Like most things leaf peeping Balance is key. Sure, you want to chase the most vibrant fall colors—but not if it means following a hundred other cars headed to the same overlook. When a Reddit member asked the r/roadtrip communityWe took note of the information about where to go this fall for great foliage with fewer crowds.
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is the answer, say Redditors. Highway 58 runs through it. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.
The route suggested runs along the southern shore of Lake Superior. This lake is known for its 200 foot sandstone cliffs that tower over crystal clear water. It draws hikers and kayakers—and in the fall, leaf peepers who come to see the changing colors of trees like the American beech, sugar and red maple, and yellow birch. This area is popular in the autumn because of its variety of trees. The hardwood trees are the first to change colors, followed by the conifers.
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan has its best fall colors between mid-September through October. They usually move from the interior to the Great Lakes. The Upper Peninsula Fall Color Report This is a wonderful resource that is updated every week.
The drive offers easy access to the most iconic Pictured Rocks sites including Twelvemile Beach and Grand Sable Dunes.
A $25 day park pass is required to drive Highway 58 along the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. You can buy a pass online Visit the Grand Sable Visitor Center or the main Munising falls Visitor Center before your visit (open all year).
If you want to get to Highway 58 or Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore from Duluth International Airport in less than six hours, you could fly into Marquette Sawyer Regional Airport.
Redditors have also recommended the Upper Peninsula upstate New YorkAdirondacks Catskills and the state parks in the Finger Lakes regionFor fall colors without crowds. One of the most popular suggestions was to drive through north central Pennsylvania between Coudersport, and Mansfield along U.S. Route 6.
