2012 Fall Color Tour Guide

Mid-September To Mid-October
View the Fall Color Tour Guide made available from marquettecountry.org. Book your online hotel reservations at the Comfort Suites of Marquette and get out to see the colors! They’re changing quickly!

(Click here for your downloadable Fall Call Tour Guide pdf)

West Tour

Drive South from Marquette on US 41 and turn Right at Cherry Creek Road/M28. This road will come to a stop at Co Rd 480. Turn Right on Co Rd 480 and drive west to business M-28 in Negaunee. Turn left on Business M-28 and continue west through the historic iron mining regions of Negaunee and Ishpeming to US-41. Turn left onto US 41 and travel west approximately three miles to Wawonowin Rd (Co Rd 478) and continue past the golf club and the Greenwood Reservoir. Co Rd 478 takes you west 10 miles into Republic. Turn Right on M-95 and Travel North to US 41. Turn left on Us 41 and drive west through Champion and Michigamee.

In Michigamme, see craft shops and a historic log restaurant where the movie “Anatomy of a Murder” was filmed. On the return trip to Marquette along US 41 , side trips include the Moose Lift Kiosk at Van Riper State Park, the National Ski Hall of Fame in Ishpeming, and the Michigan Iron Industry Museum in Negaunee. Approximate Tour Distance: 100 Miles

East Tour

Travel south from Marquette along US-41 approximately 17 miles to the junction of M-94. Seven miles east of this junction is the turnoff for Laughing Whitefish Falls. (To reach these falls, drive north along the Sundell Road approximately three miles.) Return to M-94 and continue east until you reach H-03 located between Chatham and Forest Lake. Drive north on H-03 along the AuTrain River and past scenic AuTrain Lake until you reach the junction of M-28. Travel east along the Lake Superior shoreline on M-28. On a clear day you can see Marquette in the distance. Approximate tour distance: 85 miles.

Central Tour

This tour begins in Shingleton, Michigan. Begin by turning right on to H15 at Shingleton and travel to H58. Turning right you will travel on H58 to Munising and merge onto M28. You will pass through AuTrain and on to Marquette. Munising to Marquette is approximately 44 miles. Approaching Marquette you will take M28/US41 West towards Negaunee, a left had turn. Driving west you will travel about three miles and make a right hand turn onto Wright Street. Travel on Wright Street for several miles until you see a sign that says Big Bay. This will be a left hand turn on County Road 550 for about 25 miles until you get to a sign that says County Road 510. This will again be a left hand turn. This road is a gravel road, but in the fall is heavily traveled for it’s scenic beauty. Many spots on the road, you will be completely covered in brilliant colors formed by a canopy of foliage. This trip is approximately 20 miles to Midway Drive. You will travel on Midway Drive for approximately 1 mile. At US 41 /M28 turn left towards Marquette. Outside of Marquette at the stop light you will make a left hand turn and take M28 East to Munising. This tour from Munising to Marquette

Travels parallel to Lake Superior and has many scenic stops on the beaches. From Munising travel east on M28 to Shingleton, completing your tour.

North Tour

County Road 550, located just north of Marquette off Wright Street, is an impressive drive through cut rock harboring a beautiful array of fall color. This 35 minute
ride to Big Bay takes you winding past Sugarloaf Mountain, Hogsback Mountain, past the Yellow Dog River and Lake Independence into Big Bay. While there, you can see a historic hotel where the filing of the movie “Anatomy of a Murder” took place and where Henry Ford spent much of his time while supervising
his lumber mill which manufactured the sideboards for the early Ford station wagons.

The return trip from Big Bay along Co Rd 510 will take you through the majestic Huron Mountains and past trees which arch over the road ways to form a tunnel of color. Approximate tour distance: 75 miles.

Other Tours

Sugarloaf Mountain is 6-7 miles north of downtown Marquette on CR 550. Get there by taking Front to Washington, turn west and go to Fourth Ave. Turn north onto Fourth, which becomes Presque Isle Ave. At Hawley turn west. It turns into CR 550. Look for sign by parking lot. Free.

Thomas Rock From the intersection of Presque Isle Avenue and Hawley Street (CR 550), go approximately 23.5 miles to CR 510 (about 2.5 miles before Big Bay), turn left (south) onto CR 510, go approximately 1 mile on CR510 for parking on the right.

CR-510 Bridge Near Marquette, take US-41 West, and turn right onto Midway Drive, and watch for the CR-510 sign.

Baby Lake In Ishpeming, West of Al Qual Park, is a great overlook. While traveling west on 41 from Marquette, turn right on N 2nd. Street (opposite the Ski Hall of Fame), N 2nd. street becomes Prairie Avenue, you will see a little white church on the right hand side at the end of the road. Head toward the wooded area behind the church, you will than see some rocks that look like steps. Walk up the rocks you will be up on a cliff and see an overlook of Baby Lake.