Easy one-hour color tours are nearby | Environment

West Michigan is exploding with fall colors and you don’t have to go far from Forest Hills to enjoy nature’s color show.

Start your fall color tour at the Fredrick Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids Township.  The gardens give us a unique combination of colorful leaves mixed with many beautiful chrysanthemums.

When you leave Meijer Gardens turn right onto East Beltline to Grand River Drive NE and turn right and follow it to Ada.  You’ll find the trees are bursting with color along the river.  Make a quick stop at the Ada Covered Bridge before getting onto Thornapple River Drive for the beautiful drive to downtown Cascade.

If you want to bring some of the fall color to your home, turn left on Cascade Road and follow it out to Lowell Township, where you’ll find folks selling pumpkins, squash and corn stocks at roadside stands and farms.

Finally, take Alden Nash Ave SE into Lowell.  From downtown Lowell, you have two options:  take N. Hudson Street SE to Flat River Drive SE to visit the Fallasburg Covered Bridge or take a left on Highway 21 and head back to Ada. 

Enjoy the fall colors.

For maps of great West Michigan fall tours you can visit the West Michigan Tourism Association Autumn Color tour.