandwich in downtown Mt. Pleasant. About 45 minutes.
- 2:00 PMZiibiwing Center · about 10 min drive
Tour the Diba Jimooyung exhibit. About 1.5 hours.
- 3:45 PMDeerfield Nature Park · about 20 min drive
Walk the river loop to the covered bridge or cross a swinging bridge. About 1.5 hours.
- 5:30 PMIsland Park · about 15 min drive
Finish with an easy riverside walk downtown, or a summer concert at the amphitheater.
Tips
- Sixteen Sprigs offers private group tours only when booked ahead, and its experiences are booked through its website, so reserve before you drive out.
- Deerfield Nature Park needs a $6 daily vehicle permit; the off-season gatehouse is staffed only on Friday afternoons and weekends.
- Several stops keep short hours: the Gratiot County Historical Museum opens Tuesdays only, and the Clinton County museum in St. Johns on Sundays and Wednesdays.
- Some Deerfield trails, such as the side trail to the second swinging bridge, are narrow and often muddy, so wear boots.
- Uncle John's Cider Mill is busiest on its October festival weekends; the Pie Barn is open every day if you prefer a quieter visit.
Checked in October 2026 against official park, tourism and business websites. How we check listings
Questions
When does lavender bloom at Sixteen Sprigs?
The farm puts its bloom season at mid-June to late July, when you-pick, the farm store and classes are open.
Is Sixteen Sprigs open now?
No. The farm is closed for the 2026 season and plans to reopen next year. Its goods are sold at Phillips Orchards near St. Johns and at farmers markets in Okemos and Lansing.
Can groups tour the lavender farm?
Yes. Private group tours are available when booked in advance.
How far is Mt. Pleasant from Ithaca?
About 30 miles north on US-127, roughly a 35-minute drive.
Where can I see birds near Ithaca?
The Maple River State Game Area along US-127 in southern Gratiot County is free and known for herons, egrets, ospreys and bald eagles in spring and summer.
🪪 Collect a stamp at every stop
The free Lavender Passport keeps a stamp for each farm and stop you visit, in real life and in the Lavender Farm Simulator. At the farm, play Field Quest to collect plant varieties as you walk, climb the leaderboards and unlock sponsor rewards.
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