Fall is best seen from the trail, with the maples turning overhead and the leaves underfoot. Here are the best fall hiking trails in Iron County, the easy walks in town, and what to know about hunting season, closures and passes before you go.
Get out of the car for this one. Iron County's hardwoods turn gold and red from late September into October, and the best way to see them is on foot, under the canopy, with the leaves coming down around you.
For a long day in the woods, go to the Ge-Che Trail at Lake Ottawa or the Lake Mary Plains Pathway east of Crystal Falls. For a shorter walk, Bewabic State Park and the Wolf Track Nature Trail at Young's take an hour or so. And if you only have a morning, there are paved and wooded walks right in Iron River and Crystal Falls.
Four trails for walking under the color. Hover or tap a card for more.
Nine miles of dirt trail through hardwood forest.
MoreAbout 9 miles of dirt trail through hardwood forest between Lake Ottawa and Hagerman Lake, starting from the boat landing southwest of Iron River. For a shorter walk, take the Bennan Lake Loop, about 2 miles, or the Ge-Che Loop, about 2.5.
Three loops around Glidden Lake, one section closed.
MoreLocals call them the Glidden Lake footpaths: about 9 miles of marked loops over rolling ground through the pines in the state forest east of Crystal Falls, off Lake Mary Road about a mile south of M-69. A 1.8-mile stretch of the northern loop, between pathway intersections 7 and 8, is closed with no reroute, so check the pathway page first.
An easy hour along Fortune Lake.
MoreBewabic State Park sits on Fortune Lake off US-2 west of Crystal Falls. Its 2-mile nature trail runs from the campground to the day-use area, an easy hour's walk, and the shoreline along Fortune Lake colors up in fall. You'll need a Recreation Passport on your car.
An easy interpretive loop with a spur to Mt. Margaret.
MoreAn easy 1.5-mile loop at Young's Golf, Recreation & Dining, a self-guided nature walk with signs along the way and a spur of about a third of a mile up to Mt. Margaret. Check with Young's for trail hours before you go.
A paved path along the Iron River.
MoreA flat, paved trail from Nanaimo Park in Iron River about 2 miles to the Iron County Historical Museum in Caspian, following the Iron River. Good for an easy walk or a bike ride.
An accessible walkway along the Paint River.
MoreThe River Walkway starts at Lincoln Park on the east bank of the Paint, just north of M-69, and follows the river upstream toward the Crystal View Golf Course, with benches, barrier-free fishing piers and an interpretive nature trail. There's off-street parking at the park and a barrier-free ramp down to the walkway.
Forest trails by Crystella Ski Hill.
MoreAbout 3.5 miles of hiking and biking trail winding through the woods on the southwest side of Crystella Ski Hill, built by Iron Endurance with the city of Crystal Falls.
Mirkwood, Taproot and Telmarine Hill.
MoreThe Iron County Trail Club keeps short loops for hiking and riding: Mirkwood, about a mile through pines south of Iron River; the Taproot Loop in Caspian, about 0.6 mile; and Telmarine Hill, a former ski hill in Caspian with a few tough climbs.
Three short walks end at falling water. Horserace Rapids, southeast of Crystal Falls, is the easy one: a short walk from the parking area and a few sets of wooden steps down to a clifftop view of the Paint River in its gorge.
Chicaugon Falls, off Long Lake Road, is a walk in on a rough road that washes out in spring. Duppy Falls, up Forest Highway 16 in the national forest, is reached by an unmarked anglers' trail.
From mid-September into January, some hunting season is open in Iron County, and much of the public forest around these trails is open to hunting. Rules change from one property to the next. Wear blaze orange you can see from every side, especially during deer season, and put an orange bandana, leash or harness on your dog.
Color starts showing in mid-September and usually peaks from the last week of September into early October, though the weather can move it earlier or later. Check the U.P. fall color report before you pick your weekend, and make a day of it with a drive on the back roads.
Color drives, lakes, waterfalls and events around Iron River and Crystal Falls, all in one place.
Summer & Fall GuideRiding instead? Our year-round trail guide covers the paved paths, gravel and shared-use trails across the county.
Hiking & Biking GuideThe Ge-Che Trail at Lake Ottawa, southwest of Iron River, with about 9 miles through hardwood forest and shorter 2- and 2.5-mile loops. For an easy walk in town, take the paved Apple Blossom Trail.
Usually from the last week of September into early October. Color starts showing in mid-September, so check the weekly color report before you go.
Michigan's hunter-orange rule is for hunters, but the DNR asks hikers to wear blaze orange on trails during hunting season too. Wear orange you can see from every side, and put orange on your dog, especially during deer season: archery from Oct. 1 and firearm Nov. 15 to 30.
Mostly. A 1.8-mile segment of the northern loop around Glidden Lake, between intersections 7 and 8, is closed for unsafe bridges and boardwalk, with no reroute. The rest of the pathway is open.
Only at some trailheads. Bewabic State Park and state forest campgrounds need a Recreation Passport on your car, and Lake Ottawa charges $5 a vehicle a day from May 15 to Oct. 15.
Yes. The Apple Blossom Trail is about 2 paved, flat miles along the Iron River, and the Crystal Falls River Walkway is an accessible path along the Paint River.
Yes. Horserace Rapids near Crystal Falls is a short walk with wooden steps down to the view, and Chicaugon and Duppy Falls are short hikes on rougher paths.
Pick a trail for each day, pack an orange hat and a warm layer for the morning, and walk while the color's on. Then find a room close to the trailhead.
Fall, Travel Planning and tagged blaze orange, fall colors, fall hiking, ge-che trail, hiking, iron county michigan, Iron County Trails, lake mary plains.
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Iron County is one of the Upper Peninsula’s best kept secrets. From camping to fishing, hunting to canoeing, mountain biking to forest bathing – no matter your interests, the great outdoors and clear crisp air await you here.
