The Dexter Cider Mill
Cider mill · Dexter · Michigan
Michigan's longest continuously operating cider mill, pressing on the Huron River since 1886 and marking its 140th season in 2026. It opens for cider season on Friday, August 28 and runs Wednesday through Sunday, 8am to 5pm, on into November.
Don’t miss
Plan your visit
Color nearby peaks: October 14–October 18
Color builds from October 1 · mostly bare by November 6
Method: daily ERA5 temperatures drive a photoperiod + chilling phenology model, sampled at The Dexter Cider Mill’s own coordinates and elevation (268 m) rather than a regional average. Estimates, not promises — check locally before you plan a trip around it.
The Dexter Cider Mill on the map
More things to do in Michigan
Tunnel of Trees (M-119)
Scenic drivePeak October 15
M-119 threads twenty miles of canopied hardwoods along the Lake Michigan bluffs between Harbor Springs and Cross Village, narrowing to one lane at the hairpin known as Devil's Elbow. Sugar maple and beech peak here early-to-mid October, with glimpses of open water below.
Don’t miss: Devil's Elbow hairpin turn · Lake Michigan bluff views · single-lane canopy road
Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive
Scenic drivePeak October 14
This 7.4-mile loop inside Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, built by lumberman Pierce Stocking in 1967, climbs through beech-maple forest to twelve overlooks, including a platform 450 feet above Lake Michigan. Dune views and fall color combine here like nowhere else on the coast.
Don’t miss: 12 numbered overlooks · 450-ft Lake Michigan overlook · beech-maple canopy
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
National parkPeak October 10
The first national lakeshore in the U.S. (1966) protects 42 miles of Lake Superior shoreline near Munising, where sandstone cliffs up to 200 feet tall streak with mineral color above the water. Boat tours and cliff-top trails run through October as birch and maple turn along the bluffs.
Don’t miss: 200-ft sandstone cliffs · cliff-side boat tours · Munising Falls trailhead
Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park
State parkPeak October 14
Michigan's largest state park, established 1945, holds roughly 60,000 acres near Ontonagon and one of the Midwest's largest old-growth hardwood stands. The Lake of the Clouds overlook (a sheer drop to a mirror lake ringed by turning maple and hemlock) peaks late September into early October.
Don’t miss: Lake of the Clouds overlook · old-growth hardwood forest · 60,000 acres of wilderness
Plan from a city
Frequently asked
- When does The Dexter Cider Mill peak in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for October 14–October 18 (best estimate October 16). Color starts around October 1 and is mostly bare by November 6.
- What is The Dexter Cider Mill best for?
- A short cider-and-doughnut stop near Ann Arbor.
- How do I get to The Dexter Cider Mill?
- The Dexter Cider Mill is in Dexter. The closest city is Detroit, about 43 mi away. It's part of Michigan's fall lineup.
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