Chasing Autumn in Northern Michigan 🍂

Finally made it to Northern Michigan in my third year here!!! As working professionals with limited time, we packed every day with adventure — truly a “special forces” style trip! 💼🚗 Day 0️⃣ After work in Ann Arbor, we hit the road straight to Mackinaw City — a solid 4-hour drive to kick things off. 🌙🛣️ Day 1️⃣ Mackinaw City → Tahquamenon Upper Falls → Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore → Houghton We went all out on day one! Since we kept each stop short — mostly for photos and skipping longer trails — 1 to 1.5 hours per spot was enough. 📸✨ At Pictured Rocks, if you have time, take the boat tour! We were pressed for time, so we just snapped pics at Miners Castle Rock and moved on. The drive to Houghton along the lake was absolutely scenic — every turn felt like a postcard! We pulled over at a few viewpoints when we spotted something special. 🚙💨 Day 2️⃣ US Hwy 41 → Copper Harbor → Lake of the Clouds The stretch of Highway 41 from Houghton to Copper Harbor is a must — it’s seriously breathtaking 😍! On the way to Copper Harbor, we took a detour via Route 26 and stopped by the Eagle Harbor Lighthouse. On the return, we completed the full 41 — no backtracking, and both routes were gorgeous in their own way. Lake of the Clouds? No words. Just pure awe 🏞️. If you have extra time, Summit Peak is nearby and totally worth adding! Day 3️⃣ Bond Falls → Marquette (Presque Isle Park) → Kitch-iti-kipi → Cut River Bridge → Mackinaw City Bond Falls was a beautiful surprise — powerful and easily accessible via boardwalks that bring you right up close. Way more immersive than Upper Falls! 💧 Kitch-iti-kipi is a sweet little spring — stunningly clear blue water, but honestly pretty tiny 😅. Worth a quick stop if you're passing by, though it’s no Jiuzhaigou (sorry not sorry!). We timed Cut River Bridge for sunset — a majestic bridge nestled among colorful maple-covered hills 🌉🍁. Just a heads-up: traffic moves fast, so be careful if you stop for photos! Day 4️⃣ Mackinac Island → Ann Arbor We hadn’t even planned to visit Mackinac Island… but we were having too much fun, so we went for it on our last day! 🏝️ The island's little shops are super charming, and you can rent bikes to loop around the whole place 🚲💨 — just bundle up, it gets windy! Finally, we drove 4 hours back to Ann Arbor, officially ending our four-day Northern Michigan blitz 🥹💖. #Umich #NorthernMichigan #PureMichigan #FallColors #AutumnAdventure #UpNorth