Area trees popped with color last week, proudly showing off deep red, glowing orange, and bright yellow leaves against the blue sky. Several readers sent us their photos, including the one here of Upper Lake in Solon Township from Cherri Rose. While the color show is winding down, there are still some trees that haven’t yet lost their leaves. Get out there and see them while there is still time!

Aren’t these colors dazzling? Mary Lou Fuller, of Solon Township, sent us this photo of the beautiful trees in her yard. If only they could hold on a little longer!

Thanks so much, Mary Lou!

If you have photos of the fall colors, please email them to news@cedarspringspost.com.

Brilliant hues of red, orange and yellow leaves greet us all around the area, and some leaves have already fallen. Last week we asked for your photos, and Ryan Maloney sent us some beautiful photos (like the one above) that were taken at a private lake in Sand Lake. He said they were taken while his father, uncle and brothers were out hunting waterfowl just after dawn.

Thanks, Ryan, for sending us your photos!

We would love to see your recent photos of the beautiful fall colors. Please email them to news@cedarspringspost.com, and tell us the general area of where they were taken.

We asked for your beautiful fall photos, and many of you took the time to post them on our Facebook page. The photos on this page show the splendor of the fall colors in the West Michigan area.

Now is the time to take a drive and take in all the beautiful fall colors Michigan has to offer. Get out and see them before they are gone. You are sure to be delighted with the colors in this fall’s fashion show!

By Judy Reed

Now is the time to take a drive and take in all the beautiful fall colors Michigan has to offer in our area.

Color is filling in fast in our area, and some leaves have already dropped. Trees are expected to peak in the next couple of weeks.

Most of the Upper Peninsula is nearing peak. According to Pure Michigan’s fall color update, this week, traveling I-75 north of St. Ignace, you’ll find brilliant reds, greens and yellows covering a variety of trees. In the northern lower peninsula, The Grand Traverse Bay region is showing brilliant crimson color, especially at the edge of the forests, while sugar maples are starting to glow with reds, oranges and gold. There’s dusky purple in the ash trees and warm gold in the walnuts, while the cottonwood trees near the Sleeping Bear Dunes on the Leelanau Peninsula are turning a bright buttery yellow now, and the honey locusts are a warm gold. Full peak color is still at least a week away in most parts of the Grand Traverse Bay region.

A drive around our community shows an array of bright, beautiful leaves, as shown in the photos on this page. These photos were taken in areas just in townships surrounding Cedar Springs. Take a walk along the White Pine Trail, or a drive through our surrounding townships—Solon, Nelson, Courtland, Oakfield, Spencer, and Algoma—and you are sure to be delighted with the colors in this fall’s fashion show!

Now is the time to take a drive and take in all the beautiful fall colors Michigan has to offer in our area.
Color is filling in fast in our area, and some leaves have already dropped.
Most of the Upper Peninsula is now past peak, and red, yellow, and orange hues are at peak in the northern lower peninsula, and in the southwest, peak color is this week and next.
A drive around our community shows an array of bright, beautiful leaves, as shown in the photos on this page. These photos were taken in areas just in townships surrounding Cedar Springs. Take a walk along the White Pine Trail, or a drive through our surrounding townships—Solon, Nelson, Courtland, Oakfield, Spencer, and Algoma—and you are sure to be delighted with the colors in this fall’s fashion show!

By Judy Reed

Cost for traveling Michigan’s back roads? $20 in gas. Seeing nineteen million acres of woods across Michigan awash in color? Priceless.

According to the West Michigan Tourist Association, Kent County is near or at peak, with about 75 percent of the trees showing color. The dominant colors in this area are pale yellows and light greens, with a few smatterings of oranges and reds. There is no better time to see the color. (All photos were taken in Algoma, Nelson, and Sparta Townships.)

You may notice some of the colors this year are not as vibrant as usual. According to WOOD-TV 8’s Chief Meteorologist Bill Steffen, the cool weather has been a factor in how the leaves look. “Good color comes from sunny, mild days and cool nights with average rainfall,” Steffen explained. He said that from September 28 through October 18, every single day was cooler than average (21 days in a row). The first 18 days averaged 6.7 degrees cooler than average. We had measurable rain on 8 of the first 9 days of October, and only 29 percent of possible sunshine for the first 18 days.

“The prime color change early this fall has been to a slightly more muted than average yellow,” noted Steffen. “However, there are certainly some outstanding individual trees and pockets of good color. Remember, Michigan has more different kinds of trees than any other state, so even if the colors are slightly less than spectacular, it’s still a natural show worth enjoying.”

And he’s right. There’s no better way to experience nature’s autumn display than autumn color tours, whether it be driving on a picturesque backroad, walking through a pristine garden or paddling down scenic river. Visit www.wmta.org to find some great scenic tours.