Field notes · 2026 estimate
When to see peak color at Tahquamenon Falls, Michigan
Peak fall color is predicted around October 6. Plan for the strongest viewing window from October 1 to October 11.
Predicted peakOctober 6
Best windowOctober 1 – October 11
Confidence range±5 days
The prediction comes from 14 years of fall color records at this spot, checked against what observers on the ground saw. Where state foliage spotters report peak (New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Missouri), it has landed inside our ±5-day window about two years in three. An unusual summer or autumn can still move it further. Explore fall color around Paradise and across Michigan.
That is 1 day earlier than usual (October 7): the six weeks to September 27 ran 0.6°F cooler than the 2001–2025 average, and a cooler run before peak brings forward the color.
Nearby locales
Other places to see color near Tahquamenon Falls, Michigan
2 to 3 hours
Over 3 hours
- Traverse City200 mi · 4 hr 5 minPeak: Oct 22Status: Moderate color
- Old Mission Peninsula209 mi · 4 hr 17 minPeak: Nov 2Status: Early color
- Leelanau Peninsula220 mi · 4 hr 39 minPeak: Oct 23Status: Early color
- Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore224 mi · 4 hr 41 minPeak: Oct 27Status: Early color
- Cave Point County Park303 mi · 6 hr 30 minWisconsinPeak: Oct 15Status: Peak color
