5 Best Drives To Show Off Wisconsin's Range Of Fall Foliage Like No Other, According To Wisconsin Residents

Wisconsin has plenty to offer at any point of the year, but the state particularly stands out in autumn. In addition to the essential fall activities like apple picking, haunted houses, and Oktoberfest, the Wisconsin forests come alive when the leaves change color. While you could rent a cute cabin in the middle of the forest, or go on a hike to immerse yourself in these colors, there is a better way to take in as much of the scenery and enjoy the most variety of colors possible. By taking a scenic drive, you can eat up miles of road, looking at thousands of trees and shades of reds, oranges, and yellows along the way. There's something magical about driving through the falling leaves with your favorite music and a friend or furry companion in the car.

If you want to make sure that the leaves are changing before you head out, take a moment to look at Travel Wisconsin. This website is one of the best fall foliage finder resources out there, and it tells you how much the colors have changed so far and whether regions of the state are at their peak yet or not. The website also provides photos and videos of those regions so that you have an idea about what kind of scenery you'll see while on your adventure. We looked at Travel Wisconsin and scoured the internet for the opinions of Wisconsin residents to give you a variety of great autumn roads to travel to see the best of Wisconsin when the leaves begin to turn.

The original purpose of Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive was to offer visitors the best views in the region within just a day or two of driving. Because it was made to be easily accessible, there are several entrances you can take, and maps of the route and directions are available at almost every entrance into the Kettle Moraine State Forest. The turns to get onto the scenic drive are also marked clearly with green signs, making it easy to find your way. 

The entire trip is 115 miles long, with Whitewater Lake on one end and Elkhart Lake on the other, but you can drive as much or as little of the route as you want. This is one of those drives that can be undertaken at any point of the year, but it's especially beautiful in the fall when the leaves are changing. If you just want a long drive to see the trees, one day is more than enough to see everything. However, if you're looking to stop along the way and check out some of the local offerings, plan for at least days instead.

In addition to a scenic drive, along the way, you'll find places to stop and explore along Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive. Alongside the road, you'll see stops to bike, hike, swim, fish, camp, and even have a nice picnic. Make sure to stop by the Old World Wisconsin interactive historical center if you have kids and consider stopping to hike the Ice Age Scenic Trail that meanders along the drive. Reddit users on the r/Milwaukee subreddit highly recommend visiting Holy Hill, a hilltop Roman Catholic church about a mile off the scenic drive.

There are a few routes to take around Geneva Lake. However, Snake Road is one of the most recommended, offering plenty of scenic views. It's one of the 120 designated Rustic Roads in the state, number 29. In Wisconsin, Rustic Roads have several criteria: They must have impressive natural sceneries, not be part of a majorly traveled route, not be subject to major renovations, and measure at least 2 miles long.

Snake Road stretches 2.7 miles, branching off of Wisconsin Highway 50, angling towards Lake Geneva for a little bit, and then connecting back to the main road. Though it's a short drive, it's definitely worthwhile for the views alone. It's a great detour in a longer road trip, or a way to begin or end your adventure.

Nearby Lake Geneva is the perfect place to relax and watch the leaves change color. Fall activities in the area include scenic boat tours, hot air balloons, zip lines, unique stores, and a 21-mile shore path. The surrounding communities also offer activities like pumpkin patches, corn mazes, apple picking, fall festivals, and wine tasting.

The Door County Coastal Byway is a scenic destination as of 2021, but it has been a beautiful and popular fall location for many years before that. The road starts just north of Sturgeon Bay and goes into a 66-mile loop around the area before ending back up in the Bay, at times joining Highways 42 and 57. Along the way, the road will take you through small towns like Northport and Gills Rock. You'll also skirt around the Niagara Escarpment, Lake Michigan, and Green Bay. The trip will take you through state and county parks as well as natural areas — parts of the road are even built in a winding fashion to force drivers to slow down and admire the scenery.

To make the most of your road trip, you can check out the lighthouses, museums, farms, and even shipwrecks along the way. The Door County Coastal Byway is truly the perfect route in fall when all of the attractions are surrounded by a sea of autumn colors and cool weather. Nearby wineries will give you the perfect opportunity to sit back and enjoy a glass (or two) of your favorite drink while soaking in a beautiful fall day. If you tackle the road in the summer, make sure you take the Washington Island Ferry Line — Washington Island's beaches offer the clearest water in America, and it's located just off the coastal byway.

Door County is an underrated vacation spot, a picturesque and relatively undiscovered location in Wisconsin. Door County is full of small, quaint towns that make for terrific pitstops along the coastal byway, especially in autumn. Stop at Fish Creek for some custard and window-shopping, or visit Sister Bay to get some of Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant & Butik's unmissable pancakes.

Looking for a road trip that lets you get high above the trees? The Hilltop Color Tour takes you from Wausau to Ogema and then to Neillsville, and while the drive alone is incredibly beautiful, it's the stops along the way that make this road trip worth it. Near the beginning of the road, close to Wausau, is Rib Mountain State Park. It has an observation tower that allows for a stunning bird's-eye view of the fall foliage from 60 feet in the air. While it's one of the more memorable places in the park, it's not the only one, as there are over 13 miles of hiking trails to explore. Before you start your drive, you can also check out Lake Wausau along the Wisconsin River to get the perfect fall view.

Later along the Hilltop Color Tour, hikers can visit Timm's Hill near Ogema. It sits 1,951 feet above sea level — the highest point in the state — and has another observation tower at the top. Next to Neillsville, at the end of your trip, there's also the Highground Veteran Memorial Park. Not only is it a place to remember those who fought for the country, but the 155 acres of grass and hillsides make for a great place to enjoy fall weather and have a picnic lunch.

Located in the southwestern part of Wisconsin, the Great River Road is a beautiful scenic bypass perfect for seeing the fall leaves. Also known as Highway 35, it encompasses 250 miles of forests, towns, and villages. The oranges, reds, and yellows of autumn will surround you for almost the entirety of the drive. If you want to see the forests on foot, you can stop along your way and follow any number of hiking trails at places like Perrot State Park or Grandad Bluff Park.

Great River Road runs alongside the Mississippi River, following the winding water along apple orchards, ferries, state parks, historical sites, and plenty of birdwatching opportunities. And if you make it to the edge of Wisconsin and don't feel ready to quit yet, just keep driving. Though this state's portion of the Great River Road is only 250 miles, Great River Road actually unofficially starts far north in Canada. The American portion of the route begins near picturesque Bemidji along the Mississippi and passes through 10 states and hundreds of charming little towns as it winds down the middle of America and terminates at Venice, Louisiana, where the river meets the ocean. The Wisconsin portion of the road covers many gorgeous fall views, but dedicated road-trippers follow that road through all 10 states.

What better way to discover the best drives to see the fall leaves in Wisconsin than to find out the favorite roads of the people in the area? That's why this list was made based on the firsthand reports of those who live in Wisconsin, who spend their fall seasons exploring the different paths across this scenic state. We consulted Wisconsin travel websites as well as social media sites like Reddit to home in on the best drives in the state. Though everyone has a personal favorite, the five roads we chose were recommended the most often, and with the most passion, which is why they all deserve to be on this list.