Michigan's Upper Peninsula vies again for USA Today's #1 Best Destination for Fall Foliage

    IRON MOUNTAIN, MI, August 19, 2024 /24-7PressRelease/ -- USA Today announced its 20 nominees for the 2024 10Best Destinations for Fall Foliage. Once again, Michigan's Upper Peninsula is vying for the top spot in the annual Readers' Choice contest, a ranking it has claimed multiple times in the past six years. It is competing with nominees from across the country.

"It's thrilling that the USA Today editors and a panel of travel experts have again chosen the U.P. to be among the best in the nation for fall color," said Tom Nemacheck, executive director of the Upper Peninsula Travel and Recreation Association. "Our forests put on a spectacular show from September through mid-October every year."

The nomination recognizes the fall beauty of the U.P.'s wilderness landscape. Of this region's 16,538 square miles, 85 percent are forests. Much of this forestland is hardwood trees that turn to brilliant hues of scarlet, amber, orange, green and brown as soon as the night temperatures become crisp and cool. This scenery arches overhead on picturesque roads, along trails and on mountaintops. Visitors can also find the U.P.'s fall color along 1,700 miles of Great Lakes shoreline, reflecting in 4,300 inland lakes and 12,000 miles of rivers and streams and surrounding more than 200 waterfalls.

"We want this nomination to help us reclaim our number one spot, so everyone knows where to go for the best leaf-peeping not just in the Midwest but in the entire country," said Nemacheck.

USA Today readers will determine the top 10 fall foliage destinations by voting for their favorite from the 20 nominees posted online. Voting begins Aug. 12 at noon EDT and ends Sept. 9 at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Readers can vote daily for their favorite nominated destination until the poll closes. The ranking of the top 10 winners will be announced on Sept. 18 at noon EDT.

Nemacheck encourages everyone who knows the premier beauty of the Upper Peninsula's fall foliage to begin voting every day on the U.P. Travel voting page, www.uptravel.com/blog/post/vote-best-fall-foliage.

To find the best routes this fall, the U.P. offers visitors 10 ideas for fall color tours, regional fall color reports and places to stay at www.uptravel.com/plan-your-trip/the-up/fall/. Besides the foliage, the clear nights in October are peak times to catch the brilliant swirling colors of the Northern Lights along Lake Superior. For more information about fall events and attractions, visit UPTravel.com.

About Michigan's Upper Peninsula

Few places in the U.S. rival the thrilling wilderness adventures, natural serenity, centuries-old history and four-season beauty of Michigan's Upper Peninsula (U.P.). The U.P. offers an array of outdoor recreational opportunities, from hiking and fishing in the summer to snowmobiling and skiing in the winter, attracting adventure enthusiasts year-round. The region's rich history, particularly in the mining and maritime industries, provides a deep, immersive travel experience that enhances Michigan's tourism portfolio.

# # #