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 8–October 12
Color builds from September 30 · mostly bare by October 30
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 5 days earlier than a normal year. How the forecast works
When to go to Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park
Good color holds through about October 19, giving you roughly 19 days from the first turn to past peak. That runs roughly 1 day later 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 8–October 12 (best estimate October 10). Color starts around September 30 and is mostly bare by October 30.
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