Image courtesy Petoskey Area Visitors Bureau
Emily Bingham | ebingham@mlive.com
12 of Michigan's most dazzling fall color drives
Not to diss summer road trips, but fall is pretty much the perfect time to travel: The traffic is lighter, the weather's cooler, and the scenery can't be beat. Read on for some of the best fall-color routes the state has to offer, ranging in length from 30 minutes (doable in a morning, with time to dawdle for at a cider mill) to a four-hour-long Lake Huron coastal tour, perfect for an epic autumn weekend road trip.
Photo by Todd Marsee, Michigan Sea Grant
St. Ignace to Naubinway (U.S. 2)
Travel time: 45 minutes
This route skirts the narrow northern tip of Lake Michigan, curving along wild, vacant stretches of sandy beach and through the southern end of Sault Ste. Marie State Forest. Extend the trip by heading to Manistique and Kitch-iti-Kipi, a scenic and storied spring.
Must-stop spot: Cut River Bridge, pictured, is a great location to snap photos of the scenic valley below.
Rows of wine grapes at Chateau Grand Traverse. Image via Traverse City Tourism, used with permission.
Old Mission Peninsula (M-37)
Drive time: 1 hour
This thin peninsula cuts right up the middle of Grand Traverse Bay, giving you beautiful blue-water views to both the east and west. Wind your way north past hilly vineyards and orchards, stopping at the peninsula's wineries along the way (here's a guide).
Must-stop spot: The historic Mission Point Lighthouse sits on a pretty beach at the peninsula’s terminus, surrounded by hiking trails that wind through woods and old orchards.
Photo by Instagram user dtgphotography_22, used with permission
M-22 (Traverse City to Empire)
Travel time: 2 hours
Trace the coastal edges of the lush and lovely Leelanau Peninsula, where you'll find wineries, galleries, farm stands, overlooks, and lots of small towns to explore. Start in downtown Traverse City, heading north on M-22 to Northport, then head south again to Empire. Take M-72 back to Traverse City, or extend your trip and head farther south into Frankfort, Arcadia and Manistee.
Must-stop spot: Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, for these 12 reasons.
Image courtesy Northern Living Photography.
Sunrise Coast (Pure Michigan Byway)
Drive time: 4 hours
The 200-mile stretch of U.S. 23 that connects Standish to Mackinaw City is called the "Sunrise Coast" Pure Michigan Byway. It hugs the Lake Huron shoreline, winds through the Black River Hills, and passes through coastal towns where you'll find hiking trails, pristine beaches, and 19 historic lighthouses, among other gems.
Must-stop spot: Tawas Point is considered one of the best birding spots in the Midwest, and its also home to the historic Tawas Point Lighthouse.
Image courtesy Petoskey Area Convention and Visitors Bureau
The Tunnel of Trees (M-119)
Travel time: 47 minutes
There are quicker ways to get to Cross Village from Harbor Springs than this twisty section of narrow two-lane, but you'd be missing out on one of Michigan's prettiest drives. The road runs along a high Lake Michigan bluff and frequently dips beneath a canopy of interlacing branches.
Must-stop spots: Pond Hill Farm (lots of family-friendly fall activities, plus a winery, brewery and cafe), Good Hart General Store (a historic spot known for its deli, bakery and pot pies), and Sturgeon Bay Dunes (a gorgeous stretch of beach just beyond Cross Village).
Copper Country Trail National Byway
Drive time: 2 hours
This byway covers the length of U.S. 41, heading straight up the Keweenaw's Peninsula's spine through Michigan's wildly scenic and historic Copper Country. Must-stop spot: The 9-mile Brockway Mountain Drive (pictured) is one of the most gorgeous roadways in the state, with several spots to pull off and admire the scenery.
Photo by Michigan Nut Photography, used with permission.
Grand Marais to Munising (H-58)
Drive time: 1 hour
Also known as H-58, this roadway connects the picturesque U.P. towns of Munising and Grand Marais — and it does so by driving straight through the stunning Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, home to waterfalls, sandstone Lake Superior cliffs, hiking trails and beautiful views galore.
Must-stop spot: Chapel Rock is a Pictured Rocks landmark, accessible via a 3-mile hike through the woods. For a shorter but equally scenic hike, follow the same trail 1.5 miles in to see Chapel Falls.
Foote Pond Overlook image courtesy Oscoda.com
River Road National Scenic Byway
Drive time: 1 hour
This byway begins in Oscoda, near the shores of Lake Huron, before diving into the Huron-Manistee National Forest where it parallels the Au Sable River for 22 miles. There are several scenic stops and trailheads along the way (the U.S. Forest Service has a downloadable route guide here).
Must-stop spot: Lumberman's Monument, a scenic and educational tribute to Michigan's logging history; Foote Pond Overlook (pictured), an incredible spot for viewing fall foliage.
Newberry to Paradise (M-123)
Drive time: 40 minutes
This lovely stretch of Upper Peninsula roadway winds through the Newberry State Forest Area and Tahquamenon Falls State Park before ending in Paradise at the shores of Lake Superior.
Must-stop spot: Tahquamenon Falls and the Tahquamenon River; Whitefish Point for Michigan history and lighthouse views at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum.
Photo by Michigan Nut Photography, used with permission.
Black River National Forest Scenic Byway
Drive time: 25 minutes
Also known as H-513, this short section of highway heads straight north from Bessemer in the western U.P. and follows the path of the Black River, home to several beautiful waterfalls, until the road ends at Lake Superior.
Must-stop spot: Rainbow Falls, accessible via a footbridge at the end of the byway; Black River Harbor (pictured), at the road's end.
Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive
Drive time: About 20 minutes
The length of this historic scenic driving loop in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is only a little more than seven miles, but if you stop at every overlook, picnic spot and hiking trail on the map, you could easily spend a whole afternoon here. Interpretive maps (available at the Visitors' Center in Empire) suggest about a dozen stops along the way.
Must-stop spot: All of them.
Huron River Drive in autumn. Photo courtesy of Lars Jensen.
Huron River Drive (Ann Arbor to Dexter)
Drive time: 25 minutes
Hop on this twisty-turny two-lane in Ann Arbor right before Main Street merges onto M-14 and follow it all the way to Dexter, or just beyond to Hudson Mills Metropark. The road travels alongside the Huron River the entire way, with several parks perfect for exploring.
Must-stop spots: Bird Hills Nature Area for a hilly, pretty hike; Dexter Cider Mill at route's end for cider and donuts.
North Bar Lake Overlook in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Photo by Snap Happy Gal Photography, used with permission.
Other Michigan travel stories you may enjoy:
Michigan's most spectacular autumn overlooks
This Michigan orchard grows the best apples you've never heard of
These 10 Michigan wineries will make you forget about Napa
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