Photo courtesy of Upper Peninsula Travel
Colorful Copper Harbor trees are seen during a past fall colors display.
MARQUETTE — Autumn’s changing leaves are perhaps best admired from the Upper Peninsula. Various Michigan-based organizations have compiled a list of the best leaf-viewing locations.
Denise Donohue, CEO of the Country Road Association of Michigan, said the group “encourages Michiganders to explore the beauty of the Upper Peninsula this fall. We all know Michigan has a lot to offer, and the changing leaves are just one of the state’s admirable qualities.”
“Fall color in the U.P. is always remarkable,” said U.P. Travel & Recreation Associate Director Adonia Finendale. “We have a variety of tree species that give us a kaleidoscope of color. Maples, oaks, birches and aspens change from lush greens to spectacular reds, oranges and yellows.”
USA Today has voted the U.P. as the top fall color destination three out of the last five years.
Along with local county road agencies, the CRA has developed a list of the best meandering county roads in the U.P. to view the colors. Colors will be the brightest, according to Finendale, in the last week of September and the first two weeks of October.
Cruise down Chippewa County’s North and South Caribou Lake roads in the DeTour Village area to see the changing leaves. Other roads in the county include Gogomain Road from Goetzville to Pickford, Lakeshore Drive from Brimley to M-123 and Salt Point Road from M-28 to Lakeshore Drive.
In Dickinson County, one can admire the fall colors on Kramer Drive on the north side of the city of Iron Mountain as well as on Metropolitan Road near Felch.
Good sightseeing roads in Gogebic County include Black River Road to Black River Harbor, Lake Road from Ironwood to Little Girls Point and Superior Falls, Black River Road from Bessemer to Copper Peak and Black River Harbor, Wolf Mountain Road from US 2 to Wolf Mountain, County Road 519N from Wakefield to the mouth of the Big Presque Isle River and Porcupine State Park and finally Thousand Island Lake Road from US 2 to Sylvania Wilderness Park.
Driving down Houghton County’s Covered Drive Road, Freda Road or Calumet Waterworks Road can offer beautiful sights as well.
As for Iron County, tourists and locals alike should stop by these: Ottawa Lake Road/Hagerman Lake Road loop, Pentoga Trail (CR-639) to CR-424 along Chicagon Lake and Pentoga Road from CR-424 to Brule River, Bates-Amasa Road (CR-643) US-2 to US-141 by Paint River and Hemlock River and lastly Gibbs City Road and Ponozzo Road.
Traversing the following Keweenaw County roads offer just as good sights: Brockway Mountain Drive, Lac La Belle Road, Gratiot Lake Road, Mohawk-Gay Road, Eagle Harbor Road, Cliff Drive and Five Mile Point Road.
Ontonagon County offers the best view on South Boundary Road from Presquile to Ontonagon.
Marquette County also has some of the best views in the peninsula. Travel County Road 510 from County Road 502 north to Big Bay, Triple A off County Road 510 in Big Bay, County Road 533 in Skandia or M-35 from County Road 480 to Gwinn.
Finendale’s personal favorite places include the CR510 Bridge, Thomas Rock and Sugarload Mountain where she can enjoy “the crispness, the earthy smells and the ability to immerse yourself.”
“From scenic Brockway Way Drive in the Keweenaw to the Porcupine Mountains to Pictured Rocks to Tahquamenon Falls,” she said, “the diverse landscape of the U.P. lends to viewing amazing natural attractions with the fall color background.”