5 stunning fall foliage road trips in the Midwest

From fiery birch, elm and sugar maple in the Great Lakes to sunset-hued beech and oak in the southern Appalachians to glowing sumac and cottonwoods along the Mississippi, the forests of the Midwest flaunt some of the most vivid fall colors in the United States.

Here is a guide to five Midwest road trips to regions known for dramatic fall foliage displays and seasonal activities, like cider tasting and pumpkin picking.

The West Michigan shoreline

The historic West Michigan Pike route, now 1-196 and U.S. 31, connects several beach towns from the southern state line to Mackinaw City near the Canadian border. Start your journey down south in St. Joseph/Benton Harbor, where vineyards terrace the hills in burgundy and Champagne gold, and beaches like Jean Klock Park and Silver Beach offer perfect spots to picnic. In South Haven, visit the Michigan Maritime Museum and soak up the waning rays of autumn at one of the town's 12 beaches.

With their turreted mansions, walkable downtowns and eclectic array of restaurants helmed by big-city-trained chefs, the twin towns of Saugatuck and Douglas make a well-provisioned home base to explore the region. Established as an art colony as early as the 1880s through the presence of the renowned Ox-Bow summer art school, Saugatuck-Douglas retains a flourishing art scene that has expanded to the surrounding area, now referred to as the Art Coast of Michigan. The legacy of this bohemian culture also made Saugatuck-Douglas a welcoming destination for LGBTQ+ travelers and residents, a tradition that was celebrated in the exhibit A Century of Progress at the Saugatuck-Douglas History Center, housed in a Civil War-era schoolhouse. While you're in town, order hot dogs and ice cream from the Douglas Root Beer Barrel, an oversized root beer barrel that’s a vestige of 1950s roadside Americana.

View hills blanketed in red and gold from atop Mount Baldhead, reached via a climb featuring 320 stairs, then watch the sunset from Oval Beach or stroll through Saugatuck Dunes State Park. There is no better time than apple season to tour Virtue Cider Works, 15 minutes southeast of town, or take a guided tasting in the flower-filled garden. While Saugatuck is best known for its historic hotels, budget travelers will appreciate the availability of the Best Western Plaza Hotel Saugatuck (rates from $107, or 20,000 Best Western Rewards points per night).

After a stop in aptly named Holland to see its authentic Dutch windmill, head for Grand Haven, where the harbor's history dates back 300 years and a long waterfront promenade extends out to a highly photogenic lighthouse.

Minnesota's Mississippi headwaters

You couldn't find a better way to kick off a road trip than to seek out the headwaters of the Mississippi, located in Itasca State Park. After rock-hopping across the river — which is surprisingly small at its start — climb the park's fire tower to gaze over the canopy of crimson, tangerine and ochre or view the multihued shoreline from a nature cruise on Lake Itasca. You will find equally show-stopping lakeside color in Lake Bemidji State Park, then head into the town of Lake Bemidji to pose for pictures under a towering Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox.

Experience more of the region's logging history in the Brainerd Lakes Area by biking or hiking the Paul Bunyan State Trail, a rails-to-trails project following the railroad route that once carried hewn logs to the region's many lumber mills.

Finish your trip in St. Cloud, where numerous former granite quarries — many now filled with water — have been transformed into lushly forested parks. In Quarry Park & Nature Preserve, trails loop among 20 ponds enclosed by huge blocks and boulders of the quarry's prized flecked granite. A floating boardwalk over wetlands and a dock extending into one pond provide picture-perfect spots to capture the fringe of russet and amber reflected in still water. If the weather turns warm, you may see thrill-seeking rock-jumpers enjoying the two swimming quarries. As you enter and exit, don't miss the polished rock column demonstrating the superb quality of the reddish granite that sets this stone-cutting town apart.

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Apple season sees the area's numerous farms hosting visitors for harvest season fun. Hidden Cove Orchard, Collegeville Orchards and others offer more than a dozen varieties of apples and pears, pumpkins, gourds and other fall favorites.

Ohio's Hocking Hills

Linking six different parks making up 2,356-acre Hocking Hills State Park, the Hocking Hills Scenic Byway ranks as one of the Midwest's most coveted fall color road trips. As you drive along State Route 374, you will find a host of eye-catching foliage backdrops, including waterfalls, caves and craggy bluffs.

From your start in Rockbridge, you will travel past the Cantwell Cliffs, Whispering Cave, Cedar Falls and Old Mans Cave, all as alluring as their names suggest. Must-sees include the massive Ash Cave, which features a waterfall in the center, and the Gorge Trail in Conkle's Hollow, which follows a series of plunging cascades. You can even sleep among the trees at Hocking Hills Treehouse Cabins, where six one-of-a-kind structures feature multiple decks and windows to take in the leafy beauty (rates from $450 night).

