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🗺️ Farm Day Trips guide
Things to Do Near the Lavender Farms of Rockford, Lowell & Grand Rapids, Michigan
Walk the paved White Pine Trail out of Rockford, pick apples on the Fruit Ridge in fall, and cross Lowell's 1871 Fallasburg covered bridge.
8 places · updated October 17, 2026
North and east of Grand Rapids, the Rogue River runs through downtown Rockford and the Flat River through Lowell, with orchards, berry farms and cider mills filling the hills between them. The paved Fred Meijer White Pine Trail runs from Comstock Park through Rockford, and the Fruit Ridge orchards west of Sparta are a short drive away, so you can mix a riverside walk, a farm stop and a museum in one day.
Lavender lovers should know that the area's lavender growers do not run public farm visits. Great Lakes Lavender Farm in Rockford grows more than 50 lavender varieties in its greenhouses year-round but is not open to the public; its farm-made lavender goods can be ordered online for local pickup on Wednesdays and Fridays, and it brings them to festivals, craft shows and farmers markets listed on its events calendar. The rest of this guide focuses on what you can visit: U-pick farms from June strawberries to October apples, two historic covered bridges and Grand Rapids' gardens and museums.
The lavender farms
- Stormy LavenderLavender farm · Saranac
- Great Lakes Lavender FarmLavender farm · Rockford
Lavender is harvested for drying in summer
Not open to the public. Order pickup at the farm Wednesdays and Fridays, 10 AM to 3 PM Eastern (2026); the team appears at festivals, markets and workshops.
Best time to visit
June and July are berry months: Krupp Farms in Comstock Park opens U-pick strawberries in June and raspberries into August, and Bird Berry Farm near Belding has strawberries from early June and blueberries through summer. Sandy Bottom Berries in Rockford picks blueberries and raspberries in July and August. Grange Fruit Farm north of Rockford starts U-pick apples in late August and runs to mid-October, and Robinette's, Schwallier's and Steffens on the Fruit Ridge are busiest in September and October, with corn mazes, cider and donuts. Late November and December bring choose-and-cut Christmas trees at Hart Tree Farm. The White Pine Trail's southern section is plowed in winter, so it works year-round, and the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum's 2026 temporary exhibits run through late October and November 1.
Places to see nearby parks, trails, beaches and landmarks
- Fred Meijer White Pine Trail State Park🥾 Trail · Rockford, 5 min drive
A 92-mile paved rail-trail from Comstock Park to Cadillac on the old Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad bed; it runs right through Rockford along the Rogue River. The section south of Russel Road is plowed in winter.
Year-round
- Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park🌷 Garden · Grand Rapids · about 13 mi, 20 min drive
More than 150 acres of gardens and sculpture, including Nina Akamu's The American Horse, works by Rodin and a Japanese garden designed by Hoichi Kurisu. The children's garden is partly closed for renovation through summer 2027.
Daily 9–5 (Sunday from 11)
Adults $25, seniors $20, ages 3–13 $14; cashless
- Howard Christensen Nature Center🌲 Preserve · Kent City · about 14 mi, 25 min drive
135 acres in northern Kent County with a tannic kettle lake, swamps and ponds left from an old lagoon system, and plants introduced in the 1940s that grow nowhere else in Michigan.
Trails dawn to dusk daily
$3 per person for non-members
- Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum🏛️ Museum · Grand Rapids · about 16 mi, 25 min drive
Exhibits on the lives of President and Mrs. Ford, a recreated Oval Office and the Fords' memorial gravesites on the museum grounds. Plan 1.5 to 2 hours; parking is free.
Monday–Saturday 10–5, Sunday noon–5
Adults $17, seniors and military $14, ages 6–18 $11
- Grand Rapids Public Museum🏛️ Museum · Grand Rapids · about 16 mi, 25 min drive
The city's public museum on Pearl Street, with the Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium, the Anishinaabek exhibit on the region's first people and a 1928 Spillman carousel (temporarily closed for a gearbox repair; check before you go). Kent County kids get in free.
Weekdays 9–5, weekends 10–5
- Blandford Nature Center🌲 Preserve · Grand Rapids · about 16 mi, 25 min drive
264 protected acres on the west side of Grand Rapids, including the 121-acre Highlands, with trails and a working farm that has grown more than 200 vegetable varieties.
Trails dawn to dusk; visitor center and farm Monday–Saturday 9–5
$5 per person for non-members
- Ada Covered Bridge🌉 Landmark · Ada · about 16 mi, 25 min drive
A covered bridge over the Thornapple River at Bronson Street in Ada; the state historical marker dates the original span to about 1867.
