The Great Lakes Circle Tour is a designated, scenic road system connecting all of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River.

This self-guided driving tour of southeastern Michigan will help you discover some of the early innovators and leaders in the development of the automobile—and the impacts they have had on our world. 

Michigan's Sunrise Side greets fall color in late September, and the autumn hues usually linger until mid-October. This 200-mile route travels from Lake Huron's shore to a stunning stand of virgin forest, with lots of opportunities for wildlife viewing along the way.

Travel the scenic Blue Star Highway and back roads between South Haven and Saugatuck to discover a distinctive and diverse community. The Blue Coast Artists cultural heritage tour is a treasure trove offering a behind-the-scenes look into the studios talented working artisans, agri-tourism farms, wineries and sites within quintessential towns.

Where better to begin a driving trip than in the Motor City? The home of the Motown Sound is the starting point for a 195-mile fall color route that skirts three waterways to the maritime city of Port Huron, and rolls through historic Southeast Michigan towns with connections to three pop music stars. The month of October is prime for viewing autumn hues at a variety of parks, and stopping to taste seasonal treats at cider mills along the way.

At 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 9, 1975, the ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald left Superior, Wisconsin, loaded with 26,116 tons of iron ore. She overtook the Arthur M. Anderson just beyond Two Harbors, Minnesota. The two captains discussed the worsening weather and decided to take the northerly route across Lake Superior to Whitefish Bay and the Sault Locks. Our maritime heritage tour follows the progress of the two ships from the south shore of Lake Superior, where stories of shipwrecks and survival draw visitors to museums, glass-bottom boat tours, lighthouses and the big lake itself.

Catch the last spectacular show of fall color in East Central and Southeastern Michigan in October. There is plenty of see and do with the entire family in this loop of 150 miles from Bloomfield Hills, to Flint and back down to the Brighton area.

Here's a Capital idea: a fall color excursion that starts in the State Capital and takes in scenic farm and woodlands, rivers, and a unique geological formation that is about 300-million years old. The 150-mile loop is best enjoyed from mid to late October.

Pack the binoculars, bicycles and beach blanket for a fall color tour that takes in all the sights, from city scenes and sand dunes to wineries, farm markets and Lake Michigan sunsets. And don't forget the camera for this 195-mile West Michigan jaunt, which is best enjoyed from early to late October.

Enjoy this area's fall color by car, on foot, canoe or on a vintage train ride. The winding Au Sable River is the perfect waterway to paddle and enjoy the splashes of vibrant color against towering evergreens.

The Lake Michigan Trails, “Windswept Dunes and Hidden Lakes,” can offer you a panorama of earth and sky above the Cut River or the quiet majesty of bald eagles and trumpeter swans at the Seney National Wildlife Refuge.

The Lake Superior Trail, Rugged Shores and Falling Water, will lead you on a quest inland through deep forests to the mighty Tahquamenon Falls or along the shore to secluded, historic lighthouses and the glorious cliff-side display at Pictured Rocks.

Catch the last act of Michigan's fall color show in the central Lower Peninsula near the state's border with Indiana and Ohio.  Best enjoyed from mid-to-late October, the 155-mile loop travels through countryside known for agriculture, antiques and Amish communities.

Since the last ice age—about 10,000 years ago—pounding surf and incessant winds have created the largest freshwater dune system in the world along Lake Michigan’s eastern shore. There the rising sands eventually blocked the original river mouths and created inland lakes. Then new channels broke through the sands to the big lake. When Southwest Michigan’s early European settlers looked at the sheltered lakes and the channels, they imagined towns, safe harbors and commerce—and Southwest Michigan’s Historic Harbortowns were born.

Michigan's fall colors come first to the trees of the Keweenaw Peninsula, the state's northernmost point. The crooked finger of land that juts into Lake Superior puts on its annual show from about mid-September to early October in a stunning display of reds, oranges and golds that blankets the hills and ridges and forms colorful tunnels on winding two-lane roads.

If you're looking for fabulous fall color, look no further than Michigan--it's around nearly every bend in the road.  We invite you to take time along the way to discover the many local U-pick orchards, pumpkin patches, cider mills, and autumn festivals for a real taste of the harvest season in Michigan.

This Western Upper Peninsula fall driving tour includes breathtaking vistas, country roads, waterfalls and a chance to walk on the Lake Superior shore. With ninety percent of the area forest covered, you are sure to be engulfed by a sea of reds, oranges, golds, and greens that tint the countryside from mid-September to early October. The colors outlined by the mountains, bluffs, and lakes form woodland rainbows around every bend.

For a dose of Michigan history with your fall color tour, take this 195-mile trip through southeast Lower Peninsula and follow old Indian trails and territorial roads, an early tavern, a battlefield, the hometown of an infamous general, and even a winery or two. The colors along the mostly two-lane highway route are usually best from mid-to-late October.

North, south, east, west…it doesn’t matter which direction you head in the Pure Michigan waters. There’s always a North Woods adventure waiting around the corner. 

Lake Michigan Shore...The Other West Coast!  Come visit the wineries of Michigan's Great Southwest.  With light, beach-like soils and lake effect climate, this small corner of the state is a designated American Viticultural Area (AVA) classified as 'Lake Michigan Shore.'

In Michigan's State Capital City of Lansing and neighboring East Lansing, fall color means equal parts green and white-at least on football weekends. The home of the Michigan State University Spartans, the pioneer land-grant institution was founded in 1855 and boasts an arboretum-like campus that bursts into an autumn palette of vibrant reds, oranges, bronze---even maize (but no blue). It's a good place to begin a 175-mile mid-mitten fall color tour that is best viewed throughout October.

