Yates Cider Mill

Cider mill · Rochester Hills · Michigan

Yates Cider Mill in Michigan
Photo: Ekardiff / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Founded in 1863 on the Clinton River in Rochester Hills, Yates has pressed cider since 1876 from the same water-turbine building it occupies today, one of Michigan's oldest continuously running businesses. Fall visitors queue for fresh cider and donuts beside the original mill machinery.

Best for: Historic cider and donuts

Don’t miss

  • Pressing cider since 1876
  • original 1894 mill building
  • cider and donuts

Plan your visit

2026 season: May 1 – Dec 23.

Historic mill open daily in season; Canterbury Village location open year-round

Dates from the official announcement — always confirm before you go.

2026 Forecast

Color nearby peaks: October 16–October 20

Color builds from October 3 · mostly bare by November 8

Color starts: October 3Peak: October 18Bare: November 8AugustDecember

Method: daily ERA5 temperatures drive a photoperiod + chilling phenology model, sampled at Yates Cider Mill’s own coordinates and elevation (209 m) rather than a regional average. Estimates, not promises — check locally before you plan a trip around it.

Yates Cider Mill on the map

More things to do in Michigan

Tunnel of Trees (M-119)

Scenic drive

Peak October 15 2026 forecast

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 drive

Peak October 14 2026 forecast

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 park

Peak October 10 2026 forecast

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 park

Peak October 14 2026 forecast

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

See all things to do in Michigan

Plan from a city

Frequently asked

When is Yates Cider Mill open in 2026?
The 2026 season runs May 1 – Dec 23. Historic mill open daily in season; Canterbury Village location open year-round. Dates can shift, so check the official site before you go.
When does Yates Cider Mill peak in 2026?
Peak color is predicted for October 16–October 20 (best estimate October 18). Color starts around October 3 and is mostly bare by November 8.
What is Yates Cider Mill best for?
Historic cider and donuts.
How do I get to Yates Cider Mill?
Yates Cider Mill is in Rochester Hills. The closest city is Detroit, about 24 mi away. It's part of Michigan's fall lineup.

Own or manage Yates Cider Mill? Update your listing or get in touch.