Calling All Fall Color Tour Fans — Help the U.P. Now!
Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is once again one of 20 nationwide nominees for the USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards Best Destination for Fall Colors. Readers will narrow the field to the final 10 winners. The U.P. needs your help now to hold onto its #1 ranking. Vote for us daily from noon EDT on August 11, 2025, until the poll closes at 11:59 p.m. EDT on September 8.
“When it comes to fall color, no other nominee can rival the splendor of our wilderness from September through October,” points out Tom Nemacheck, executive director of the Upper Peninsula Travel & Recreation Association.
Why are the U.P.’s fall colors so hard to top? The region spans 16,538 square miles, with 85 percent of the area covered in forest. When those trees burst into scarlet, amber, orange and brown, interspersed with pine green, you can’t help but gape at every turn.
Where to Be Awestruck
Feel exhilarated along these 10 fall color routes. Travel at your pace under canopies of jewel-toned leaves arching over forest roads and trails, across valleys, on mountaintops and in harvest-decorated historic towns from Drummond Island to Ironwood. Explore 1,700 miles of Great Lakes shoreline. Gaze at shimmering reflections in 4,300 inland lakes and 12,000 miles of rivers and streams. Take in the tranquil wooded backdrops surrounding over 300 waterfalls. In the U.P., splendid fall views are everywhere.
How to Vote For the U.P. — The Best of the Best
To cast your vote, go daily to USA Today 10Best until the poll closes on September. 8. Share this blog with your family, friends or anyone who loves autumn in the U.P. Encourage them to vote for the U.P. every day, too. With everyone’s help, the nation will know indisputably that we are the BEST Destination for Fall Colors when the rankings are announced at noon EDT on September 17. Thank you for voting!