CADILLAC, MI – This Up North town has in-town and around-town fall color driving and hiking routes that showcase its downtown and the Manistee National Forest.
Peak colors are “just around the corner” in the Cadillac area, according to the Oct. 13 update from the Cadillac Area Visitors Bureau.
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The visitors’ bureau offers maps for its In-Town Cadillac and Around Cadillac driving routes. Find them here.
An aerial view of downtown Cadillac and Lake Cadillac in fall color. The Cadillac Area Visitors Bureau's in-town and around-town fall color routes begin in downtown Cadillac.Cadillac Area Visitors Bureau
Driving the in-town route takes visitors through the heart of downtown Cadillac and around both lakes Cadillac and Mitchell and into the Manistee National Forest in an 18-mile figure-eight. Some people choose to shorten the trip to a seven-mile loop around Lake Cadillac, which can be traversed on foot or bicycle using the Cadillac Foot and Bike Path.
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A map of Cadillac Area Visitors Bureau's In-Town Cadillac Fall Color Loops.Cadillac Area Visitors Bureau
The map lists eight points of interest, including the downtown social district, shops, restaurants, bicycle rentals, Mitchell State Park, disc golf, a sound garden and hiking trails.
With 200 miles and 26 points of interest, those exploring the Around Cadillac Routes could make it a weekend trip.
These routes lead to “numerous scenic fall overlooks, great hiking experiences, and plenty of farm markets and made-in-Michigan boutique finds,” according to the visitors’ bureau. “Along this route, you will cross both the Big Manistee and Pine River and experience stunning fall canopies on some of our best fall color roads.”
A map of Cadillac Area Visitors Bureau's Around-Town Cadillac Fall Color Loops.Cadillac Area Visitors Bureau
There are several options to make this trip your own, take the 120-mile east loop or add on the 80-mile west portion. There are also three optional detours that lead to more rural roads.
Points of interest include dairy farms, local bakeries and coffee shops, family-owned resorts, river access sites, hiking spots, and breweries and distilleries. The routes include scenic overlooks at Hodenpyl Dam, Little Mac footbridge, Cooley Bridge and more.
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Find fall color updates and downloadable maps of the routes here.
