Fall Foliage Tours, Scenic Color Drives
Along Lake Superior Circle Route

View from Summit Peak, Porcupine Mountains
Fall Foliage Lake Superior Scenic Drives Western UP
Black River Harbor Scenic Byway
& Recreation Area *
Presque Isle Scenic Recreation Area*
Porcupine Mountains State Park*
Keweenaw Copper Harbor*
Old Victoria Restoration*
Fall Foliage Color Tour Maps
Wisconsin Color Tour Map
Michigan UP Color Tour Map
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Fall Foliage Lake Superior Scenic Drives Wisconsin
Potato River Falls County Park*
Bayfield & Ashland, Wi Area*
Bayfield Orchard Tour
Copper Falls, Mellen, Wi Area*
Amnicon Falls, Superior, Wi Area*
Fall Foliage Scenic Drives Duluth, Minnesota
Skyline Drive & Seven Bridges Road
Scenic Railroad Color Train
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Fall Foliage Report
- look for 2008 report beginning in early Sept - |
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Report from 9/25/07 (for historical comparison)
Color is out in Ontario, North of Superior, and also in Wawa, according to the Mystic Isle Motel. The Sault Ste. Marie visitor center reports color change at 75%. The Wedgewood Motel near Grand Marais, Minnesota reports Maples are "flaming" and birch and popple turning. The Minnesota DNR reports 30% - 80% along the North Shore. The Keweenaw Michigan UP Chamber of Commerce reports color at 65% of peak as does Superior Shores Resort near Ontonagon. Ironwood is at 75%. The Wisconsin Travel Division reports Bayfield & Ashland Counties and Superior, WI at 50 - 75% Color. ***
So it looks like right now, this coming weekend and the following week is the time to catch the color at its best. Get out there folks and enjoy the great weather while it lasts.
*** Our first-hand report from Bayfield Peninsula and Duluth, Minnesota 10/4/2007. We discovered the Wisconsin Dept of Tourism Report was inaccurate for the Bayfield Peninsula to Duluth-Superior. In our opinion peak color is about a week away. Many Popples have turned, less than 50% of the birch, and some maples have fallen while others are just starting to turn along Lake Superior. So that is good news for people wanting to see color this coming weekend and probably for at least a week after that.
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Links:
Keweenaw.org
TravelWisconsin.com
Michigan.org
NorthofSuperior.org
Saulttourism.com
Minnesota DNR NorthShore Parks |
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Fall Color, Fall Foliage Scenic Drives
Iron-Ashland-Bayfield Counties
Ashland, gateway to the Bayfield Peninsula, is about 42 miles west of Hurley/Ironwood on US Highway 2. Travelers coming from the east (Hwy 2) or southeast (Hwy 51) can go directly to Ashland along US Hwy 2. As most of the lake is not in view along this route, for those not on a time schedule to get to Ashland and Bayfield we recommend a longer route looping down towards Mellen, Wisconsin.
This fall color side trip brings you buy some of the areas prettiest waterfalls. From the east take Highway 169 south, stopping at Potato Falls and then on to Copper Falls State Park, near Mellen, WI. At Mellen, take Highway 13 north to Ashland and return to the regular Circle Tour route.
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Western Upper Peninsula Color Tour
The mixed hardwood forests of the Western UP provide fantastic color from the Black River Harbor National Forest Scenic Byway to the Porcupine Mountains to the Keweenaw Peninsula. While we didn't get as far east as Marquette Michigan, a couple we met in the Keweenaw said the fall foliage color all along US Route 41 was quite vibrant.
Color tour travelers from Milwaukee and Chicago can take US 41 north to Copper Harbor. Then return by heading west on US 26 to tour the Porkies and the scenic drives between there and Ironwood. At that point you can begin the trek south via US 51 or continue west to Ashland and Bayfield and then return south along US Highway 13.
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