Best fall color drives in Michigan’s U.P., when to hit the road

Fall colors in Marquette

Fall is a great time to explore the highways and byways of the U.P. This photo was snapped from the 510 bridge overpass in Marquette. | Photo by Kyle Mattson, MLive.com

Michigan’s fall color season is just around the corner, meaning it’s high time to start planning where to point your car for a spectacular scenic drive.

To help you decide where to cruise for fall color, the County Road Association of Michigan -- which manages the state’s more than 90,000 miles of county roads -- compiles an annual list of favorite autumn drives routes around the state. This year the CRA is kicking things off by sharing the Upper Peninsula drives first.

“The County Road Association of Michigan encourages Michiganders to explore the beauty of the Upper Peninsula this fall,” Denise Donohue, CRA executive director, said in a statement. “We all know Michigan has a lot to offer, and the changing leaves are just one of the state’s admirable qualities. Taking a fall color tour is a safe, accessible activity that allows all ages to observe nature’s beauty.”

The following drives are the best suggestions for fall color from eight county road agencies in the Upper Peninsula. Peak viewing conditions for this region are expected from September 20 to October 5 this year.

Read on for the list, in alphabetical order by county:

Upper Peninsula fall color (estimated peak dates Sept. 20 - Oct. 5)

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
  • US-2 to Houghton County

Keweenaw County

  • Brockway Mountain Drive
  • Lac La 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 Presque Isle to Ontonagon

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