The maples go red along the Paint River, the aspens go gold on the hills, and Iron County's color usually peaks in the last week of September and the first days of October. Here's when it turns, where to see it, and how to check the color before you drive up.
Plan on the last week of September or the first week of October. The color starts in mid-September, when the maples in the low, wet ground go scarlet, and it builds fast. Most years the whole county is at its best from about Sept. 25 into the first days of October.
The west and north of the Upper Peninsula turn before the rest of Michigan, and Iron County sits right in that early country. The high ground and the thin-soiled hills in the north of the county go first. The oaks and the tamaracks hang on after the maples are bare.
No two falls are alike. A hard wind or a cold rain can strip the maples in a day, so watch the color reports the week before you come, and keep a day loose if you can.
Before you pick a weekend, open the map. It shows how the color rolls across the Upper Peninsula week by week, and where to go in Iron County when it gets here.
Iron County's color comes in waves, one kind of tree after another. Know the order and you'll know what you're looking at. Hover or tap a card for more.
The first scarlet you'll see, down in the wet ground.
MoreThe red maples along swamps and low creek bottoms go scarlet first, often while the hills are still green. They're the early warning, not the main show. Black ash turns about the same time, a dusky yellow.
Crimson, orange and gold: the heart of peak week.
MoreWhen the maples on the hardwood ridges turn, the county is at peak. That's the crimson and gold you see from the high stretch of US-2 and over the Paint River valley, mixed in with the dark green of spruce and pine.
Bright yellow, best after cool nights and sunny days.
MoreAspen and birch turn a clear, lively yellow, and a stand of paper birch in full color over white trunks is worth stopping for. They shine brightest in a fall with cool nights and sunny days.
Russet and bronze, hanging on after the maples drop.
MoreThe oaks hold their leaves longer than anything else in the hardwoods. Come in the second half of October and you'll still find deep reds and bronzes on the oaks after the maples are bare.
A conifer that turns gold, last of all.
MoreThe tamarack is the one needled tree that drops its needles every fall, and it goes out in a blaze of gold near the end of October, sometimes into early November. It's the last color of the season.
The dark green that makes the rest of it pop.
MoreThe evergreens never turn, and that's the point. The dark spruce and pine mixed through the hardwoods are what make the reds and golds stand out, from the road and from the air.
You'll see color from almost any road in the county. These are the places worth planning around.
Sixteen miles over the county's high ground.
MoreThe four-lane stretch of US-2 between Iron River and Crystal Falls climbs over some of the highest ground in the county, and from the top you can see miles of color at once. Our fall color drives guide has this route and the county's best backroads.
Red and gold banks along a dark, fast river.
MoreThe Paint River winds right past Crystal Falls with hardwoods down both banks. South of town a trail drops to Horserace Rapids, where you'll hear the river before you see it. Directions are in our waterfalls guide.
A quiet lake ringed with color, four miles from Crystal Falls.
MoreFour miles west of Crystal Falls on US-2, Bewabic sits on Fortune Lake with an island trail across a footbridge. It's a state park, so check the entry rules on the Michigan DNR site before you go.
A long walk in the hardwoods southwest of Iron River.
MoreThe Lake Ottawa Recreation Area has the Ge-Che Trail, about nine miles of easy walking, most of it through hardwoods. Day use is $5 a car from mid-May through October 15. For more walks, see our fall hiking guide.
Big maples around a 1914 traffic circle.
MoreCounty Road 424 runs from Caspian through Gaastra to Alpha, the heart of the signed Iron County Heritage Trail, and it's lined with maples. In Alpha, stop at Alpha Michigan Brewing Co. on the circle.
Color right in town, and close to all of it.
MoreThe county's biggest town is a short drive from Lake Ottawa, the Brule River country and the US-2 high ground. Our Iron River fall colors guide covers the drives and walks right around town.
Peak moves a week either way from year to year, so check the color the week you plan to come. Four places tell you what you need.
US-2 over the high ground, the county's favorite backroads, and the best stops for photos along the way.
Fall Color DrivesTrails through the hardwoods, from short walks to a full day in the national forest.
Fall Hiking GuideHorserace Rapids and the county's falls, at their best framed in October color.
Waterfalls GuideHarvest festivals, Halloween, hunting, fishing and small-town weekends, September through November.
Fall in Iron County
Usually from the last week of September into early October. Color starts in mid-September, and the oaks and tamaracks hang on into late October. Check the Fall Color Map and the weekly U.P. color report before you come.
Yes. The Fall Color Map shows how the color moves across the U.P. week by week and numbers the best stops in Iron County, from Horserace Rapids to Bewabic State Park.
Yes. Color comes to the west and north of the U.P. first and moves east and south from there, so Iron County usually peaks ahead of most of Lower Michigan.
About three weeks, from the first swamp maples in mid-September to the end of peak in early October. A windy, rainy week can cut it short, and the oaks and tamaracks add color after that.
Yes, in the second half of October. The maples will be thin, but the oaks turn deep red and bronze and the tamaracks go gold in the swamps, and the roads are quieter.
US-2 between Iron River and Crystal Falls, about 16 miles over the county's high ground. For backroads, try County Road 424 through Alpha or the Bates-Amasa Road. Our fall color drives guide has every route.
Not on the road, but wear it in the woods. Grouse and bow deer seasons are open during color season, so an orange hat or vest is smart on any walk off the pavement.
Pick the last weekend of September or the first one in October, watch the map the week before, and book a room close to the color. The hills will do the rest.
Some photos by Kevin Zini
Fall, Things to do and tagged alpha, crystal falls, fall color map, fall colors, iron county michigan, iron river, upper peninsula fall colors.
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Christmas Tree Galleria in Caspian, MI
906-214-2308
906-265-9100
40 E Adams St
Iron River, MI 49935
906-265-9244
1700 County Road 424
Gaastra, MI 49917
906-265-3611
1257 W Ice Lake Rd
Iron River, MI 49935
800-362-7853
373 Brule Mountain Rd
Iron River, MI 49935
800-DO-BRULE
906-265-4957
397 Brule Mountain Rd
Iron River, MI 49935
906-822-7713
1968 US 141 Highway
Amasa, MI 49903
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.
