The Upper Peninsula was officially named USA Today’s Best Fall Foliage Destination 2022

It was an incredible honor to be among the 20 beautiful destinations nominated throughout the country as fall foliage destinations. But it's even better to take home first place! This is especially true because the votes came from USA Today readers and Upper Peninsula fans like yourself. 

Whether you’ve marveled at the U.P.'s fall color palette in person or in photos from afar and voted, we could not have done this without you. Thank you for casting votes daily on our behalf!

The 10Best Readers' Choice Award contest launches new categories every other Monday at noon, revealing each category's 20 nominees. Those nominees are selected by a panel of relevant experts which include a combination of editors from USA Today; editors from 10Best.com; relevant expert contributors; and sources for both these media and other Gannett properties. All voting is digital.

After 4 weeks of voting, the contest closes on the 28th day at noon. Winners are announced the following Friday at noon. Rules allow individuals the right to vote online for one nominee per category, per day.

The Upper Peninsula is consistently the best place for free fall color

In previous years, the U.P. has earned the Best Destination for Fall Foliage and ranked in the top five destinations for its deciduous trees that turn into a technicolor landscape. The U.P. boasts that 85% of its 16,538 square miles are forested. Here travelers can catch the fall colors reflected in 4,300 inland lakes, 12,000 miles of streams and 1,700 miles of shoreline on three Great Lakes. All but two of Michigan’s more than 200 waterfalls are in the U.P. as well. Catching a glimpse of the fall watercolor painting coming to life around the waterfalls is glorious.

 

Plan your fall color visit to the Upper Peninsula

All of these are reasons for you to come here this fall to experience the season yourself. And stay tuned for next year’s fall color polls to open up!