Did you know that the maple sugar season in Michigan starts in late February or early March? Once it starts, it lasts four to six weeks.
It's that time of year again. Ideal conditions for collecting maple sap are when the temperatures run between 20 and 40 degrees, with daytime temperatures above freezing and nighttime temperatures below freezing. This is when the tree’s internal pressure is greater than the external barometric pressure. The frozen sap thaws and starts pushing out to the branches. This movement within the trees also pushes sap out of a tap inserted into their trunks.
To make maple syrup, the sap is boiled down either in an outdoor shed called a sugar shack or over a fire or camp stove outside. It takes 10 gallons of sap to make one quart of syrup. Early-season sap is lighter in color and taste. A few weeks after the trees are tapped, the syrup becomes darker and sweeter. There are many maple syrup farms in Northern Michigan. Some of the largest and oldest are in Charlevoix and Burt Lake.
The Importance of Maple Sugar to Michigan
Tapping maple trees in Michigan can be traced back to the Indigenous people who were among the first to tap them for the sap, which they used as a good source of food and energy. After European settlers arrived, maple tapping spread further across Michigan as explorers and trappers adopted the practice. It later became an integral part of Michigan’s rural economy, and maple syrup provided extra income for many farmers and settlers.
With the Industrial Revolution came advancements in maple tapping technology, making the process more efficient. This brought about large-scale commercial production of Michigan’s maple syrup industry to meet the growing demand. As the industry grew, maple festivals and sugarhouses became popular tourist attractions.
The maple traditions still run strong in our state as thousands of Michigan maple syrup, candy and sugar producers still tap the trees each year. Maple sugaring contributes to both Michigan’s agricultural and tourism industries. Michigan is fifth in the nation in maple syrup production, producing an average of 136,000 gallons per year.
Late winter/early spring maple tapping has become a part of Michigan’s cultural identity, and you can still experience it today. However, climate change and warmer winters could mean shorter maple sugar seasons or fewer areas where maple syrup can be produced. Maple syrup producers are working on ways to fight the effects of climate change and keep this cherished tradition around for centuries to come.
Upcoming Maple Sugar Events in 2025
Michigan Maple Weekend 2025 will be held on three consecutive weekends: March 23 and 24 in the Southern Lower Peninsula, March 30 and 31 in the Northern Lower Peninsula and April 6 and 7 in the Upper Peninsula.
You can find a list of all the participating farms and centers at MichiganMaple.org. Each participating farm offers various family-friendly activities, including a chance to see how the sap is collected and turned into syrup and other maple treats.
Vermontville Maple Syrup Festival takes place April 25-27 in Vermontville, Michigan. It is the original Michigan maple syrup festival.
Besides buying local syrup, candies, crème and other treats, including maple syrup cotton candy, there are a lot of fun activities for the whole family. Activities include carnival rides, arts and crafts, a flea market, parades, a petting zoo, a princess pageant, free entertainment, a pancake derby and more. For more information, go to the festival website.
Shepherd Maple Syrup Festival will be held April 24-27 in Shephard, Michigan.
Much like the Vermontville festival, Shepherd offers a wide variety of maple products and fun activities over the four-day event, including helicopter rides, a carnival midway, arts and crafts, a children’s village, a horse pull, the Grand Festival Parade, a pancake eating contest, an open house at the sugar bush maple facility, several museums and more. For more information, click here.
Local Events in 2025
Journey to the Sugar Bush at Hudson Mills Metropark takes place on Saturdays and Sundays from February 22 to March 9.
Take a guided tour of the sugar bush and see how maple syrup is made. Learn how to tap a tree and visit the evaporator to see how sap is boiled down into syrup. You can also add a pancake meal to go at the end of the journey. The cost is $3 per child over 2 and $5 per adult. You can choose a date and register here.
Maple Sugaring in your Backyard occurs at Heritage Park in Farmington Hills on March 2 and 16.
Learn how to make maple syrup from your own maple tree. They’ll show you how to collect and boil the sap over a campfire. You can enjoy a free syrup treat at the end of each one-hour time slot. The cost is $7 per person, and registration is required.
Mystery of the Maple Syrup Heist happens in West Bloomfield on March 15 from 11:00 AM-12:30 PM.
This interactive, clue-driven nature program gives you a chance to learn about maple tree tapping and solve a maple syrup mystery. The event ends with a telling of the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist. Each guest will receive a small maple syrup when they complete the mystery. The cost is $9 for West Bloomfield residents over 3 and $11 for non-residents. Register to save your spot.
Maple’s Sweet Story is a guided walk through the Kensington Metropark Farm’s sugar bush on Saturdays and Sundays from February 15 to March 9.
Learn how to pick the right tree, watch as they tap it and collect the sap. There are stops at the French and Native American camps to hear and see how techniques have changed over the years. The tour ends at the farm’s sugar shack, where you can see and smell the sap being boiled down into syrup. Tours start every half hour and last about an hour. The cost is $3 per child, 2 and over, and $5 per adult, with an option to preorder pancakes to go. Choose a timeslot and register here.
Maple Sweetness at the Wolcott Mill Metropark Farm Center Office in Romeo takes place on Saturdays and Sundays throughout March from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
Learn about Michigan’s earliest crop: maple sugar. Enjoy a tractor-drawn wagon ride to their sugar shack to see their wood-fired evaporator turn sap into syrup. Walk through the woods and see how trees are chosen and tapped. The cost is $3 per child over 2 and $5 per adult. Registration is not required.
Making Maple Syrup Tours at Maybury Farm in Northville Township happen on Saturdays and Sundays throughout March from noon to 5:00 PM.
You can take a hayride to the maple tree grove, tap the trees and then watch how sap is turned into syrup. Your family will not only see all the steps, but they will be able to participate in the process. Registration is not required. Call 248-374-0200 for information.
MSU Tollgate Farm MapleFest is March 8-9 from 8:30 AM-1:00 PM at the Tollgate Farm in Novi.
Your family will take a wagon tour to the sugar bush, where you will tour the sugar shack, learn how to tap a maple tree and explore the history of maple tapping. You’ll also enjoy pure maple syrup on freshly made pancakes. The cost is $18 per person; children 2 years old and under are free. Registration is required.
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