ESCANABA — In addition to being surrounded by three Great Lakes, the Upper Peninsula is graced with thick forests of various species of trees, whose seasonal changes make for displays that draw visitors in search of beautiful autumn color tours.

While particular locations — like Tahquamenon Falls, Lake of the Clouds, Fayette, Pictured Rocks, and the other usual suspects — of course become destinations for many, some of the most appreciated landscapes are viewed through windshields as drivers and passengers gape at the foliage along county roads.

“With (Lakes) Superior, Michigan, and Huron — that causes majestic overlooks in contrast to rocks and water and all sorts of things. But they really also like to cruise in and out of, you know, roads and even some of the highways,” said Tom Nemacheck, executive director of the Upper Peninsula Travel and Recreation Association. “A lot of it is centered around the vistas around the Great Lakes. … The other way to look at the inland road situation is the vistas around waterfalls and inland lakes … It’s, again, more up close and personal than some of the, you know, vast distances.”

Federal Forest Highway 13, US 141, and Upper Pine Creek Road were among favorite routes cited by residents of the central and western U.P. Black River National Scenic Byway, which takes travelers past a handful of the U.P.’s 300 waterfalls, is also said to boast gorgeous scenes.

As visitors and residents “venture out into every nook and cranny, looking for that particular look,” (Nemacheck’s words), the entire U.P. experiences a boom that may be seen as another peak of the tourist season that is no longer limited to summer.

“Usually a little bit of a lull around Labor Day, and then it seems to pick back up again,” reported John Gaudette, who, along with his wife Beverly (“Bev”), owned the Woodlands Motel in Iron Mountain for a few months shy of 40 years.

“Towards the last few — I would say even the last five to 10….. years, we always experienced a little spike, and it was the fall color tour season,” said Bev.

The recent growth may be due largely in part to online exposure, especially through social media, as people share photographs with tagged locations to friends and followers in other parts of the country who may not previously have been aware of the impressiveness of scenery in the U.P. and the expanse it covers.

“Pretty much any road that you can travel on is going to have areas of good color,” said John. “So it depends how far you wanna go. A lot of people put on quite a few miles when they’re out color touring because they don’t stop and take pictures of every pretty tree they see.”

The landscapes that dominate the U.P. caught the attention of editors and readers of USA Today, which annually releases a top ten list of the best destinations to catch views of fall foliage. The U.P. has been ranked in the top five for six years running, with the U.P. as a whole winning the number one spot in 2018, 2020, and 2022. This year, Tahquamenon Falls State Park claimed number two.

Locals have pointed out that different areas change color at different times. Near Ironwood, at Copper Peak — which offers views of Canada, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan — Jean Jackson said that the leaves turned early this year.

“We’re at 60% color now,” Jackson said on Monday the 25th. “It’ll be full color by the weekend for sure.”

Copper Peak provides a unique view from an elevation high above the treetops — it is the only ski flying hill outside Europe. The journey up to the point may be made in three parts: along a chair lift up Chippewa Hill, a walk alongside the trees for the length of about two football fields, and finally up an elevator to the viewing platform. A webcam on their website shows views of the scenery in real time.

In contrast, the Keeweenaw Peninsula, famous for the views along Brockway Mountain Drive and M-26, may not see peak colors for another week.

“The Keeweenaw is usually a little bit behind,” said John Gaudette. “Because they’ve got the lake on both sides of ’em, it seems to moderate the temperature swings, so they seem to have the better color later.”

At the Mariner North Resort, way up in Copper Harbor, Christine Standridge confirmed his speculations, saying that the peak of autumn’s beauty should be seen “maybe not this weekend, but the following weekend.”

But the Keeweenaw is famously jaw-dropping year-round, and the leaves are beginning to turn now.

“It’s gorgeous. I’m amazed I make it to work every morning,” chuckled Standridge, saying that the views along her 30-mile commute to the Mariner always tempt her into stopping to soak them in.

Sightseers would do best to bear in mind that this time-sensitive time of year is at the mercy of nature in more ways than one.

“The fall season is very weather dependent, because you get a couple of rainy days in a row — or windy days — and you lose a lot of colour,” said Gaudette.