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Fall Color Porcupine Mountains State Park,
South Shore of the Lake Superior Circle Tour

porcupine mtns in blazing fall color
Scenic View of vibrant fall colors from Summit Peak, Porcupine Mountains

Weekend Fall Color Chairlift Rides
Begin in October

Some of the best views of fall color in the Porcupine Mountains State Park are from the observation tower & deck at Summit Peak and from the Scenic Overlooks at Lake of the Clouds.

The Porkies cover 60,000 acres and is Michigan's largest state park. Within the park is a block of old-growth forest comprising almost 35,000 acres and considered by some to be the biggest and best stand of virgin Northern Hardwoods and Hemlock in North America. This forest makes for some particularly attractive color during the fall. Here you can get some of the best fall foliage pictures in the Upper Peninsula, in fact probably in the whole of Michigan.

  See our links to other Porcupine Mountains attractions at the bottom of this page.


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(click on small pictures for a larger view)

Fall Color from Summit Peak of Porcupine Mountains State Park

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Summit Peak Trail & Observation Deck

The Summit Peak trail head is reached from the South Boundary Road. The hiking trail to the observation tower on Summit Peak is a half-mile walk uphill with some rest benches along the way. I've seen motorized wheelchairs negotiate the trail, but unfortunately the last part of the trail is a boardwalk with some stairs so some on-foot travel is required to get to the top of the peak, as well as to climb the tower's stairs. There is an intermediate observation deck before you get to the top giving a nice view (see picture above) prior to reaching the peak. At 1958 feet elevation, it offers quite a panoramic view of the area.

fall foliage color porcupine mountains

 

Here I'm holding a small sample of the colorful leaves Jo couldn't resist collecting.

 

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Some views from the top of the tower at Summit Peak

red triangle See more pictures and information on Summit Peak Here

fall color in the porcupine mountainsfall color boundary road porkies

More Fall Color in the Porkies

Fall color along the South Boundary Road of the park.

fall color in the porcupine mountains

 

Tim Zheng of Milwaukee, Wisconsin caught some great fall color at the Porkies in the first week of October. Some great photos Tim. Thanks for sending these four to us.

Fall Color Views - Lake of the Clouds Overlook

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These three pictures (above) were from the Lake of Clouds Scenic Overlook (see more Lake of the Clouds photos here)

Piorcupine Mountains Fall Color

Here's a shot from the Summit Peak tower I took on October 2, 2013. Peak color had arrived in some parts of the Porkies, mainly higher elevations away from the lake. But peak color was still yet to come closer to the lake and in the eastern portions of the park.

Piorcupine Mountains Fall Color Carp River Bridge

View from Lake of the Clouds

See our annual Fall Color Schedule & Report for the Porkies and the Western UP.

Porcupine Mountain Pages & Links

red trianglePorcupine Mountains - Summit Peak, Union Bay Campground

red triangleHiking and Back-Packing in Porcupine Mountains Wilderness Park

red triangleLake of the Clouds Scenic Overlook

red triangleCamping and Campgrounds - Porcupine Mountains State Park

red trianglePorcupine Mountains - Fall Foliage Color (this page)

red triangleWaterfalls, Presque Isle River & Campground

red triangleMore Scenic Porcupine Mountains Pictures

red trianglePorcupine Mountains - Winter Attractions

red triangleHiking Trail Map & Facility Info on the Porkies

More Porcupine Mountains State Park Resources

  Michigan DNR Porcupine Mountain State Park Website
  Porcupine Mountains Visitors Bureau
  Friends of the Porkies Website
  Porcupine Mountain Ski Area Website
  Porcupine Mountain Music Festival Website

porcupine mountains map

red triangle Here's a full map you can print out showing the campsites, back-country rustic cabins, hiking trails, waterfalls, and other points of interest within Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park.

red triangle Here's a link to a publication with more info on visiting the Porcupine Mountains - Porcupine Mountains Visitor.

More Links Michigan Upper Peninsula
Lake Superior Circle Drive Attractions

arrrowGoing east towards Marquette, Munising and Pictured Rocks . . . More waterfalls, hiking pages, and scenic attractions from Munising through Tehquamenon Falls to Sault Ste. Marie.

  Going west towards Black River Scenic Area . . . waterfalls, hiking, camping, rock picking.

  Marquette Michigan

triSault Ste. Marie, Michigan

triCopper Harbor & Keweenaw Peninsula

triDirectory Upper Peninsula Travel Pages . . . on SuperiorTrails

porcupine mountains ski area

See our winter porkies page for maps, pictures and info on downhill skiing, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing in the Porcupine Mountains.



 

 

 

 

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Little Girls Point Campground
Best Upper Peninsula Campgrounds

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Lake Superior Camping
& Campground Directory

Best Camping along Lake Superior.

Upper Tahquamenon FallsTahquamenon Falls State Park and Waterfalls.

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Fall Color at Porcupine Mountains State Park

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Black River Harbor
Scenic Byway - Fall Color

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Tahquamenon Falls
State Park

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Munising and Pictured Rocks

 

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Pictured Rocks Cruises

Upper Tahquamenon Falls
Michigan Upper Peninsula Waterfalls

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Travel Information



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Lake Superior Circle Tour Road Map & Guide to Travel Attractions around Lake Superior.


keith aliUP200 Sled Dog Race & Festival

Identifying Lake Superior Agates and Beach Rocks.Lake Superior Agate?

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Scenic Byway - Fall Color.



Best Rock Picking and Agate Hunting Beaches in the Upper Peninsula. grand marais beach and grand sable dunes


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Upper Peninsula Fall Color Tour Map

Wisconsin Outdoor Treasures Hiking Michigan's Upper Peninsula
See Eric Hansen's guide to hiking the Upper Peninsula and other guides for best hiking in the Upper Peninsula [More info]

Porcupine Mountains Lake of the CloudsPorcupine Mountains State Park was voted #2 Best State Park in the U.S.

WEATHER REPORT WEATHER REPORTS

Lake Superior Golf Course Reviews
See our Reviews of Michigan Upper Peninsula Golf Courses around Lake Superior.