Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park
State park · Michigan
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
Peak: October 10–October 14
Color builds from September 26 · mostly bare by November 1
Sampled at Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park’s own coordinates and elevation (194 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 1 day later than a normal year. How the forecast works
When to go to Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park
Good color holds through about October 21, giving you roughly 25 days from the first turn to past peak. That runs roughly 3 days earlier than the rest of Michigan.
Porcupine Mountains Wilderness 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.
More things to do in Michigan
Leaves & views
Farms & harvest
Frequently asked
- When does Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park peak in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for October 10–October 14 (best estimate October 12). Color starts around September 26 and is mostly bare by November 1.
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