Two-lane roads through maple and aspen, river bridges, and little iron-range towns every few miles. Here are the best fall color drives in Iron County, the backroads the locals pick, and where to stop for the picture.
If you've only got an hour, drive US-2 from Iron River to Crystal Falls. It's about 16 miles, and the four-lane climbs over some of the highest ground in the county, where you can see miles of color from the top.
If you've got a day, get off the highway. Four county backroads make Michigan's statewide list of fall color roads year after year, and County Road 424 carries the Heritage Trail through Caspian, Gaastra and Alpha. That's where the maples close in over the road.
Color usually peaks from the last week of September into early October. Check our fall colors guide and the Fall Color Map the week before you come.
Every highway out of Iron River and Crystal Falls runs through color. These are the ones worth the gas. Hover or tap a card for more.
The four-lane over the county's highest ground.
MoreThe county's best-known color drive and its quickest. The road climbs to the high ground between the two towns, and from the crest the hills roll out for miles in every direction. Bewabic State Park sits just off it, four miles before Crystal Falls.
Rolling national forest hills, and eagles.
MoreWest of Iron River, US-2 rolls up and down through the Ottawa National Forest. Iron County calls itself the Bald Eagle Capital of the Midwest, and this stretch toward Watersmeet is one of the best places to see one along the road.
Up from Crystal Falls into the county's steepest hills.
MoreNorth of Crystal Falls, US-141 heads into some of the most mountainous country in the county, with red and orange hardwoods filling the valleys. It's about 13 miles to Amasa, and the Bates-Amasa Road comes in from the west just south of town.
North into the big woods from US-2 west of Iron River.
MoreForest Highway 16 leaves US-2 west of Iron River and runs north through the Ottawa National Forest toward Kenton. It's a long run of woods with few towns, so fill the tank before you turn off.
Down to the river that marks the Wisconsin line.
MoreM-189 runs south from Iron River to the Brule River and the Wisconsin line. On the way it passes the turn for County Road 424, so it's an easy start for the Chicaugon Lake and Pentoga backroads.
The way to Lake Ottawa and the Ottawa Lake backroads.
MoreM-73 heads southwest out of Iron River. A few miles from town, Lake Ottawa Road turns off toward the Lake Ottawa Recreation Area, the start of the Ottawa Lake and Hagerman Lake loop.
These are the four county roads Iron County puts on Michigan's statewide fall color list, year after year. Slow down and take them.
The Heritage Trail is a paved route with 14 numbered stops between Iron River and Crystal Falls, and its best color is on County Road 424. From Caspian through Gaastra to Alpha it's about 14 miles of maples, old mining towns and farm fields, then five more into Crystal Falls.
Start at the Iron County Historical Museum in Caspian. In Alpha, circle the 1914 traffic circle and stop at Alpha Michigan Brewing Co. In Crystal Falls, the Harbour House Museum and the courthouse on the hill finish the drive.
US-2 one way, County Road 424 the other.
MoreDrive US-2 from Iron River to Crystal Falls over the high ground, then come back through Alpha, Gaastra and Caspian on County Road 424. It's a little under 40 miles all told, with stops in all three towns.
Bates-Amasa Road north, US-141 back down.
MoreTake US-2 east, turn north on the Bates-Amasa Road along the Paint and the Hemlock, come out on US-141 near Amasa and drive south through the hills to Crystal Falls. Add Horserace Rapids if the light holds.
Coffee in Iron River, lunch in Crystal Falls, a pint in Alpha.
MoreGet coffee at Contrast Coffee or Seven Embers in Iron River, lunch at Logans' Place in Crystal Falls, and stop at Alpha Michigan Brewing Co. Check their hours before you go.
Slow down in the early and late light.
MoreDeer are on the move in the fall, and they cross at dawn and dusk. This is timber country too, so give the log trucks room on the narrow county roads, and pull well off before you stop.
Grouse and bow seasons are open in color season.
MoreGrouse season opens September 15 and bow season for deer opens October 1. If you walk into the woods for a picture, wear an orange hat or vest. Our hunting season guide has the dates.
Central time, short October days.
MoreIron County runs on Central time, an hour behind most of Michigan, and October light goes early. Drive in the morning or late afternoon, when low sun lights up the hardwoods, and check the Iron River forecast for wind.
When the color turns, which trees go first, and how to check the color before you come.
Fall Colors GuideThe same roads in May and June, with rivers running high and the woods leafing out.
Spring Scenic DrivesPark the car and walk into the color, from short trails to a full day in the national forest.
Fall Hiking GuideHarvest festivals, Halloween, waterfalls, hunting and fishing, September through November.
Fall in Iron CountyUS-2 between Iron River and Crystal Falls. It's about 16 miles, and the four-lane climbs over the county's highest ground for a view of miles of color. For a slower drive, take County Road 424 through Caspian, Gaastra and Alpha.
The Bates-Amasa Road, Pentoga Trail and Pentoga Road along Chicaugon Lake, the Ottawa Lake and Hagerman Lake loop, and Gibbs City and Ponozzo Roads. All four are on Michigan's statewide list of county roads for fall color.
From an hour to a full day. US-2 from Iron River to Crystal Falls takes about 20 minutes without stops. A loop back on County Road 424 makes a good half day, and the Bates-Amasa Road and US-141 fill a whole day.
In Iron County, usually the last week of September into early October. Check the Fall Color Map and the weekly U.P. color report before you come, and drive in the morning or late afternoon for the best light.
The courthouse hill in Crystal Falls, the Paint River, Horserace Rapids, Fortune Lake at Bewabic State Park, and the water tower and circle in Alpha. Pull fully off the road where it's legal before you take a picture.
Yes. The Iron County Heritage Trail is a paved route with 14 numbered stops between Iron River and Crystal Falls, and its County Road 424 leg through Alpha is one of the best color drives in the county.
Fill the tank, pack a thermos, and give yourself the whole day. The best roads in the county are the slow ones, and you'll want a warm room waiting at the end of them.
Fall, Things to do and tagged backroads, fall color drives, fall color tour, heritage trail, scenic drives iron county michigan, upper peninsula.
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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.
