The lakeshore’s second-busiest season, minus the crowds
Summer gets the beach traffic. Fall gets the better views. From late September through early November, the beech and maple forests that cover the Leelanau Peninsula turn gold, orange, and red, and the contrast against the turquoise water of Lake Michigan and Glen Lake is the reason photographers keep coming back to this corner of Michigan.
If you are planning a color tour around Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, timing is the whole game. Here is how the season usually plays out, and where to point the car.
When fall colors peak at Sleeping Bear Dunes
The color season here runs in two waves about ten days apart.
Inland first. The beech-maple forests around the Dune Climb, Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, and the villages of Empire and Glen Arbor typically reach peak color the first half of October.
Shoreline later. Because Lake Michigan moderates the temperature right along the coast, the stretch near Empire Beach and the Empire Bluff Trail holds green a little longer and peaks closer to mid-October.
For 2026, Pure Michigan’s peak color map projects viewing conditions across the state from October 3 through November 5, and northwest Lower Michigan sits at the early end of that window. Color moves fast once it starts: a windy October night can take a hillside from peak to bare in two days. If you can only pick one weekend, the second weekend of October is the safest bet for this area, and a midweek stay beats a weekend for empty overlooks.
Tip: check the park’s social feeds or call us at (231) 631-7875 the week you plan to travel. We watch the color move up the peninsula every year and can tell you which drives are firing.
The three best fall color drives near Sleeping Bear Dunes
M-22 along the shoreline
Michigan’s most famous road is at its best in October. The run between Frankfort and Empire hugs Lake Michigan the whole way, and the section over the Empire Bluffs is worth pulling over for. Continue north on M-22 toward Glen Arbor and Suttons Bay for the full peninsula loop. Build in extra time in October: fall color tour traffic on M-22 is real, especially on weekends.
M-109 through the park
M-109 is the park’s scenic spine. It passes the Dune Climb, winds past Glen Lake and the D.H. Day farm fields, and touches Glen Haven and the water. In fall you get the color of the inland hardwoods plus open views over Glen Lake, which turns a colder, glassier blue as the air cools. Note that Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive closes for the season in late fall, but M-109 itself stays open year-round.
Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive (7.4-mile loop)
The park’s scenic loop stacks a dozen overlooks into 7.4 miles, and in October the hardwood canopy over the road is the show. The two essential stops are the Glen Lake Overlook (Stop 4), where the lake’s shape reads clearly from above, and the Lake Michigan Overlook (Stop 9), which puts you 450 feet above the water on top of the dune ridge. The park entrance pass is $25 per private vehicle and covers everyone in the car for seven days, and the park is cashless. One heads-up: the viewing platform that used to sit at the Lake Michigan Overlook was removed, so you get the view from the wooden walkway and dune edge instead.
Fall hikes worth planning around
- Empire Bluff Trail (1.5 miles round trip). The park’s most famous overlook, and in fall the boardwalk runs through a tunnel of gold and red maple before opening onto the bluff. Short, family-friendly, and best near sunset. Our local attractions guide has the trailhead details.
- The Dune Climb. Same 60-degree sand as July, but cooler air makes the climb far easier, and the summits color up on the inland side. We wrote a complete Dune Climb visitor guide with parking and difficulty tips.
- Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail. We are directly on the trail, and October is the best month of the year to ride it. The 4.4-mile section from the Dune Climb through Glen Haven to Glen Arbor is flat, paved, and basically a color tour at bike speed. No car, no parking pass, just a bike.
- Later in the season: once snow arrives, the Heritage Trail is groomed for skiing. That is a different trip, and a good one.
Harvest season on the Leelanau Peninsula
Fall is also harvest season, which means the Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail is at its most active. Tasting rooms between Empire, Lake Leelanau, and Suttons Bay pour the year’s new vintages through October, and many run fall events on weekends. Closer to the park, the Glen Arbor Farmers Market wraps up its season in early fall, and the Empire-area orchards and farm stands along M-22 and M-109 are selling cider and donuts at full speed. Two easy pairings: a morning drive on Pierce Stocking, an afternoon of tasting rooms, then sunset at Empire Beach.
For more ideas within a short drive, our guide to local attractions covers the trails, beaches, and towns we send guests to most.
Stay in Empire for your color tour
Empire is the quiet base for a fall trip. You are minutes from the Dune Climb and Pierce Stocking, and you skip the Glen Arbor weekend crunch.
The Two-Bedroom Suite works well for two couples splitting a color tour week, with a full kitchen for cider-and-donut breakfasts. The accessible Back Door Studio keeps you on one level steps from the Heritage Trail. Every room puts you minutes from the drives and hikes above.
Fall is also the easiest season to book: rates sit below summer peaks, minimum stays are lighter (only our #6 and #7 rooms carry a two-night minimum), and the deposit is fully refundable if you cancel three or more weeks out. Check our current fall offers, then call (231) 631-7875 or book direct online.
Traveling with a dog? Pets stay for $40 per day and fall is prime season for it. Our pet policy has the details.
Fall color FAQ
Inland color around the Dune Climb and Pierce Stocking typically peaks the first half of October. Shoreline areas like Empire Bluff peak several days to a week later. For 2026, Pure Michigan projects peak viewing October 3 through November 5, with northwest Michigan at the early end of that range.
Yes. The 7.4-mile loop is open through the fall color season with its standard $25 vehicle pass required (cashless). The road typically closes for the season in late fall once winter weather arrives, so October and early November are your window.
October. The first half of the month brings peak color to the inland hardwoods between Frankfort, Empire, and Glen Arbor, and M-22’s shoreline overlooks carry color into mid-month. Weekdays are noticeably quieter than October weekends.
Yes. The Pierce Stocking and M-109 drives deliver overlook views from the car, including the Glen Lake and Lake Michigan overlooks. The Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail offers a no-hiking option by bike, with a paved, flat section starting right from the Dune Climb area.
Updated September 2026. Color timing varies a week or more year to year with the weather; check current conditions before you book nonrefundable plans.
