Wednesday, September 27, 2023

Fall Color in Iron County Wisconsin and Upper Michigan

Every weekend during the fall my husband and I go leaf-peeping.  We chase the fall colors across the state, starting at the top and ending in southern Wisconsin.  This was the first weekend of our fall foliage hunt, and since the colors are just starting to turn around us, we had to drive all the way up to the tippy top of Wisconsin and a little into Michigan to see some WOW color.


This is the route we took.  We drove 3 and a half hours to Mellon Wisconsin and started our day in Copper Falls State Park.  From there we hopped onto Highway 77 and hit two waterfalls:  Upson Falls and Gile Falls.  We spent the night in Ironwood, Michigan, then went hit three more waterfalls before driving home:  Interstate Falls,  Superior Falls, and Potato River Falls.  


Copper Falls State Park

We had been to Copper Falls State Park way back in 2016.  You can read all about that visit HERE.  It was summer time during our first visit, so I was curious how different the park would look in the fall.  I didn't think the park had a lot of color because there are not a lot of deciduous trees, mostly pine.  Nevertheless, there were spots of pretty color here and there.


We took the famous "Doughboy trail where you can see two waterfalls:  Copper Falls and Brownstone Falls.  The waterfall views on this trail are truly spectacular.



The paths are easy and well-maintained making it accessible for everyone.  Some parts of the trail are even wheelchair accessible, although there are a lot of steps on other parts of the trail.



There are so many beautiful, photogenic bridges on this trail!






Of course, I had to stop and take a picture on every single bridge!


The viewing decks to see the falls are fabulous!







The red/brown color of the rock makes these waterfalls so much more interesting.


I should mention it was a misty day, but it never rained hard enough to spoil our fun.  It mostly lightly rained in the morning and the afternoon was just cloudy.




Upson Falls

Our next stop was Upson Falls.  This little waterfall is a hidden gem located in the town of Upson.  Below is pictured the lower Upson Falls, but if you follow the river upstream just a bit, you will discover the upper falls which are a true beauty.



There was no formal trail to get to the upper falls, but it is such a short hike, we managed.  The woods and mossy rocks were just exquisite!


And here is upper Upson Falls.  Gorgeous, isn't it?


Corrigan's Lookout


Some very friendly locals we met at Copper Falls State park directed us to an overlook where they said we would see fabulous fall color.  They were absolutely right! It was magnificent and only a short 1/4 walk through a forest to get to the overlook too.







Giles Falls


Our last waterfall of the day was so tricky to find.  Even with directions I had to stop and ask a local and we still barely found it.  Everyone said "Look for the row of boulders" but the boulders all had tall weeds growing in front so they were obscured from view.  And, there were also "No trespassing" signs posted, so we didn't know what to think of that.  Why would they advertise a waterfall if you weren't allowed to see it?  Well, we disobeyed the signs because we saw other cars parked in the lot, and we followed a very short path to the falls.  These falls were very lovely I just wish they were more accessible to the public.


After checking into our hotel and freshening up, we had dinner at "El Tarasco".  The atmosphere left much to be desired, but the food was fabulous.  It is a very popular place for the locals as everyone seemed to know each other....if locals eat at a restaurant, it's usually a good one.  We ordered "Fajitas Texas" for two and it was INCREDIBLE.  People from another table had to come over and ask what we were eating because it looked so appealing.  It's loaded with large shrimp, delicious veggies, tender sliced beef, plus chicken.  YUM! We ate our fill at the restaurant and still had leftovers for two more meals.


Interstate Falls


The next morning we had breakfast at the hotel then drove five minutes to "Interstate Falls".  This is such a pretty trail and a popular place for the locals.  There were so many benches to just sit and enjoy the solitude of the woods.


The path is short and easy.



See the house in the upper center of the photo?  Those are very lucky homeowners as they have a great view of the falls.





Superior Falls


Superior Falls was my favorite waterfall of our trip.  I just loved the tall rock formations surrounding it and how it spills into Lake Superior




The photo above shows Lake Superior in the background.  The falls would be behind and to my left of this photo.  The water falls over the cliff then into a pool and short river before going into the lake.









On the way to our next and last waterfall we spotted a pair of swans!  This was the second time on this trip we saw swans. 


Potato River Falls


Everyone said that if you're in the area not to miss Potato River Falls, and I would agree.  It was definitely one of my favs.  There are two trails to two different lookouts:  the Upper Potato River Falls and the Lower Potato River Falls.  Both are short trails, but involve a lot of steps.

Upper Potato River Falls




Lower Potato River Falls


The Lower Potato River Falls is definitely the more spectacular of the two waterfalls.



I hope you enjoyed my fall leaf peeping journey.  I'll be back next week with another adventure.

Have A Great Day!  Amy

Linking Up with these Fabulous Blogs HERE!

 

40 comments:

  1. Hi Amy! Interesting blog. Obviously the cover picture is wonderful. I live in the Twin cities, Minnesota. Any suggestions for the place I should drive this weekend for getting good views. Thank you!

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    1. Thank you. I think most of the color is still up north so I would do the North Shore drive. I did a series of travel posts about it last year, but it was late summer when we were up there so my photos don't have fall color. Here's an article about Fall Color Drives and the first one is about the North Shore https://www.exploreminnesota.com/list/rainbow-routes-10-fall-color-drives-minnesota. Tettegouche State Park is on the way and they have some beautiful hiking trails, our favorite was "Shovel Point".

