See complete ‘don’t miss’ list of Michigan roads to travel for stunning fall color tours

LANSING, MI – Michigan’s fall colors are coming.

An annual tradition beloved by both residents and visitors, Michigan in the fall is like a scene out of a painting. It’s such a draw that many people schedule fall road trips, or fall color tours, and there’s no better place to do that on a scenic country road.

“Taking a fall color tour down a county road is a great way to spend an afternoon,” said Denise Donohue, executive director for the County Road Association (CRA) of Michigan. “Michigan’s colors are among the best in the country, making fall the perfect opportunity to go out and enjoy the state’s natural beauty.”

But what roads offer up the best opportunities to see Michigan’s stunning fall colors? Fortunately, the state’s road commissions are here to help with the release of “don’t miss” fall color drives.

Peak viewing conditions are expected from Sept. 18 to Oct. 29, with Mid-Michigan and West Michigan experiencing peak colors in the same three-week period.

The “Don’t miss” fall drive recommendations are brought to you by the County Road Association of Michigan made up of 83 local road agency members.

Collectively, Michigan’s county road agencies manage 75% of all roads in the state, including 90,000 miles of roads and 5,700 bridges. County road agencies also maintain the state’s highway system in 63 counties.

Michigan has the nation’s fourth-largest local road system   The following regions are listed in order of expected leaf coloring dates starting from the Upper Peninsula and moving south:

Upper Peninsula (Sept. 18 – Oct. 8)

Chippewa County

• North and South Caribou Lake Roads in the DeTour Village area
• Gogomain Road from Goetzville to Pickford
• Lakeshore Drive from Brimley to M-123
• Salt Point Road from M-28 to Lakeshore Drive

Dickinson County

• Kramer Drive on the north side of the city of Iron Mountain
• Metropolitan Road near Felch

Gogebic County

• 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
• Thousand Island Lake Road from US 2 to Sylvania Wilderness Park

Houghton County

• Covered Drive Road
• Freda Road
• Calumet Waterworks Road

Iron County

• 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
• Gibbs City Road and Ponozzo Road

Keweenaw County

• Brockway Mountain Drive
• Lake Belle Road
• Gratiot Lake Road
• Mohawk-Gay Road
• Eagle Harbor Road
• Cliff Drive
• Five Mile Point Road

Marquette County

• 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
• M-35 from County Road 480 to Gwinn

Ontonagon County

• South boundary road from Presquile to Ontonagon

Northern Lower Peninsula (Sept. 25 – Oct. 15)

Alpena County

• Bolton Road to Long Lake Road
• Nicholson Hill Road
• Scott Road
• Long Rapids Road

Antrim County

• Deadman Hill overlook off US-131 viewing Jordan River Valley
• Jordan River Road off US-131
• Pinney Bridge Road off M-66
• Cascade Road off Alba Highway (CR 620)

Crawford County

• CR101 looking north from CR100 (“Pioneer Hill”)

Emmet County

• Pleasantview Road north of Boyne Highlands to Robinson Road
• Robinson Road from State Road to Pleasantview Road
• State Road from Harbor Springs to Cross Village
• Brutus Road from Pleasantville Road to US-31
• Mitchell Road from Fletcher Road to Cheboygan County line

Leelanau County

• North Eagle Highway
• Newman Road
• Port Oneida Road
• Gills Pier Road
• Schomberg Road

Mason County

• Lakeshore Drive from Oceana Drive to Iris Road
• Hawley from Pere Marquette Highway to Walhalla Road
• South Masten Road to Washington Road and the Ruby Creek area
• North Lakeshore Drive along Hamlin Lake
• Custer Road from Hogue Road to US-10

Montmorency County

• Pleasant Valley Road
• Farrier Road
• Carter Road
• Meridian Line Road

Osceola County

• 80th Ave from River Rd to 20 Mile Rd
• 20 Mile Rd from 80th Ave to 180th Ave

Presque Isle County

• Long Lake Highway from M-65 into Alpena County
• E-634 Highway from Polaski Road west to Lake May Road
• W-638 Highway Ocqueoc Road from Walker Highway to North Allis Highway from Ocqueoc Road west to M-211

Wexford County

• Fall Color Scenic Routes, all starting from downtown Cadillac:
• Route 1:  Cadillac Lakes (20 miles)
• Route 2: Hodenpyl Dam (70 miles)
• Route 3:  Pine River (65 miles)
• Route 4:  Lake Missaukee (35 miles)

Mid-Michigan (Oct. 2-22) Barry County

• West State Rd from Hastings to Middleville
• Gun Lake Rd from M-179 (near Gun Lake) to M-179 (near Hastings)
• Yankee Springs Rd from M-37 to Delton Rd

