As we approach mid-September in Michigan, fall colors are just starting to appear in the Upper Peninsula, and in the coming weeks, the annual show will spread southward.
Foliage in the western U.P. is projected to be the first to begin changing colors as soon as this this week, spreading east across the peninsula and southward into lower Michigan by Sept. 19, according to Explore Fall's Michigan Fall Foliage Map 2026
.Working southward, the entire state will see leaves change by the first week in October. Leaves across the southern Lower Peninsula will be the last to change, including cities like Lansing, Grand Rapids and metro Detroit.
"Michigan fall color is especially popular around Marquette, Munising, the Keweenaw Peninsula, Petoskey, Traverse
City, Sleeping Bear Dunes, and the Tunnel of Trees. Maples, birches, aspens, and oaks create different color mixes from inland forests to lake-effect shoreline areas," Explore Fall said in its commentary.
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The peak times to admire the fall colors in Michigan vary based on where you are in the state. Generally, peak times range from late September through early November, according to the century-old publication the Old Farmer's Almanac and its Sept. 10, 2026 Fall Foliage Map and Forecast.
"Leaves begin changing in the Upper Peninsula in late September before sweeping through the northern Lower Peninsula in early October and reaching southern Michigan by late October. Popular destinations include M-22 Scenic Drive, the Huron-Manistee National Forests, and the Tunnel of Trees," the Old Farmer's Almanac said.
Trees in the Upper Peninsula are estimated to lose their leaves around late October, according to the Almanac, then leaves in the Lower Peninsula will fall around early November.
Here's what to know about fall colors in Michigan this season.
When will the leaves start to change colors in Michigan 2026?
Here's when leaves are estimated to begin showing color across Michigan, according to Explore Fall's Michigan Fall Foliage Map 2026:
- Southern Lower Peninsula: Oct. 2.
- Eastern Upper Peninsula: Sept. 16.
- Western Upper Peninsula: Sept. 22.
- Northern Lower Peninsula: Sept. 28.
When does fall start in 2026?
Astronomical fall will officially begin with the fall equinox at 8:04 p.m. on Sept. 22, while meteorological fall began on Sept. 1.
When will fall colors peak in Michigan?
Here's when leaves are estimated to peak, per the foliage map:
- Eastern Upper Peninsula: Sept. 30.
- Western Upper Peninsula: Oct. 17.
- Northern Lower Peninsula: Oct. 20.
- Southern Lower Peninsula: Oct. 29.
How do colors vary by tree?
Michigan's diverse tree varieties each have their own color patterns, according to Michigan State University Extension.
In the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula, maple trees feature orange and red leaves, while quaking aspen and larch trees produce yellow leaves. Sugar maples turn bright red, and red maples change from vivid red to orange to bright yellow.
Red oaks, present across the state, have subtle red leaves, while trees in the white oak group, with several in southern Michigan, feature yellow or dusty red leaves. Sassafras, present in southern Michigan, vary from yellow to deep red in the fall and can have three-lobed or mitten-shaped leaves.
Hickories, common in southern Michigan, can feature yellow leaves in the fall, the most common variety in the state being shagbark hickory. Larch trees feature needles, which turn bright yellow in the fall before shedding. Eastern larch, or tamarack, is a larch variety found in wetter parts of Michigan.
Lansing State Journal reporter Sarah Moore contributed.
Contact Jenna Prestininzi: jprestininzi@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Have trees started to change color? When to expect annual fall show
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