Drive Information

Driving the highways and byways of Northwest Michigan exhibits culture and water views of exceptional awe. Stop in the Villages to find those incredible discoveries, then meander less-traveled routes to see the definition of picturesque.

The rolling hills and beautiful lakeview vistas offer spectacular scenic driving tours. Meander along the byways or cruise the highways, all with a view. Take a break at any of the quaint communities, for a bite to eat or drive through the picturesque neighborhoods.

The inland lakes provide panoramas which are no less dramatic than the Big Lake, nor is the exploring any less adventurous.

When Nature Calls

Fall Color Tour

Nature begins the process of winding down from a summer full of exciting activities, by providing it’s color show in the form of the changing leaves of Fall. The many varieties of hardwoods delight us with flaming reds, vibrant yellows, and stunning gold. Take a tour to take in the views, as the forest readies itself for winter.

The colors of Fall are always stored in the leaves, it’s just that the green chlorophyll dominates the leaf in summer. When the days get shorter, the production of chlorophyll slows, allowing the other pigments to appear.

The Fall Colors, from a scientific perspective, is the draining of dominant green chlorophyll from the leaves, leaving the natural reds, yellows, and golds to show themselves.  From nature’s perspective, it’s when the trees tell the leaves that the days are getting shorter, and it’s time to go dormant for the winter.

When To Go

The exact “day” of peak color depends on a number of factors, such as geography, air temperatures, rainfall, and even the soil that the tree lives in.  And unfortunately, a strong wind can knock all the color to the ground in one night.  Your best bet is to get to your destination and see what you see.  If it is prime color time, drive around the area and take it all in.  If too green, head inland, and if too brown, head toward the nearest Lake Michigan coastline and drive South.

If the weather conditions are right, the color change begins around mid-September.  The best conditions are mild day temperatures, cool night temperatures, some periodic light rain, and low winds.

  • Late September. Inland, Lake City, Mancelona, Boyne Falls.
  • Mid October. Lake Michigan Coast, Leelanau Peninsula, Old Mission Peninsula.
  • Everywhere else, between Late September & Mid October.

Weather Factors

As the air turns cooler, our green landscape transforms to shades of red, magenta, orange and gold.  The intensity and duration of the fall color season are primarily dependent on the weather.  Wet and windy make for a short season, while dry and calm keep the colors blooming for a longer period.

Best colors come from warm days and cool nights. Low temperatures, but above freezing, brings out the deep reds. Early frost weakens the bright reds.

Warm and cloudy weather turn leaves yellow. Orange, red, and gold colors occur when the days are warm and sunny, and the nights are chilly but not freezing.

Lots of rain in late summer and early fall greatly diminish the vibrancy of the colors. A long period of dry weather can cause the leaves to brown more quickly. Light rain & overcast, during the tour, can sometimes intensify the brilliance of the colors.

Lake Michigan Effects

An additional color factor is the effects of Lake Michigan.  The farther you move from the warming effects of the big lake, the sooner the colors appear.  Although the season falls within a range of dates each year, you can generally expect the peak to be earliest – the farther inland you go.  A tip to remember during fall – if you see green leaves, veer inland, and if you see brown leaves, veer toward Lake Michigan.

The Colors

  • Dogwood, sumac: reddish, purplish. 
  • Sugar maples: bright red. 
  • Oak: brown.
  • Tamaracks are golden.  Later part of October, generally after prime colors.

The Science

Maple trees are the brilliant reds.  The intensity of the color dependent on the sap.  The sugar within the leaves produces the red pigment, and the amount of sap affects the brilliance of the color.  This explains why the colors may be more bright in one region over another, and vary year by year.

The process of the sap going into the tree trunk and roots for winter storage, is dependent on the temperature.  Warm nights slow the process, allowing the sugars to remain in the leaves as the chlorophyll production stops and the green is replaced by red.  If the leaves freeze, however, they simply turn brown, instead of transitioning through the red phase.