In the days before ship-to-shore radios and global positioning systems, lighthouses were the only signposts guiding travelers on the Great Lakes.  If you couldn't see them, or the stars and the sun, you were driving blind. This tour visits the Lights of Northern Lake Huron that disappeared from view during the great storm of 1913.

This Northwestern Michigan fall color tour includes hilly, forested countryside, charming resort towns nestled along the sparkling blue waters of Lake Michigan, breathtaking views, fresh air and colorful wildlife.

Make a 185 mile loop for exciting fall color and visits to parks, cities and special attractions in Manistee, Cadillac and Ludington. A great fall color tour adventure depends on great fall color! Make sure you know when the colors will be peaking by checking out the most current fall color conditions. Updates are posted weekly through September and October.

This Central Upper Peninsula fall driving tour includes tree-lined country roads, waterfalls, historic sites and a stunning drive along the Lake Superior shore. Any road winding through the Central U.P. will show you trees ranging from a subtle yellow to brilliant red from mid-September to early October. The peace and quiet of this period is unmatched at any other time of the year.

If you're looking for fabulous fall color, look no further than Michigan--it's around nearly every bend in the road.  We invite you to take time along the way to discover the many local U-pick orchards, pumpkin patches, cider mills, and autumn festivals for a real taste of the harvest season in Michigan.

Head to the heart of Michigan's Lower Peninsula from early to mid-October for a town-and-country fall color tour that departs Midland and circles hardwood forests and farmland in four counties. The 160-mile route is dotted with dozens of inland lakes and criss-crossed by the Pine, Salt, Sturgeon, Tittabawassee, Tobacco and Chippewa rivers.

Mother Nature's paintbrush gets a workout in Michigan each autumn. Beginning in mid-September her fall palette washes over the Upper Peninsula, complementing the blue-greens of the Great Lakes, and the white birch bark and deep evergreens of forests that envelop miles of quiet country roads. 

When the air cools at night, lush green leaves change to brilliant jewel colors…turning forests to gold and fields of blueberry bushes to crimson. This Southwestern Michigan tour features cider mills, u-pick farms, roadside markets, wineries and quiet hiking trails as you travel.

This Michigan Sunrise Side fall color tour includes a scenic drive along Lake Huron, unspoiled wilderness and recreation areas, abundant wildlife, and the River Road Scenic Byway along the beautiful Au Sable River.

This Western Michigan fall color tour includes rolling wooded hillsides, orchards with ripe apples and beautiful vistas of Lake Michigan.

Give a thumbs up for pure Michigan color. The cool, crisp air and colorful roadside show staged by changing leaves makes early to mid-October an ideal time for a driving tour through the Thumb of Michigan's "mitten." This easy, 130-mile square trip skirts the Lake Huron shore and takes you across farmland and country roads to orchards, cider mills, pumpkin patches and small towns and museums just right for exploring on a quiet afternoon.

Navigate the streams and rivers of St. Joseph County in southwest Michigan and catch a glimpse the past, discover historic and natural sites, and charming small towns.  It’ a lazy or not so lazy day going with the flow.

Woods and water have always been important to the northeast corner of Michigan's Sunrise Side at the "Tip of the Mitt."  You'll see no shortage of either on a tour of the 200-mile triangle that includes the sandy beaches of Lake Huron, rivers and lakes teeming with fish, the only waterfalls in the Lower Peninsula, and thousands of acres of forests.  The land that was clear cut during the lumbering boom more than a century ago now offers beautiful fall scenery from late September to mid-October.

The breathtaking splendor of Lake Huron awaits you on this "thumb" area color tour!  Other highlights include: Frankenmuth, Saginaw, state parks, farm markets and antique shops.

A driving tour through the Eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan will provide you with a memorable experience. Don't forget to bring your camera.  The wonderful fall colors provide a beautiful backdrop for photographing the beautiful lakes, waterfalls, and lighthouses.

The oldest European settlements in the Midwest, and the third oldest in the United States are at the heart of this tour of the Eastern Upper Peninsula. The historic city of St. Ignace, at the Straits of Mackinac, is a good place to begin this 160-mile tour.

Travel through serine country side, by roadside fruit markets to beautiful Silver Lake and the Silver Lake Dunes.   The Silver Lake Sand Dunes are one of the few dunes in the country where drive the dunes in your own vehicle.   Pentwater Lake and Lake Michigan round out your Lakes tour.

Southeastern Michigan's Pioneer wine making region is a great place to spend a few hours... or a few days!

Follow the footsteps of Ernest Hemingway in Michigan. Presented by the Michigan Humanities Council and the Michigan Hemingway Society.

From late September to mid-October the Traverse City-Northport-Frankfort areas are ablaze with autumn hues. The Grand Traverse area encompasses more than 250 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, certainly providing some spectacular fall color viewing. It's a great time to take a hot air balloon ride to see the colors from above, or to climb aboard the twin-masted schooner Manitou for a sail across Grand Traverse Bay.

Uncover the stories of a region called the Western Upper Peninsula (UP). Along the trails discover the stories, and the historic and cultural sites that are scattered throughout the natural geographic features of the landscape in the Western UP.

Jutting north between the azure arms of Lake Michigan's Grand Traverse Bay lies Old Mission Peninsula.