Clinton County

• Maple Rapid Roads from Harris Road to Tallman Road
• Tallman Road from Maple Rapid Road to Stone Road
• Stone Road from Tallman Road to Wacousta Road
• Wacousta Road from Stone Road to Hyde Road
• Peacock Road from M-78 to Cutler Road
• Clark Road from Upton Road East

Jackson County

• Seymour Road from N Elm Avenue to Trist Road
• Kimmel Road from Thorne Road to Draper Road

Shiawassee County

• Grand River Road from Laingsburg to the Village of Byron

West Michigan (Oct. 2-22)

Berrien County

• Blue Star Memorial Highway along Lake Michigan from Van Buren to M-63
• M-63 south to St. Joseph
• Red Arrow Highway from Stevensville to Lakeshore Road in New Buffalo
• Red Arrow Highway to Union Pier then back to Warren Woods Road
• Red Highway to Madron Lake Road in City of Buchanan

Kalamazoo County

• G Avenue – 2nd Street to 6th Street, Alamo/Oshtemo Township
• U Avenue – 29th Street to 32nd Street, Brady Township
• O Avenue – 38th Street to 42nd Street, Climax Township
• 37th Street – M-96 to G Avenue, Charleston/Ross Township
• AB Avenue – Douglas Avenue to 12th Street, Cooper Township
• R Avenue – 29th Street to 34th Street, Pavilion Township
• East CD Avenue – 24th Street to D Avenue, Richland Township
• 5th Street – W Avenue to V Avenue, Prairie Ronde Township
• 39th Street – FG Avenue to M-89, Ross Township
• Y Avenue – Portage Road to 24th Street, Schoolcraft Township
• 8th Street – Texas Drive to O Avenue, Texas Township
• YZ Avenue – 38th Street to 42nd Street, Wakeshma Township

Kent County

• Honey Creek Avenue from Pettis Avenue to Cannonsburg Road
• Bailey Drive from Vergennes Street to Lincoln Lake Avenue
• Fallasburg Park Drive from Lincoln Lake Avenue to Gavin Lake Avenue
• 5 Mile Road from Lincoln Lake Avenue to Gavin Lake Avenue
• Gavin Lake Road from 5-mile road to Belding Road
• Wabasis Avenue from Belding Road to 12 Mile Road
• Ramsdell Drive from 5 Mile Road to 11 Mile Road

Muskegon County

• Scenic Drive from Memorial Drive to Michillinda Road
• Along Lake Michigan shoreline and Duck Lake

Ottawa County

• Lakeshore Drive from Grand Haven city limits to Ottawa Beach Road/Holland State Park
• Hayes Street from M-11 intersection to Berlin Fair Drive/the Berlin Fairgrounds in Marne
• Leonard Street from intersection on Leonard Street/S. Lake Avenue in Village of Spring Lake to Lamont
• Mercury Drive/Green Street/N. Cedar Drive from Grand Haven to Riverside County Park

Southeast Michigan (Oct. 9-29)

Macomb County

• 24 Mile Road between Van Dyke Freeway and Shelby Road
• Tillson Street between Sisson Street and South Main Street
• M-53 between 28 Mile Road and 32 Mile Road
• Lakeshore Drive between 8 Mile Road and Marter Road
• Macomb Orchard Trail

Oakland County

• Independence Township:
• Rattalee Lake between Ellis and M-15
• Hadley Road between M-15 and Shappie
• Shappie Road between Hadley and Perry Lake Road
• Pine Knob Road between Sashabaw and Clarkston Road
• Commerce Township:
• Wixom Rd – Charm to Sleeth/duck lake intersection
• Richardson Rd. – Martin Parkway to Newton
• Wise Rd. – Canal to Carrol Lake
• White Lake Township:
• Porter Rd
• Pontiac Lake Road to Culhbert to White Lake Road (This route you see beautiful foilage, the lake and Ruggles Farm)
• Gale Rd
• McKeachie Rd
• Orion Township:
• Scripps Rd. between M-24 & Joslyn Rd
• Greenshield Rd. Joslyn Rd. to Kern Rd. (both sides of M-24 and it is a Natural Beauty Rd.)
• Kern Rd. Silverbell to Clarkston Rd.
• Oxford Township:
• Delano Rd. (from Ray Rd. to Davison Lake Rd.) – Natural Beauty Road
• Ray Rd. (0.65 mile east of N. Oxford Rd. to Lake George Road in Addison Township) – Natural Beauty
• Southfield Township:
• Beverly Road -from 13 ½ Mile to 14 Mile Road that passes by the Evans Nature Preserve

Washtenaw County

• Huron River Drive between Mast Road and US-23
• North Territorial Road between US-23 and M-52