A free weekend shuttle accesses all of the park's highlights, allowing you to get out of your car and savor your surroundings. You can also soar over the canopy by zip line with Hocking Hills Canopy Tours and XTreme Canopy Tours. Finally, the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway offers a chance to relax and enjoy the scenery from a vintage train car, open or closed as weather permits.

Another reason you will want to spend the night in the immediate area: skies so dark they inspired the creation of the John Glenn Astronomy Park, where high-powered telescopes scan the heavens.

Iowa's Great River Road

This trip starts 15 miles north of Iowa City in Lake Macbride State Park, where cinnamon, copper and gold swaths of black walnut and hickory trees reflect from the water's edge. From here, it's east along the historic Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway to catch the Great River Road as it traces the mighty Mississippi northwards. Stop in Clinton to learn about the importance of the river's locks and watch riverboats and barges navigate the rising and falling waters. Eagle Point Park is a spot for leaf-peepers, overlooking the river at its widest point, seen even better from the top of the stone lookout tower. Every fall color, from lemon to maroon, is illuminated against the limestone cliffs of Bellevue State Park.

Then it's on to Dubuque, where you can spot alligators and pythons and learn about the river's essential ecosystem at the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium, operated in partnership with the Smithsonian Museum.

More stunning color is displayed as you continue north in the vast Mines of Spain State Recreation Area and Pikes Peak State Park, where viewing decks extend from the clifftops to provide perfect views of glowing oaks.

Experience the Swiss-German hospitality that has earned this area the nickname Little Switzerland by visiting the towns of St. Donatus and Guttenberg, settled by immigrants in the 1700s. Try the roast pork Schweinbraten at Guttenberg's Picket Fence Cafe, then stop into the Rathskeller, a traditional bier hall, for a Pinkus, Ayinger or Weihenstephaner accompanied by live music.

Brown County, Indiana

This road trip's highlight is Brown County State Park, with its scenic route through dense stands of multicolored sycamores, oaks and maples. Just over an hour south of Nashville, Indiana, and an hour and a half north of Louisville, Kentucky, Brown County can be explored as a day trip from either city, though the area is well worth a full weekend. You'll find two of the best bird's-eye vistas at Bean Blossom Overlook and Hesitation Point, also known as the park's top sunset spot for its west-facing aspect. Or climb up the West Lookout Tower and North Lookout Tower to scan the canopy. See the fall color doubled in the reflections along Ogle and Strahl lakes, both encircled by hiking trails.

Within this bucolic area of woods and farms you'll find that all roads lead to Nashville for food and boutique browsing. Like its namesake, this city is big on culture with a constant stream of shows, concerts and movies at the Brown County Music Center and the Brown County Playhouse and Performing Arts Center. Fall is the only time to sample the seasonal potato bacon soup at Hobnob Corner Restaurant, housed in the downtown's oldest building.

Equally picturesque, the town of Bean Blossom is a must-stop for its Brownes Bean Blossom Family Restaurant, located on a scenic vista point, and a much-photographed covered bridge dating from 1838. Or seek out straight-from-the-garden fare at the Farmhouse Cafe and Tea Room in a 19th-century farmhouse outside Bean Blossom.

Ten minutes outside Nashville, the smaller village of Belmont is home to the Goat Conspiracy, a farm and sanctuary for 150 goats available for petting and goat yoga. And you can enjoy the fruits of Brown County's rich harvest at Kelp's Greenhouse and Pumpkin Patch, with the usual flourish of fall-themed activities from hayrides to corn mazes.

Those lured by antiquing will appreciate the 7,000-square-foot Brown County Antique Mall, just east of the state park, while music lovers should stop at Mike's Music & Dance Barn when heading west to Bloomington. Speaking of Bloomington, loyalty program members may want to base their stay in this lively college town, which boasts a wide variety of loyalty program hotels including the Hilton Garden Inn Bloomington (rates from $93 or 28,000 Hilton Honors points per night) and the Hyatt Place Bloomington (rates from $117 or 12,000 World of Hyatt points per night).

Related reading:

• The ultimate guide to road tripping with an electric car
• 6 tips for surviving a road trip with a large family
• Where to see spectacular fall foliage across the US in 2024
• 9 cool hotels for leaf peeping, from Central Park to the Rocky Mountains
• 10 scenic train rides that are perfect for US leaf-peeping