Keweenaw fall colors to peak this week and next
Take a date night to the ski hill this fall. Photo by Visit Keweenaw.
It’s time to adventure north to the Keweenaw and catch prime fall colors. As we step into October, autumn is pushing its way up US-41. Expect to find peak fall colors through the next two weeks flowing through the Keweenaw. As of this week, middle/inland areas like Mohawk, Calumet and Lac La Belle are seeing bright reds and oranges. Lake Superior’s shoreline and areas closer to Houghton are still hanging on to hues of green. If you’re thinking about a Keweenaw color tour, the weather is in your favor the next two weeks.
Jonathan Voss with the National Weather Service suspects there may be another warm spell in middle-October but says it will feel more like fall over the next two weeks. If you’re looking for great ways to enjoy the change of seasons in the Keweenaw, consider the following:
Covered Drive. Photo by Visit Keweenaw.
Mont Ripley Ski-Lift Color Tours: Mont Ripley Ski Resort is the only ski hill in the Keweenaw offering color rides this fall. Enjoy big views in the sky from Mont Ripley’s vibrant ski slopes. You’ll be able to see Michigan Tech’s campus across the blue Portage Canal and feel the Keweenaw’s breeze on your side. Make it a date or go with friends but get your tickets today. Mont Ripley will offer the tours on Saturday, Oct. 7, and Sunday, Oct. 8 from 12-6:30 p.m. You can find tours at these times each weekend through Oct. 21 & 22.
Isle Royale Seaplanes: Take to the skies to see the Keweenaw from a bird’s eye view. You’ll take off from the Portage Canal near Mont Ripley and circle around Lake Linden, Eagle River, and McLain State Park as you make your way back to Houghton/Hancock. Find thrills while taking in a new experience: you can book a tour Thursday-Sunday until Oct. 15.
Scenic Drives: Anywhere you go in the Keweenaw will offer rewarding views along the way, but these three stretches of road are our favorites.
Covered Drive: Take Houghton Canal Road and turn left onto Cole’s Creek Road. Follow it until it turns into Covered Drive on the way to Freda. You’ll find a golden route surrounding you from above with fall foliage. Stop at the Redridge Dam or Freda’s stamp mill ruins for a short hike or to connect with the Keweenaw’s mining history.
M-26: With the Silver River bridge construction completed, you can cruise all the way from Eagle River to Copper Harbor along the stunning shores of Lake Superior. Follow the majestic route past Jacob’s Falls, Great Sand Bay and Fitzgerald’s Restaurant.
Brockway Mountain Drive: Traverse the nine-mile road up Brockway Mountain in Eagle Harbor Township. Stop at a variety of scenic outlooks, with a major platform facing Copper Harbor and another at the opposite end. You can see Lake Superior for miles.
Take a Boat Tour on the Portage Canal: Cruise along the Portage Canal and further with Keweenaw Boat Tours, or Copper Country Boat Tours. Both can take you along the canal, explain points of interest and can seat six. Take a lighthouse tour with Keweenaw Boat Tours, or enjoy an all-electric, quiet ride on the S.S. Dragonfly with Copper Country Boat Tours.
Walk the Nara Boardwalk: If you’re looking for a comfortable walk in nature, you have to go to the Nara Boardwalk in Houghton. Recently constructed, the boardwalk takes you across a wetland area. Keep your eyes peeled for birds, fish and other wetland creatures along the path. The boardwalk system is ADA-accessible.
Hike Mount Baldy: Are you willing to burn some calories to get a better line of sight? Try hiking Mount Baldy 730 feet above Lake Superior in northern Keweenaw County by Eagle Harbor. You’ll observe Lake Bailey, and 360-degree views of the Keweenaw Peninsula. Take a look at the horizon and see if you can point out any waypoints. Watch for birds in the sky. Be prepared, Mount Baldy can be a two-hour hike to the summit.
