The Upper Peninsula Fall Colors Page

Fall in the Upper Peninsula is a wonderful time of the year.  There's no better place to view the beautiful leaves changing color as the days get shorter and the daily light gets less and less.  It is a time of transition in the U.P., from the warm, sunny days of summer, to the cold, bone-chilling days of winter.  During the fall season, the temperatures tend to go back and forth, from the warm 70's going down to the teeth-chattering 30's on certain days.  But usually, it is right in the middle, so that people are still able to walk around back country trails and roadways to soak in the beautiful reds, yellows, oranges, and browns.  It truly is a sensational scene, and one that I enjoy greatly.  In my opinion, the U.P. has some of the best fall colors in the United States.  So, if you want to enjoy the U.P.'s glorious color during the peak of the fall colors, take a look at some of the best fall color tours we have to offer below.  The leaves aren't here for long, so lets enjoy them while we can!

Fall Color Reports

For the latest fall color reports across Upper Michigan and Northern Lower Michigan, please continue on to the site listed below.  Their reports are updated daily and are often quite accurate.

Upper Peninsula Fall Color Report

If you've been looking for the best leaf peeping locations in the Upper Peninsula, this is the place for you!  These are the top of the line fall color tours through many county and state highways in the U.P., and have the very best viewing of color in the state!  So check these tours out for your U.P. color viewing this fall:

Keweenaw Peninsula Region: Start at Twin Lakes on M-26, 23 miles south of Houghton.  Take a scenic stop at beautiful Roland Lake. Then take US 41 north from Houghton through Calumet, Laurium and Mohawk to Phoenix. Take Highway M-26 north from Phoenix through Eagle River and Eagle Harbor to Copper Harbor.  Return from Copper Harbor on US 41 to Delaware, then turn on a county road to Bete Grise and Lac La Belle.  Follow this road to Lake Linden where you will meet Highway M-26. Go south to Hubbell, Dollar Bay and on to Houghton. Approximate distance - 125 miles.

Keweenaw Peninsula Region: From Baraga, take US 41 North to Chassell, then west to Painesdale.  From Painesdale, take M-26 north to the intersection with M-38. Go west on M-38 to Ontonagon. Take M-64 west to Silver City and the Porcupine Mountains State Park.  Return to Baraga on Highway M-38. Approximate distance 170 miles.  

Keweenaw/L'Anse-Iron Mountain Region: From Crystal Falls, go west on US 2 to Ironwood.  Return on Highway M-28 to Covington, then south on US 141 to Crystal Falls. Approximate distance 220 miles.

Central Upper Peninsula: From Grand Marais, take H-58 (Alger County Highway) west to Munising (or the reverse). This trip takes about 2 hours and goes through the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Approximate distance 50 miles.

Central Upper Peninsula/Manistique-Newberry Region: From Grand Marais, go South on M-77 to Seney National Wildlife Refuge, east on M-28 to Newberry, then north out of Newberry on M-123 to Paradise. Approximate distance 88 miles. 

Eastern Upper Peninsula Region: From Paradise, take the Curly Lewis Scenic Highway #221 to Point Iroquois Lighthouse, Bay Mills, Brimley and Sault Ste. Marie. Approximate distance 55 miles.

Central Upper Peninsula Region: One of the best tours is county Highway 13 from Nahma Junction to Wetmore (Lake Michigan to Lake Superior).  Approximate distance 50 miles.

                   

                      Upper Peninsula Fall Climatology

Fall Colors in the Upper Peninsula peak from late-September until mid-October.  The fall colors will peak later along the Lake Superior and Michigan shorelines and will peak earlier inland.  Be prepared for rapidly deteriorating weather conditions during September and October across Upper Michigan as well.  Expect windy, cold, and rainy days, as well as warm, sunny, and beautiful days.  The weather is about as variable as it possibly can be during the fall season in the Upper Peninsula.  So be sure and pack a variety of clothing types if you are planning an extended stay in the U.P.  And be sure to stay on top of the weather forecasts!