Old Mission

Michigan's ghost towns are copper and iron towns of the Upper Peninsula, plus lumber camps the pine barons abandoned.

Old Mission is an unincorporated community in Grand Traverse County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The community is located within Peninsula Township, and is located about 2 miles (3.2 km) south of the tip of the Old Mission Peninsula, along the shore of the East Arm of Grand Traverse Bay. As an unincorporated community, Old Mission has no legally defined boundaries or population statistics of its own.

The on-the-ground condition of Old Mission is unverified — it's listed here with unknown status. That could mean standing buildings, or an empty field. Go prepared for either, and consider sharing what you find so the record improves.

Nobody has confirmed the access situation, so treat any visit as reconnaissance: verify land ownership first, and be ready to admire from the road.

Here's the honest truth: access to Old Mission is unverified. We couldn't confirm whether the site sits on public land, private property, or something in between — so verify land ownership and local rules before visiting, and respect private property at all times. The mapped point for Old Mission is roughly 44.9622, -85.4853 — use it as a starting point and cross-reference a current topographic map before leaving pavement.

Ghost-town etiquette is simple: take only photographs. Removing artifacts is illegal on public lands and disrespectful everywhere else — and on federal land it can be a serious offense.