Seven million acres of breathtaking autumn brilliance
Ask fall color seekers their favorite destinations and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula makes their lists. Seven million acres of tree coverage, the pristine shores of three Great Lakes, picturesque historic lighthouses, mirror-calm inland lakes and roaring waterfalls make this a fall getaway no other U.S. destination can match (USA Today readers voted the U.P. the number one destination for fall color).
The leaf show begins when our daylight hours shorten in mid-September and the night air grows crisp. First, there’s a spatter painting of scarlet reds and sunny yellows amid acres of green. Then, almost overnight, the hardwood forests explode in reds, oranges, yellows, purples, browns and greens. The colors intensify and peak by mid-October. But this breathtaking show continues for a couple more weeks, especially along tree-canopied roads near the shorelines of Lakes Huron, Michigan and Superior.
Below, are 10 of our favorite fall color routes across the U.P. (nearly 1,500 gorgeous, leafy miles). To help plan your trip, check our weekly color reports here for our eastern, central and western regions.
Fall Tour 1 – 100 Miles
Keweenaw Peninsula – Copper Harbor, Eagle Harbor, Eagle River, Calumet/Laurium, Hancock, Lake Linden, Bete Grise
Fall Tour 2 – 225 Miles
Hougton, Ontonagon, Silver City, Porcupine Mountains, Wakefield, Bergland, Baraga/L’Anse
Fall Tour 3 – 221 miles
Ironwood, Wakefield, Bergland, Bruce Crossing, Covington, Crystal Falls, Iron River, Watersmeet
Fall Tour 4 – 177 Miles
Big Bay, Marquette, Negaunee, Ishpeming, Palmer, Gwinn, Chatham, Shingleton, Munising, Au Train
Fall Tour 5 – 127 Miles
Iron Mountain, Norway, Spalding, Menominee, Cedar River, Escanaba
Fall Tour 6 – 144 Miles
Escanaba, Rapid River, Manistique, Gulliver, Naubinway, Epoufette, Brevort, St. Ignace
Fall Tour 7 – 160 miles
Munising, Seney, Grand Marias, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (H-58)
Fall Tour 8 – 172 Miles
Whitefish Point, Paradise, Newberry, Deer Park, Grand Marais, Seney, Seney National Wildlife Refuge
Fall Tour 9 – 81 Miles
Paradise, Lake Superior Shoreline Road (Curley Lewis Scenic Highway), Bay Mills, Brimley, Eckerman
Fall Tour 10 – 168 Miles
St. Ignace, Hessel, Cedarville, De Tour Village, Goetzville, Pickford, Sault Ste Marie, Kincheloe
