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Your Color Tour Connection

 

Autumnal Adventure

Fall in the Midwest is a beautiful, yet fleeting season. For just a few weeks each year, we can enjoy harvest festivals, apple picking, pumpkin spice lattes, and the vibrant, colorful leaves. Fiery reds, oranges, and golds––it’s impossible not to take a picture! Both Michigan and Wisconsin feature breathtaking fall foliage, making them worthwhile destinations for a unique trip.

This year, make your Fall Color Tour even more memorable by beginning your journey aboard the S.S. Badger! Instead of adding extra miles around Lake Michigan, step aboard, breathe in the fresh air, and let your Color Tour begin on the open water. 

Fall onboard the ship is especially stunning. From Ludington or Manitowoc, the shorelines come alive with color, and the lake itself becomes a mirror for the season’s glow. By the time you dock, you’re refreshed, recharged, and ready to chase the colors.

 

Where To Go

If you’re Michigan-bound:

  • M-22 Scenic Drive: Winding along the Lake Michigan coast, this famous route passes vineyards, lighthouses, and hillsides ablaze with color.
  • Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore: Hike to a dune overlook for a sweeping view of forests bursting with red and gold against turquoise waters.
  • Tunnel of Trees (M-119): A narrow road north of Harbor Springs that feels like driving through a living canopy of autumn color.

 

Road leading through colorful autumn trees with a sign for M-22 North, shoreline in the background.

 

If you’re Wisconsin-bound:

  • Door County: Just north of Manitowoc, this peninsula is a fall favorite. Think winding coastal roads, cherry orchards, pumpkin patches, and views of Green Bay and Lake Michigan framed in autumn brilliance.
  • Kettle Moraine State Forest: Rolling hills, kettle lakes, and glacial landscapes just an hour south of Manitowoc make for some of Wisconsin’s most scenic drives and hikes.
  • Lake Geneva: A classic fall getaway, known for its lakefront mansions, boat tours, and tree-lined trails.

 

Cartoon sailor standing in a small boat on a lake, with a colorful hot air balloon in the sky.

 

Time Your Trip

Peak color varies year to year, but here’s the usual rhythm:

  • Upper Peninsula & Northern Wisconsin: Late September to early October.
  • Lower Michigan & Southern Wisconsin: Mid to late October.

For the most accurate updates on coloring, visit Michigan’s Report or Wisconsin’s Report!

Remember—the Badger’s last sailing day is October 12th, so plan your color tour before then to make the most of your fall escape.

 

Cartoon mascot in uniform waving in front of a scenic autumn landscape with hills and river.

 

Plan Your Fall Color Tour 🍁

Autumn is calling, and the leaves won’t wait. Make this year’s color tour unforgettable by beginning with a voyage on the S.S. Badger! Sail  across Lake Michigan and discover the best of Michigan and Wisconsin fall landscapes.

Book your trip now.

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