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Traverse City, Michigan fall foliage

In a typical year, fall color around Traverse City peaks about October 8, with the best viewing from roughly October 7 to October 15.

Typical peak
October 8
Best viewing
Oct 7 – Oct 15
Color starts
Around Sep 26
Leaves mostly down
Around Oct 21
Elevation
600 ft
Color potential
Strong

Updated

Typical season

Peak around October 8. Turn on JavaScript to see today’s status and the five-week outlook.

The season at a glance

Sep 1Oct 1Nov 1Nov 30Typical peak Oct 8

Bar height shows how good the viewing typically is on each day, from September 1 through November 30. Colors show the stage, from green through peak red to bare.

Open Traverse City on the live map

Nearby destinations

Trees you’ll see turning

Common questions

When is peak fall foliage in Traverse City?

In a typical year, fall color around Traverse City peaks about October 8, with the best viewing from roughly October 7 to October 15. Weather can shift the timing by about a week either way.

How long does peak color last in Traverse City?

Near-peak color usually holds for about 9 days. Color starts to show around September 26, and most leaves are down by about October 21.

Is Traverse City early or late compared with the rest of Michigan?

Traverse City typically peaks about 3 days later than the Michigan average of Oct 5. It ranks 4 of 5 Michigan destinations from earliest to latest.

What trees color up around Traverse City?

The main fall color in this area comes from sugar maple, red maple, quaking aspen, paper birch. See the leaf guide to identify them.

Estimates come from the Leaves.com model of typical years, based on latitude, elevation, and distance from large bodies of water. They are not live observations. How it works.