Now that Tony and I are with baby, enjoying a calm, scenic fall color tour as a family of 3 along a windy, tree covered road doesn’t sound so relaxing. Winston is transitioning into his ‘big boy’ car seat now and so far, hates it. While I’m sharing with you the one fall color tour you must take in Northern Michigan today, it may be another year before we search for a new color tour! We spontaneously took this day trip a few October’s ago shortly after we moved to Michigan from Kenya. It was the first time I saw the leaves changing colors in 5 years and my husband’s first time ever!
This year, I’m planning to take my son on his own mini fall color tour – from the comfort of his stroller. For that, I’m going to head back to one (or all) of the parks I’ve written about here. He’s been really into trees ever since he first started to notice things around him. I imagine he’ll get a kick out of vibrant red, orange, and yellow hued leaves!
Fall Color Tour Map
Fall Color Tour Summary
When: Saturday during peak fall color
Time spent: 3 hours
Budget: $$ – the cost to use the alpine slide once, wine & food for dinner
Our Route
From Grand Rapids, we headed north on US 131 towards Cadillac. Just before Cadillac, exit the highway and head west on M-55. Continue until you reach Crystal Mountain on the left side of the road.
After the fun and beauty at Crystal Mountain, turn right on M-115 then shortly after that, take another right onto Kurick Road. Then shortly after that, take a right onto Smeltzer Road. While on Smeltzer I cannot emphasize this enough – enjoy the beauty of the fall colors! As we drove on this road, we noted that since it wasn’t the main road, there weren’t many other cars that crossed our path. Plus the road is hilly and tree covered, creating a mini tunnel of trees.
Smeltzer ends at the junction with US-31. Turn right then turn left onto Joyfield Road. This road ends at M-22. Turn left onto M-22 then continue for almost 2 miles until you reach the Arcadia Scenic Turnout (aka Inspiration Point).
~ Fall Color Tour Details ~
Crystal Mountain
The first stop on the one fall color tour you must take in Northern Michigan is to Crystal Mountain! If you’re traveling as a couple, friends, by yourself, or with children, there are so many things to do here! While we purchased a one time ride down the alpine slide, Crystal Mountain offers day passes and more! Not only will you see beautiful fall colors on the way down on the alpine slide, but in order to get to the top of the mountain, you use the chair lift. This lift brings you above the tree line and behind you, makes it possible to see all the trees in the valley below.
During the fall, Crystal Mountain offers tons of fall themed activities to take advantage of. Besides the alpine slide, in the past they provide a petting zoo and hay ride. Because of COVID, this fall may look a little different so be sure to check out their website for updates.
Fall is also a great time to take advantage of their Legacy Art Park. The Art Park costs $5 for adults but is free for those 17 and younger. It contains over 50 sculptures, poetry stones, and an outdoor amphitheater on 1.6 miles of wooded hiking trails.
Arcadia Scenic Overlook
Our second stop during our color tour was the Arcadia Scenic Overlook, also known as Inspiration Point. While here, be sure to climb the 120 steps up to look out over Lake Michigan and the small town of Arcadia a short drive away. The view is well worth it!
Cruise M22 down to Manistee
Before winding down the color tour in Manistee, we stopped at the Captain John Langland Park Beach in Onekama. This stop is about halfway between Arcadia and Manistee. The beach is a short walk through the dune grass from the parking lot. Fall is a great time to see some big waves on Lake Michigan.
Nearby the beach, on the drive back to connecting to M22 is the Portage Lake Lighthouse. Built in 1930, this lighthouse originally sat at the channel entrance to Portage Lake from Lake Michigan until 1985. Then in 2011, after restoration work provided by the Portage Lake Association, the lighthouse moved to its current home at the Michigan Natural Resources Launch Site.
The Fillmore
To conclude the fall color tour to Northern Michigan, we grabbed a bite to eat at The Fillmore of Manistee. This restaurant has a warm and cozy vibe with brick walls and wood flooring. The menu includes delicious hot sandwiches, burgers, and wood fired pizza with a variety of local beers and wines.
The Fillmore is conveniently located right in downtown Manistee, if you have any additional time to explore, I recommend checking out my blog post detailing our day trip to Manistee. Otherwise, we enjoyed walking around downtown Manistee to marvel at the Victorian architecture. During the fall, the streets and shops aren’t as busy so it’s a great time to take advantage of some local shopping!
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Have you ever driven around during fall to admire nature’s beauty? What routes have you taken?
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from Michigan with Love,
Jackie
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