Leaf peeping

Fall colors in Michigan

Typical peak runs Oct 6 – 18. Pick the week, then the place.

Photo: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Backcountry Camping Permit

Fall color in Michigan typically peaks between Oct 6 and Oct 18, with the middle of the season around Oct 11. Color starts in the high country (Island Mine Trail around Sep 25) and finishes lower (Grand Island Thumb Hiking Trl around Oct 12). We track 269 places here: 137 campgrounds, 99 hikes, 19 waterfalls, 7 summits, and 6 mountain biking trails. Above 1,000 ft, color typically peaks around Oct 14; under 1,000 ft, around Oct 11.

When to go

Week by week

How many places are in their typical peak window each week, with the top pick. Today’s week is highlighted.

  1. Sep 22 – 28

    24 places
    Mount Ojibway TrailTop pick · hike

  2. Sep 29 – Oct 5

    159 places
    Alger FallsTop pick · waterfall

  3. Oct 6 – 12

    This week

    258 places
    Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Backcountry Camping PermitTop pick · campground

  4. Oct 13 – 19

    244 places
    Avalanche MountainTop pick · summit

  5. Oct 20 – 26

    110 places
    Indian River RV ResortTop pick · campground

  6. Oct 27 – Nov 2

    11 places
    Reid, 12-10 Railroad GradeTop pick · hike

  7. Nov 3 – 9

    1 places

Elevation

Color walks downhill

In Michigan, the higher the ground, the earlier the turn. Each row is a 1,000-foot band.

  1. 1,000+ ftOct 14
  2. 0–1,000 ftOct 11

Dot = median typical peak for places in that band. Bands with fewer than 10 places are left out.

This week

In typical peak now in Michigan

Places whose usual window includes today.

Plan ahead

Coming up next

Typical peak starts within the next three weeks.

Where

By park and forest

Typical timing for the public lands with the most places, and the best-known spots in each.

Hikes

Best fall hikes

Trails ranked by how much hardwood forest surrounds them and how consistent the timing is across years.

Camp

Campgrounds in the color

Wake up in it. Check availability and any seasonal closures before you go.

Views

Summits and waterfalls

Overlooks for the big picture, falls for the doubled-up reflection.

Everything

Map and full list

Every place we track in Michigan, grouped by where it is in its typical window.

  • In typical peak now (100)

In typical peak now

Today falls inside the usual peak window for these places.

Questions

Fall colors in Michigan: FAQ

When is peak fall color in Michigan?

Across the 269 places we track in Michigan, typical peak runs from Oct 6 to Oct 18, with the middle of the season around Oct 11. Where you are in the state matters: higher elevations come earlier and valleys later.

Where do leaves change first in Michigan?

Among the places we track in Michigan, Island Mine Trail has the earliest typical peak, around Sep 25. The latest is Grand Island Thumb Hiking Trl, around Oct 12. Above 1,000 ft, color typically peaks around Oct 14; under 1,000 ft, around Oct 11.

What are the best fall hikes in Michigan?

Hikes with strong typical color in Michigan include Lyme Timber, Northwoods Trail, Bull Gap Return Loop, >50", Wwhite Pine Trail, and Coalwood Grade ATV. They are ranked by how much of the surrounding forest is hardwood and how consistent the timing has been across years.

Is this a forecast?

No. These dates are typical timing: when leaves have usually reached peak in past years, from NASA satellite vegetation data from 2017 to 2024 and USGS forest cover. A warm, dry or very wet year can shift them by a week or more, so treat them as a planning window, not a prediction for this year.

Keep going

Nearby states

Typical timing from NASA MODIS vegetation data (2017–2024) and USGS NLCD 2021 forest cover. Not a forecast. Timing is typical, not a forecast. How we time it.