The Wildly Unexpected State With America's Best Fall Foliage Is A Vibrant Midwest Haven

With over 19 million acres of forest paired with covered bridges and lakeside villages, Michigan becomes a wild and vast patchwork of colorful foliage in the fall. While New England may get much of the spotlight, Michigan quietly delivers some of the country's most impressive autumn displays. From historic Mackinac Island, where horse-drawn carriages glide past blazing maples, to tranquil vineyards blanketed in fall hues, the state offers a dazzling variety of seasonal backdrops worth exploring.

In Michigan, fall happens twice. First, the Upper Peninsula reaches peak fall foliage season around the end of September and the first half of October, lending a golden warmth to its more rugged wilderness. The Upper Peninsula often gets praise for its fall scenery, named the best place to see fall colors in 2025 by USA Today. When it's past peak-season in the Upper Peninsula, though, the color drifts south, with the Lower Peninsula reaching its peak in the second half of October. The Lower Peninsula's colors coat cider mills, vineyards, and lakefront towns. As you plan a fall trip to either of the peninsulas, you can use the Smoky Mountains fall foliage prediction map to see when exactly colors peak across the U.S.

Scenic trails and byways run through the remote forests and hidden lakes that blanket Michigan's Upper Peninsula, which are most vibrant in the early fall season. You can get some of the best views across the peninsula with a road trip on Highway 2, which cruises along the peninsula's southern edge, with a particularly stunning 45-mile segment along the Lake Michigan shoreline. On the route's western end, you could start in Ironwood, where the closest commercial airport, Gogebic-Iron County Airport, is about 12 minutes away by car. Ironwood offers some incredible fall scenery, including the lesser-known Interstate Falls, a short detour off of Highway 2 near the Wisconsin border. On the east side of the route on the lakefront, Highway 2 crosses the gorgeous Cut River Bridge spanning over a gorge. Pull over at the Cut River Bridge Roadside Park for spectacular views of the truss bridge framed by the gorge's foliage from below.

Hikers can't miss Tahquamenon Falls State Park, which hides a "root beer" waterfall and enchanting trails that burst with color in the fall. The Tahquamenon Falls, about 200 feet wide, is the largest waterfall in Michigan, and its distinct dusky, root beer color, caused by tannins from upriver swamps, adds to the encompassing fall palette. On the 4-mile River Trail, which connects the Upper and Lower Falls, you'll be shaded by old-growth woods of beech, sugar maple, and yellow birch. For a getaway steeped in the park's natural beauty, you could even book a stay at the Tahquamenon Falls Lodge, a fully furnished hideaway located near multiple park trails.

Cross south on the Mackinac Bridge, the path linking Michigan's two peninsulas with island views, and you'll find the lively side of the state's autumn splendor in the Lower Peninsula. At the northern shore, the M-119 highway passes through a magnificent natural corridor called the Tunnel of Trees, stretching about 20 miles through unending forest color. For a longer road trip, the M-22 Color Tour is a 116-mile journey that showcases a panorama of autumn scenery, from the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore to the orchards of the Leelanau Peninsula. The route ends at Manistee, a cozy city on the shore of Lake Michigan, where its downtown Manistee Riverwalk is a must-visit for fall photo ops.

Those who want to sip wine or cider while taking in views should plan a trip focused on the Leelanau Peninsula, home to the Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail. The trail covers over 20 wineries, located among small towns and along rolling farmland encircled by forest. Later in the year, there's a special event called Hunt for the Reds of October, where visitors can sample a selection of red wines from the participating winemakers while leaf-peeping between vineyards.

Those who'd prefer to stay somewhere with a more urban feel don't need to miss out on fall foliage viewing. Michigan's Grand Rapids area offers lots to see in autumn, from its local parks to scenic spots a short drive out from the city. The Blandford Nature Center, located a 15-minute drive from downtown, offers numerous trails through old-growth forest and a Fall Harvest Festival. Fifteen minutes in the other direction from downtown takes you to the Historic Ada Covered Bridge, which leads to a picturesque viewpoint on the Thornapple River and the perfectly leaf-draped village of Ada.