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As the temperature cools, the 19 million acres of forest in Michigan begin to turn bright shades of red, orange and yellow.
Many Michiganders enjoy spending time outside taking in the leaves or planning trips to see the foliage when it's at peak color, said Nick Nerbonne, media and digital director at Pure Michigan.
“We’re so lucky in Michigan to have 13,000 miles of state designated trails,” he said. “And the thing about fall is when the fall colors are available and have emerged, there’s beautiful views of fall colors everywhere in the state.”
The swaths of forests with color changing leaves, wooded trails, campgrounds and lodging areas bring people from other places into Michigan during the fall, he said.
Fall tourism in Michigan represents a portion of the 132.1 million visitors that came to the state in 2024. Overall, people visiting the state spent $30.7 billion last year according to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.
In Mid-Michigan, there are many forest trails that offer beautiful fall views. Most are accessible to people of all hiking ability and experience, Nerbonne said.
“The Lansing River Trail right in town is a beautiful place to view fall foliage,” he said. "I love Sleepy Hollow State Park just north of Lansing."
The Lansing River Trail is over 20 miles long and follows the banks of the Grand River, The Red Cedar River and Sycamore Creek. The trail is paved and features boardwalks that jut over the bodies of water.
Sleepy Hollow State Park features multiple trails and bodies of water where people can fish.
Trails on the western side of the state can get more difficult to traverse, he said.
“A more technical trail like The White Pine Trail or the North Country Trail that runs along the west side of the state, those can have sections that are a little more narrow.”
The North Country Trail is a national trail that spans eight states including North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Vermont.
The White Pine Trail connects Comstock Park, near Grand Rapids, to Cadillac, Michigan.
People can use the fall color map on Pure Michigan’s website to get an estimate as to when your area will see peak fall leaf colors, Nerbonne said.
“It’s a helpful travel planning tool,” Nerbonne said. “If I’m planning an October trip, I can use this map to generally estimate where the fall colors are going to be peaking.”
The fall color map uses historical data, satellite map observations and on the ground reports from people across the state. Typically, once an area has reached its “peak” fall color that lasts for about a week, Nerbonne said.
The following are some listed trails in Mid-Michigan counties according to All Trails.
Trails in Ingham County:
Trails in Eaton County:
Trails in Jackson County:
Trails in Livingston County:
Trails in Clinton County:
Trails in Ionia County:
