Living off Hammond Road in East Bay Township.
Alta Vista sits on the hill above Hammond Road in East Bay Township, a few minutes from the East Bay beaches and the airport, and about 13 minutes from downtown Traverse City.
Drive times from the Alta Vista entrance.
- Oleson’s Food Store, Hammond Rd0.4 mi
- Cherry Knoll Elementary0.7 mi
- Traverse City East Middle School0.5 mi
- Mitchell Creek Meadows preserve5 min
- Traverse City State Park beach8 min
- Cherry Capital Airport9 min
- Central High School11 min
- Grand Traverse Resort, Acme12 min
- Downtown Traverse City13 min
- Munson Medical Center15 min
Drive times from the Lodge at 2016 Alta Vista Dr, calculated with OpenStreetMap routing without traffic and rounded. Summer traffic on US-31 and in town adds time.
What's close by
The closest grocery store is Oleson’s Food Store, about half a mile west on Hammond Road at Three Mile. Cherry Knoll Elementary and East Middle School are both within a mile, right around the same corner. Head north on Three Mile and you hit US-31 and the East Bay shoreline in under ten minutes, with the Traverse City State Park beach right there.
For bigger shopping, Meijer and the Grand Traverse Mall are about 15 minutes west on South Airport Road. Cherry Capital Airport is about 10 minutes away, which matters if family flies in or you travel for work.
Schools
Homes at Alta Vista are in Traverse City Area Public Schools. The MLS lists Cherry Knoll Elementary, Traverse City East Middle School and Central High School for addresses here. School assignments can change, so confirm with TCAPS before you buy if it matters to you.
Trails and the outdoors
TART Trails and East Bay Township started building a 10-foot paved path along Three Mile Road and Hammond Road in summer 2026, about 1.6 miles, with a crossing at the Three Mile and Hammond intersection. Later phases are planned to run between South Airport Road and the Conservation Center (targeted for 2027) and to connect through Mitchell Creek Meadows, the Don and Jerry Oleson Nature Preserve, in 2028 to 2029. Those later phases depend on funding, including a countywide trails millage on the November 2026 ballot. When it’s done, it ties this corner of East Bay Township into the larger TART trail network.
Inside Alta Vista, a new walking path is scheduled to go in on November 1, 2026. Mitchell Creek Meadows itself is about five minutes north, and the VASA Pathway and the Sand Lakes Quiet Area are farther east for skiing, hiking and mountain biking.
East Bay Township
East Bay Charter Township wraps around the south end of East Grand Traverse Bay, east of the city of Traverse City. It’s mostly neighborhoods, woods and small lakes, with the shoreline along US-31. Alta Vista is in the section around Hammond Road and Three Mile Road, southeast of the airport, where you’ll find two public schools, a grocery store and the new trail all within about a mile.
Area questions
What school district is Alta Vista in?
Traverse City Area Public Schools. The MLS lists Cherry Knoll Elementary, Traverse City East Middle School and Central High School for Alta Vista addresses. Confirm with TCAPS for a specific home.
How far is Alta Vista from downtown Traverse City?
About 6.4 miles, or roughly 13 minutes by car without traffic, from the Lodge to Front Street.
Is there a trail near Alta Vista?
Yes. A paved path along Three Mile Road and Hammond Road started construction in summer 2026, with later Three Mile Trail phases planned through 2029 if funding comes through. A new walking path inside Alta Vista is scheduled for November 1, 2026.
See the area with us.
We’ll show you Alta Vista and drive the ten minutes to whatever matters most to you, the beach, the hospital or the school.