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Northern Michigan Maple Leaf Viewing 2-Day Travel Guide

The perfect time for a Midwest loop trip is late September—keep an eye on the maple leaf changes in Northern Michigan! If you catch the season just right, why not head further north from Madison for an autumn adventure? Northern Michigan’s fall foliage can be fully enjoyed in about 2 days. So even if you’re not doing the Midwest loop I recommend, friends in Chicago and Madison have plenty of time for a weekend fall getaway 🍂. Day 1 🚗 Drive & Stay: From Madison to Munising (5.5 hours / 306 miles). Stay in this small town overnight. The vacation rentals near the town are amazing—single-family homes wrapped in maple leaves this time of year (see Figure 2). Highly recommend taking time to find a great rental! Morning Hike: Visit Pictured Rocks Lakeshore. Navigate directly to the Chapel Basin Parking Lot and take the Chapel Falls Trail—it’s 16.4 km long, with flat and easy terrain, taking about 4 hours to complete. You’ll see plenty of views of maple leaves paired with rocky landscapes 🌿. Afternoon Lake Stop: Drive to Kitch-iti-kipi in Palms Book State Park. It’s a crystal-clear, emerald-green lake—like a "mini Jiuzhaigou"! 🇨🇳 You can take a boat to the center of the lake. Admission to the state park is $15, and it takes about 30 minutes to explore Sunset Cruise: Head back to Munising for Pictured Rocks Cruises. The views of the rocks from the boat are fantastic! Regular departures are at 11 AM, 2 PM, and 5 PM—the 5 PM cruise is highly recommended for sunset-lit rocks (stunning! 😍). Day 2 🍁 Morning Maple Peak: Drive from Munising to Porcupine Mountains (2.5 hours / 150 miles). In my opinion, this is the best spot for autumn maple photos—it offers sweeping views of vast leaf-covered landscapes. First, drive straight to Lake of the Clouds Overlook (admission $10)—it’s super photogenic here. Next, search for Summit Peak on the map—another great photo spot, and it’s free! Evening Departure: Drive to Milwaukee for accommodation (5.5 hours / 333 miles). For details on the full Midwest loop trip, check out other guides on my profile! #WantToRecordThisMoment #ThisTemplateIsGreat #StudyInUSA #Travel #NoteInspiration #WeekendGetaway #OffTheBeatenPath #Michigan #Autumn #MapleLeaves #UniversityOfWisconsinMadison #USA #RoadTrip #StudyAbroadStories #TravelNotes #TravelGuide

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Lilias Charles
Lilias Charles
4 months ago
Lilias Charles
Lilias Charles
4 months ago
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Northern Michigan Maple Leaf Viewing 2-Day Travel Guide

The perfect time for a Midwest loop trip is late September—keep an eye on the maple leaf changes in Northern Michigan! If you catch the season just right, why not head further north from Madison for an autumn adventure? Northern Michigan’s fall foliage can be fully enjoyed in about 2 days. So even if you’re not doing the Midwest loop I recommend, friends in Chicago and Madison have plenty of time for a weekend fall getaway 🍂. Day 1 🚗 Drive & Stay: From Madison to Munising (5.5 hours / 306 miles). Stay in this small town overnight. The vacation rentals near the town are amazing—single-family homes wrapped in maple leaves this time of year (see Figure 2). Highly recommend taking time to find a great rental! Morning Hike: Visit Pictured Rocks Lakeshore. Navigate directly to the Chapel Basin Parking Lot and take the Chapel Falls Trail—it’s 16.4 km long, with flat and easy terrain, taking about 4 hours to complete. You’ll see plenty of views of maple leaves paired with rocky landscapes 🌿. Afternoon Lake Stop: Drive to Kitch-iti-kipi in Palms Book State Park. It’s a crystal-clear, emerald-green lake—like a "mini Jiuzhaigou"! 🇨🇳 You can take a boat to the center of the lake. Admission to the state park is $15, and it takes about 30 minutes to explore Sunset Cruise: Head back to Munising for Pictured Rocks Cruises. The views of the rocks from the boat are fantastic! Regular departures are at 11 AM, 2 PM, and 5 PM—the 5 PM cruise is highly recommended for sunset-lit rocks (stunning! 😍). Day 2 🍁 Morning Maple Peak: Drive from Munising to Porcupine Mountains (2.5 hours / 150 miles). In my opinion, this is the best spot for autumn maple photos—it offers sweeping views of vast leaf-covered landscapes. First, drive straight to Lake of the Clouds Overlook (admission $10)—it’s super photogenic here. Next, search for Summit Peak on the map—another great photo spot, and it’s free! Evening Departure: Drive to Milwaukee for accommodation (5.5 hours / 333 miles). For details on the full Midwest loop trip, check out other guides on my profile! #WantToRecordThisMoment #ThisTemplateIsGreat #StudyInUSA #Travel #NoteInspiration #WeekendGetaway #OffTheBeatenPath #Michigan #Autumn #MapleLeaves #UniversityOfWisconsinMadison #USA #RoadTrip #StudyAbroadStories #TravelNotes #TravelGuide

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Chapel Falls Trailhead
Chapel Falls TrailheadChapel Falls Trailhead