Michigan Fall Foliage is Peaking in These Spots
Michigan fall foliage is really splendid, and this year is certainly no exception. Early October is one of the best times of the season to see fall foliage in the area, so now is the time to embrace your inner leaf peeper and check out some amazing views. In the spirit of the crips, cool season, here are some places in Michigan to see fall colors right now, according to experts.
Michigan Fall Foliage
Have you ever wondered why leaves change different ways depending on where you live? According to the Smithsonian, “How much and how fast leaves transform varies by location on the globe. The best colors are produced when the weather is dry, sunny and cool.” They add that areas are cloudy, damp or warm won’t have as much vibrant color changing. The U.S. Forest Service adds that, “As night length increases in the autumn, chlorophyll production slows down and then stops and eventually all the chlorophyll is destroyed.” Also, “The timing of color changes and the onset of falling leaves is primarily regulated by the calendar as nights become longer.”
As winter approaches, they note that, “Trees start building a protective seal between leaves and their branches as the weather turns” and these trees “take in as many nutrients as possible from the leaves, but leaves wouldn’t survive the winter and would make trees vulnerable to damage if they remained.” The leaves fall when they’re cut off from fluid in the branches. It’s really fascinating how nature works, isn’t it?
As for Michigan fall foliage, according to the experts at Pure Michigan, the weekend of Oct. 4 through 6, colors are peaking in the Upper Peninsula. Some areas will even be over their fall color splendor by next week, in the Upper Peninsula, according to Pure Michigan. For most of lower Michigan, peak colors are coming around the middle of October. By early November, almost the entire state will be past its color season, so get in it fast. In the Detroit area, Pure Michigan suggests the legendary M-29 from Detroit to Port Huron route, stating, “the expressway marks the beginning of a lovely road trip in autumn.” They add that, “Summer cottages and boat docks buzz with activity in the warm-weather months, but in autumn life slows down and the crowds thin, allowing opportunities to admire the lake and its migrating waterfowl.”
