As the crisp fall air arrives, Michiganders flock to the best color viewing spots – and many of those are located alongside the Upper Peninsula’s county roads. It’s the ideal time to enjoy an afternoon drive and take in the splendor of the fall leaves.
“The County Road Association (CRA) of Michigan encourages Michiganders to explore the beauty of the Upper Peninsula this fall,” said Denise Donohue, CRA executive director. “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 County Road Association of Michigan has worked with the state’s 83 county road agencies to develop a list of the best county roads in the state for fall color. The list is located on CRA’s new web page called MiBackroads.
This list of fall color drives reflects the best suggestions from eight UP county road agencies. Peak viewing conditions for the Upper Peninsula are expected from September 20 to October 5.
Listed in alphabetical order, the following counties’ best fall color drives are:
Upper Peninsula (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
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
Ontonagon County
- South boundary road from Presquile to Ontonagon
The 83 members of the County Road Association of Michigan represent the unified voice for a safe and efficient county transportation infrastructure system in Michigan, including appropriate stewardship of the public’s right-of-way in rural and urban Michigan. 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.
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