Hartwick Pines State Park
State park · Michigan
A 49-acre remnant of Michigan's original white and red pine forest survives near Grayling, donated in 1927 by Karen Michelson Hartwick in memory of her husband. A logging museum and the paved Old Growth Forest Trail explain the timber era that cleared nearly everything else like it.
Don’t miss
Peak: October 5–October 9
Color builds from September 26 · mostly bare by October 28
Sampled at Hartwick Pines State Park’s own coordinates and elevation (373 m) rather than a regional average.
47 weather points cover Michigan, and the model needs no correction to land on 2 published peak dates from smokymountains.com and almanac.com. This year's weather has the peak running 5 days earlier than a normal year. How the forecast works
When to go to Hartwick Pines State Park
Good color holds through about October 16, giving you roughly 20 days from the first turn to past peak. That is about 2 days earlier than Michigan as a whole. It sits at 1,224 ft, high enough to turn before the valleys do.
Hartwick Pines State Park on the map
Drag the date slider to see when color reaches this corner of Michigan, or tap a pin for that stop’s own peak window.
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Frequently asked
- When does Hartwick Pines State Park peak in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for October 5–October 9 (best estimate October 7). Color starts around September 26 and is mostly bare by October 28.
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