- Fallasburg Park and Covered Bridge🏞️ Park · Lowell · about 20 mi, 35 min drive
A Kent County park on the Flat River, a state Natural River, entered across a covered bridge built in 1871 that leads to the historic village of Fallasburg. The North Country National Scenic Trail passes through, and there are picnic areas and disc golf.
Where to stop: farms, food and stays
- Herman's BoyCafé or coffee shop · Rockford
A Rockford coffee roaster, bakery, deli and smokehouse known for caramel pecan rolls and bagels.
- Rockford Cheese ShopGift shop · Rockford
More than 100 artisan cheeses cut to order downtown, plus charcuterie and picnic fixings.
- Grange Fruit FarmApple orchard · Rockford
A family fruit farm north of Rockford with U-pick Honeycrisp and other apples from late August to mid-October.
- Sweet Seasons Bakery & CafeBakery · Lowell
A downtown Lowell bakery and café serving scratch pastries, breakfast and lunch.
- Robinette's Apple Haus & WineryApple orchard · Grand Rapids
A century-old orchard famous for cider donuts, with a bakery, lunch counter, winery and weekend U-pick apples in fall.
- Krupp FarmsStrawberry farm · Comstock Park
U-pick strawberries and raspberries in early summer, a free petting zoo and ice cream from the milk house.
- The Orchards at Red BarnFamily fun farm · Lowell
A year-round farm market near Lowell with a café, bakery, ice cream and a hard cider tasting room.
- Schwallier's Country BasketApple orchard · Sparta
Fruit Ridge orchard with U-pick apples and pumpkins, a big corn maze and a café, mid-August through October.
A one-day plan
- 10:00 AMHerman's Boy
Start with coffee and a caramel pecan roll. About 30 minutes. (No lavender farm here is open to visitors; order Great Lakes Lavender Farm goods online ahead for Wednesday or Friday pickup if you want lavender.)
- 10:45 AMWhite Pine Trail in Rockford · about 5 min drive
Walk or bike a stretch of the paved trail along the Rogue River. About an hour.
- 12:00 PMGrange Fruit Farm · about 10 min drive
From late August to mid-October, pick apples; in summer, shop the market for fresh fruit. About 45 minutes.
- 1:20 PMSweet Seasons Bakery & Café · about 35 min drive
Lunch in downtown Lowell. About 45 minutes.
- 2:15 PMFallasburg Park and Covered Bridge · about 10 min drive
Drive or walk through the 1871 covered bridge and stroll along the Flat River. About 45 minutes.
- 3:30 PMFrederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park · about 30 min drive
See the sculpture park and Japanese garden. About 1.5 hours.
- 5:15 PMRobinette's Apple Haus & Winery · about 10 min drive
Finish with cider donuts before the Apple Haus closes at 6 (Monday–Saturday).
Tips
- None of the lavender farms around Rockford and Saranac publish public visiting hours, so do not plan a trip around a lavender field visit here; look for Great Lakes Lavender Farm at markets and festivals instead.
- Fruit Ridge orchards are busiest on September and October weekends; weekday mornings are calmer for U-pick.
- Meijer Gardens is cashless; nature centers such as Howard Christensen use a self-serve kiosk for the $3 fee.
- Hart Tree Farm, for choose-and-cut Christmas trees, takes cash or check only.
- The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum has free parking, which makes it an easy downtown Grand Rapids stop.
Checked in October 2026 against official park, tourism and business websites. How we check listings
Questions
Can I visit a lavender farm near Rockford?
Not at the moment. Great Lakes Lavender Farm in Rockford is not open for public visits; you can order its lavender goods online for local pickup or find it at festivals, craft shows and farmers markets.
When is apple picking near Rockford?
Grange Fruit Farm offers U-pick apples from late August to mid-October, and the Fruit Ridge orchards near Sparta are open through October.
Is the White Pine Trail paved?
Yes. The whole 92-mile trail from Comstock Park to Cadillac is paved, and it passes right through Rockford.
How old is the Fallasburg covered bridge?
It was built in 1871 over the Flat River near Lowell and is still the entrance to the historic village of Fallasburg.
Where can I pick strawberries near Grand Rapids?
Krupp Farms in Comstock Park and Bird Berry Farm near Belding offer U-pick strawberries in June.
🪪 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.
Open the Passport🏡 Own a farm, café or inn here?
Add your listing for free so travelers find you, or become a Featured sponsor to sit at the top of this guide, on the Passport map and in the event calendars.
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