Michigan has a lot of great fall drives. That’s particularly true on the Upper Peninsula. Among the best short fall drive? A road trip through a tunnel of trees near Houghton called the Covered Road.
You’ll be surrounded by color on fall road trip along the Covered Road.
While it’s a lovely drive at any time of year, the Covered Road is spectacularly colorful in autumn.
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What is the Covered Road?
The Covered Road is a short dirt road through a wooded area near Houghton, Michigan. It’s called the Covered Road because it runs through a dense woodland with trees that are so close to the road they create a canopy above it.
It’s like being in a cathedral of leaves!
The road itself is less than two miles long, although it does connect to other nice fall drives. But it’s a dead-end road and it isn’t on the way to anywhere. (Even most of the connecting roads don’t connect to anything else.) You don’t drive the Covered Road because you are trying to get to some place in particular. You drive it simply for the pleasure of doing so – although there are a couple of mostly abandoned “ghost” towns to check out if you want to add a little more adventure to your road trip.
Despite being unpaved, the Covered Road is generally well-maintained and open year-round. You don’t need a big car or SUV to drive it. However, even without snow along the edges, it’s only about 1½ cars wide. That means you need to take your time and watch for other drivers while ogling the fall foliage. And be sure to use the pullouts to let others by or stop for pictures. As tempting as it may be, don’t just stop in the middle of the road!
And keep in mind that property along the road is private, so stay right along the road.
When is the best time to visit?
The first two weeks of October usually bring the most colorful leaves to the Covered Road. (That’s when I visited.) However, any time between late September and mid-October should offer plenty of color.
I found plenty of fall color in October.
But color varies some each year: Cool early fall temperatures that dip below freezing tend to bring colors earlier, while a warm fall will delay them. In addition, rainfall also can impact how brilliant the colors are and how long the show lasts. And, of course, wind and rain after the leaves start to turn usually leads to a very short leaf season.
How do I get to the Covered Road?
This Covered Road (there are a few Covered Roads around the country) is located on the Keweenaw Peninsula, which is located on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The Keweenaw is a relatively remote area that juts north into Lake Superior. It’s a gorgeous area.
Houghton (population 8,000) is the nearest “big” town. It’s about halfway up the peninsula and right in the middle. (It’s at one end of Portage Lake, which is easy to spot on a map.)
To get to the Covered Road from downtown Houghton, drive or bike 8½ miles west via Houghton Canal Road and Coles Creek Road. It’s on Google maps and there are signs along the way, so it isn’t hard to find.
This is road trip country, but you can get here via the county airport in Houghton, which has regularly scheduled flights operated by United. Or you can fly into Marquette and drive a couple hours to Houghton. The Marquette Sawyer regional airport has a few more flight options via American and Delta.
What else is near the Covered Road?
This whole area is a good place to enjoy colorful autumn leaves – just drive any backroad in early October and you’re likely to find a lot of color. But do download your route or have a good paper map if you are trying to get anywhere in particular, as phone coverage is spotty.
One easy way to extend this short road trip is to turn west (left if you are driving toward the end of the Covered Road) and take Liminga Road/S-554 to Redridge Ghost Town.
Redridge dates back to 1905 when a small town grew up around a stamp mill used to crush copper-bearing rock. (This is copper country.) There’s not a lot left from those days. However, it has a few odd ruins and an interesting vibe. There’s also a trail that leads to the remains of a rare steel dam. While this is a popular hike, there are still people living here, and I suspect some of them are here because they want privacy. So, stick to the path.
Looking for even more leaves? Continue through Redridge on S- 554. Follow this through Beacon Hill to the end of the road in Freda. (This is another almost ghost town built around a stamp mill.) You’ll find a few homes and more ruins here, as well as a nice strip of beach.
Visit and stay in Houghton
I didn’t get to spend much time in Houghton, but it looks like a good place to hang out for a day or two. It has a nice historic downtown, with lots of places to walk or otherwise enjoy the outdoors. It’s also one of the departure points for visitors heading to Isle Royal National Park.
We stayed south of Houghton at a vintage lake cabin near Chassell. If you want a place of your own for a few days or a week, check Vrbo. (And you’ll get cash back if you are a Rakuten member.)
If you want to do some shopping other than in grocery stores, eat in restaurants, and enjoy life in a small college town, it’s easier to do that if you stay right in or very near Houghton. In that case, you’ll find a wide variety of choices at all prices AND get Rakuten cash back when booking through Expedia or Booking.com.
Looking for more fall color road trips? Check out my other fall color travel ideas!
Looking for a few more fall colors? Check fall road trip photos on CindyCarlsson.com.
