Michigan's fall colors are hitting peak: What to know, best scenic drives

Fall colors have spread across Michigan , perfect for a scenic drive through the state's natural beauty. Reds, yellows and oranges are in bloom, starting in the Upper Peninsula and now here in metro Detroit.

Consider hitting the road for an up-close view of fall colors , with picturesque routes across metro Detroit. If you're farther north, check out drives like the scenic Tunnel of Trees, a 50-mile route in the northwestern lower peninsula.

You can also visit state parks, take a riverboat or helicopter tour, visit a local apple orchard or cider mill , and more to enjoy the vibrant colors this fall. A full range of fall travel ideas in the state can also be found online from Pure Michigan.

Michigan fall color forecast, week of Oct. 21

A foliage predictor map from SmokyMountains.com shows that peak fall colors have arrived here in Michigan. All of Michigan should be past peak foliage during the week of Oct. 28, according to the map.

Another map from Explore Fall , a fall foliage tracking website, predicts much of the Upper Peninsula past peak fall colors this week, with peak fall colors spreading south across most of the Lower Peninsula. Part of the southern Lower Peninsula, including metro Detroit, are between moderate and high fall colors, according to the map.

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Michigan trees and fall colors

With fall colors in full effect, Michigan's diverse tree varieties have their own color patterns, according to Michigan State University .

In the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula, maple trees feature orange and red leaves, while quaking aspen and larch trees have yellow leaves. Maple trees include sugar maple and red maple, with sugar maples turning bright red and red maples going from vivid red to orange to bright yellow.

Red oaks, present across the state, have subtle red leaves, while trees in the white oak group, with several in southern Michigan, feature yellow or dusty red leaves. Sassafras, present in southern Michigan, varies from yellow to deep red in the fall and can have three-lobed or mitten-shaped leaves.

Hickories, common in southern Michigan, can feature yellow leaves in the fall, the most common variety in the state being shagbark hickory. Larch trees feature needles, which turn bright yellow in the fall before shedding. Eastern larch, or tamarack, is a larch variety found in wetter parts of Michigan.

Southeast Michigan's most scenic drives

If you're looking to hit the road and check out the leaves changing colors this fall, there are plenty of great routes to check out.

The County Road Association of Michigan recently released its 2024 list of the state's best best fall color drives with information from Michigan's 83 county road agencies, according to the CRA website .

Here's where to hit the road in southeast Michigan:

Macomb County fall color drives

• 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
• Campground Road between 29 Mile Road and 31 Mile Road
• Mount Vernon Road between Dean Road and 31 Mile Road

Oakland County fall color drives

• 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
• Wixom Road between Charm and Sleeth/Duck Lake intersection
• Richardson Road between Martin Parkway and Newton
• Wise Road between Canal and Carrol Lake
• Porter Road
• Pontiac Lake Road between Cuthbert and White Lake Road
• Gale Road
• McKeachie Road
• Scripps Road between M-24 and Joslyn Road
• Greenshield Road between Joslyn Road and Kern Road
• Kern Road between Silverbell and Clarkston Road
• Delano Road between Ray Road and Davison Lake Road
• Ray Road between North Oxford Road and Lake George Road
• Beverly Road between 13 1/2 Mile and 14 Mile

Washtenaw County fall color drives

• Huron River Drive between Mast Road and U.S.-23
• North Territorial Road between U.S.-23 and M-52

Free Press web editor Elissa Robinson contributed.

Contact Jenna Prestininzi: jprestininzi@freepress.com .

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan's fall colors are hitting peak: What to know, best scenic drives