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    2. Also, I completely forgot. Frontenac State Park has breath-taking fall views. I was there during fall and you can check out that post here :https://www.amyscreativepursuits.com/2022/01/hiking-frontenac-state-park.html. . And Great River Bluff State Park has great views that don't require much of a hike to get to all the viewpoints. Check out this post: https://www.amyscreativepursuits.com/2023/01/great-river-bluff-state-park.html These parks are listed as #9 on the link I sent you above and are called "Mississippi River Valley"
      These are farther south, so you might not want to go on this trip this weekend, but save it for later in the month.

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    3. Thanks a lot Amy! I will plan a trip to these state parks on the coming weekend.

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  2. ...you have a gorgeous "playground" to enjoy, it's similar to our Adirondacks. Thanks for taking me along for the tour.

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    1. That's a good word for it. We do have so much beauty and things to do in our own backyard.

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  3. Wow these falls and parks are stunning! I like walking on paved or boarded trails too. Makes it so much easier! You guys were good finding those hidden falls. It looked like such a fun getaway. The colors were gorgeous. It's so nice to have those lovely overlooks. The fajitas looked amazing too!

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    1. Yes, they are. It was kinda fun looking for the waterfalls, like going on a treasure hike!

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  4. What beautiful hikes! I love both waterfalls and all the beautiful foliage so this sounds like a perfect getaway to me.

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  5. Wow, absolutely gorgeous! I love all the waterfalls (and the bridges)!

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  6. You got some amazing pictures and lots of wonderful colors up there already! So beautiful!

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    1. Around my house, there still isn't much color. We had to drive almost four hours north to see this color.

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  7. Wow, such beautiful color. We really don't get that year. So very nice.

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    1. Well, California has so many wonderful landscapes and parks that we don't get here, plus your weather is beautiful year round. But yes, we get beautiful changes of seasons in Wisconsin.

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  8. Oh, my goodness!! What an abundance of waterfalls!! I visited my sister in Tennessee last week and we hiked to one beautiful fall, and I was in pig heaven. Can't imagine having all of these waterfalls to hike to. Love the colors of the leaves, especially the peachiness in the maple leaves. And the dark, straight tree trunks in contrast to the bright yellow leaves. I would have to have a picture on every bridge, too. Just beautiful. Thank you for sharing your adventure with us.

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    1. Oh we love Tennessee and have been there several times. It's getting a bit crowded there for our taste though. Everyone seems to be moving to Tennessee, Florida, or Texas...hmm, all Republican states. Interesting. :)

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  9. What a gorgeous trip!! And that house above the falls.. how awesome would it be to live there!

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    1. It was a wonderful weekend getaway, and yes, I'd love to have that house!

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  10. Wow! The views are gorgeous! I just made my family come look at how amazing your views are because our leaves are just changing and we have so many dead ash trees that tend to ruin the view.

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    1. Thank you, oh, I'm sorry about the dead ash trees.

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  11. Such beautiful parks with so many wonderful waterfalls. Autumn looks lovely in Wisconsin. Your dinner looked fabulous too-- I love anything with shrimp!

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    1. Yes, we do fall well here! I love shrimp too. I never understand people who don't like shrimp. How can you not? :)

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  12. I love all these photos--the waterfalls and the changing leaves are just so beautiful. Visiting from Senior Salon Pit Stop.

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    1. Thank you for sharing this post at the Will Blog for Comments #9 linkup! I hope to see you there again next week. :)

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  13. Enjoyed seeing your pics! The changing of the leaves are pretty, waterfalls too. The food looked good, sounds like the shrimp fajitas meal I always order at our local Mexican restaurant and get this, its name is Los Tarascos! Thanks so much for linking up at the #UnlimitedLinkParty 132. Pinned.

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    1. I'm glad you enjoyed them. How funny, that the two restaurants have the same name! We love the fajitas meals. They are so good and healthy, and you get so much bang for your buck.

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  14. It is just so beautiful seeing the leaves change into red, orange and yellow. Fall is my favorite season. I enjoyed your post. Thank you for sharing at Crazy Little Love link party #7.

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  15. Amy, your photos are stunning! What a beautiful trip. The leaves are just starting to change here in Western Pennsylvania. My favorite thing is taking drives to see the changing of the season.
    Thank you bunches for sharing this with Sweet Tea & Friends this month dear friend.
    Ps: I made my new website Grace Filled Moments and retired my other one a few months ago and I'm so happy you found me again.

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  16. Hi Amy, What a gorgeous photo essay of fall color in iron county. Since we have very little change of color here in southern Arizona, even early changes look amazing to me. Love pictures of the waterfalls, hiking trail, bridges, and you and your hubby. What a fun post! Saw it at SSPS #281. Nancy Andres @ Colors 4 Health

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    1. Thanks Nancy! I love Arizona and I think you have color year round with all the different colors in your landscapes.

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  17. Congratulations, your post will be featured on Monday at SSPS #282. See you again on Monday.

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  18. Amy, CONGRATS! Your post is FEATURED at the #UnlimitedLinkParty 133!

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