Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


The first day of fall is this Sunday and officials say autumn is a beautiful time of year to appreciate Michigan’s natural beauty as the leaves change and the air turns crisp.

The County Road Association of Michigan has worked with the state's 83 county road agencies to develop a list of the best county roads in the state for fall color. CEO Denise Donohue said “Mid-Michigan county road agencies are experts on the best fall color routes in their areas. Touring these roads is a great way to appreciate Michigan’s natural beauty.”

Peak viewing conditions for Mid-Michigan are expected from October 2nd to October 16th.

Some of the fall color drives listed by the CRA in the WHMI listening area include:

Commerce Township:
-Wixom Rd – Charm to Sleeth/duck lake intersection
-Richardson Rd. – Martin Parkway to Newton
-Wise Rd. – Canal to Carrol Lake

White Lake Township:
-Porter Rd
-Pontiac Lake Road to Culhbert to White Lake Road (This route you see beautiful foilage, the lake and Ruggles Farm)
-Gale Rd
-McKeachie Rd

Washtenaw County:
-Huron River Drive between Mast Road and US-23
-North Territorial Road between US-23 and M-52

Shiawassee County:
-Grand River Road from Laingsburg to the Village of Byron


A link to the full list on CRA’s website is provided.

The 2024 foliage predictor map that helps determine when colors will peak has also been released from SmokyMountains.com. That link is also provided.