Fall color starts with a flash of red in the maples, splashes of gold along the shoreline and orange creeping into the oaks. Then, seemingly overnight, the Northwoods erupts in autumn hues.
And with our thousands of lakes, something many fall destinations lack, we get the show twice.
On still mornings, fiery maples, golden birches and burnished oaks reflect in glassy water, framed by deep-green pine, spruce and fir. Later, tamaracks add one last burst of gold.
In the Minocqua area, peak color stretches from late September into early October, but the show moves quickly. Wind, rain and temperature can change the landscape overnight.
So, grab your camera and keep the gas tank full. Here are a few places to catch the season at its best.
Get Above It All
Want to appreciate just how big the Northwoods really is? Head uphill.
Minocqua Winter Park offers the Squirrel Hill Overlook, one of the area’s hidden gems. A paved half-mile route leads toward the overlook, where the payoff is a sweeping view across miles of Northwoods forest.
During peak color, the view becomes a patchwork of red, orange, yellow and evergreen stretching toward the horizon.
Follow the Bearskin
For fall color with water views get out on the Bearskin State Trail.
Built along a former railroad corridor, the compacted-granite trail winds through woods and across old railroad trestles, carrying walkers and cyclists past vivid foliage mirrored in the lakes below.
Pick a stretch and explore for an hour or make an afternoon of it. Either way, the combination of woods, water and old trestles makes the Bearskin a fall favorite.
Take the Long Way Home
Some of the best autumn scenery comes through the windshield of your car on a sunny day.
County Highway M is a favorite when the hardwoods turn, but for a slower drive, seek out the area’s three state-designated Rustic Roads.
Rustic Road 58 follows about 9.6 miles of Blue Lake and Mercer Lake roads through hardwood and pine forests, past lakes, creeks and cedar lowlands. Rustic Road 59 winds along Sutton and Camp Pinemere roads on a narrow gravel route tucked into the woods. Farther north, Rustic Road 60 travels through the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest, with lakes and thick forest around every bend.
Roll down the windows, slow down and take whichever turn looks prettiest.
Walk Into the Color
Walk right into the season on the Raven Trail near Woodruff, where several wooded loops wind through the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest. You will soon find yourself surrounded by hardwoods blazing overhead.
The areas many miles of hiking and biking trails offer plenty of other ways to leave the pavement behind. Choose a short loop or spend the afternoon exploring. The farther you get from the road, the better the view gets.
Wait for the Tamaracks
When the maples and birches begin to fade, look toward the wetlands and lowlands. That’s where another Northwoods color show is just getting started.
Tamaracks spend summer blending in with neighboring conifers. But in the fall, their soft green needles turn a vibrant yellow before dropping.
Look for that unmistakable glow around bogs, wetlands and low-lying stretches throughout the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest. Against dark spruce, fir and pine, tamaracks can look almost illuminated.
Take In a Superior Color Show
For a day-long, fall-color adventure, head north into Michigan’s western Upper Peninsula (UP), where fall meets Lake Superior.
Little Girls Point near Ironwood pairs richly-colored hardwoods with a rocky shoreline and the endless blue of Lake Superior.
Continue on to Black River Harbor, where waterfalls, forest and Lake Superior converge for a spectacular autumn display. The roads through the Western UP wind through forests, gorges and bluffs, so there’s plenty to see between stops.
Don’t Wait for “Perfect”
Peak color is a moving target.
So don’t save your sightseeing for a peak weekend. Venture out when the first maples turn red. Go again when the hillsides are ablaze. Then follow the season into late fall, when the tamaracks turn gold.
Because autumn in the Northwoods is a season worth chasing.
Click HERE to download our fall color guide so you can take the scenic route with you.
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