East Bay Ranch · Traverse City, Michigan
16.48 acres of Northern Michigan.
More room for the life you imagine.
*Listing totals include the carriage house’s additional 1 bedroom / 1 bathroom. The farmhouse has 3 bedrooms. See property details.
Welcome to East Bay Ranch
A farmhouse beneath the trees. A porch that invites you to linger. A barn with stories in its beams. And enough land to give the everyday a little more breathing room.
At 1056 Smith Road, the charm is in the way it all comes together: a circa-1900 farmhouse, a separate carriage house, established gardens, fenced pasture, and a trail into the woods. This 16.48-acre East Bay Township property offers a grounded way to enjoy Northern Michigan, with Traverse City’s amenities within the surrounding area.
Come see what’s possible
One property. So many ways to live.
Three bedrooms, generous gathering spaces, a kitchen with a central island, and a stone fireplace create a home that feels lived in and loved. The screened porch makes the gardens part of the day, from a quiet morning to dinner as the light fades.
Step inside
The listing describes a 40-by-50-foot carriage house and garage, with finished space and additional guest living quarters including a bedroom and bathroom. A separate building gives this estate another dimension, with room to consider how it could fit your plans.
Guest living space is included in the listing totals. Confirm its permitted use and configuration with the township.
Explore the carriage house
The historic barn, timber framing, and stalls recall the ranch’s agricultural and equestrian past. Open pasture, perennial planting, and wooded hills offer a landscape to explore and care for through the seasons.
For an equestrian vision, the listing identifies an opportunity to restore the barn and stalls. Assess condition, suitability, and required approvals with your own professionals.
Walk the groundsA setting with potential
Gardens, open sky, and the character of a working farm create an appealing backdrop for gathering. In March 2026, the township approved a site plan and special land use for limited outdoor events, subject to conditions.
The approval describes up to 10 single-night events annually, at most one per weekend, and up to 100 attendees. It is conditional; the listing states that final land-use permitting remains incomplete. The approved proposal excludes events inside the historic barn.
Read the approval & conditions
A setting to imagine. Uses subject to approval.The best part of Northern Michigan
Waterfront days, trail walks, dinner in town, and a regional equestrian scene. A country setting becomes even more compelling when there is so much to enjoy around it.
Get to know the area
Picture life beyond the gate
Six buyer guides to the places, connections, and everyday details that make a Northern Michigan home base worth considering.
Waterfront, local food, the arts, and a place to return to.
Explore the guide 02 / A considered moveTCAPS, enrollment questions, libraries, and learning beyond school.
Explore the guide 03 / A different kind of everydayBay beaches, lake loops, woodland trails, and bigger days out.
Explore the guide 04 / A country home, connectedCherry Capital Airport, flight resources, parking, and arrival plans.
Explore the guide 05 / Rooted in the ranchRanch heritage, a barn to assess, and the Flintfields horse-show scene.
Explore the guide 06 / Picture the whole weekHealthcare, local resources, and the practical side of an acreage home.
Explore the guideFind your place
At Smith Road and Three Mile Road, the ranch puts gardens, pasture, and woodland in the same story as Traverse City’s waterfront, airport, dining, and trails.
1056 Smith RoadThe marker shows an approximate listing location, not a survey or parcel boundary. Use the county map and a current survey to verify the land.
East Bay Ranch
44.7005, −85.5550
Loads OpenStreetMap tiles from a third party.
Make it your next chapter
Walk the gardens. Step into the barn. Sit for a moment on the porch. Discover what life at East Bay Ranch could look like for you.
Private showings by appointment. Please confirm current price, availability, and showing arrangements with the listing agent.
