NewayGo County welcomes you to experience fall color from the roads, trails, and waterways that wind through our county. Marvel at the vibrant colors, taste seasonal flavors, and create adventures that suit your pace and style. Explore the best the fall season of NewayGo County.
Not sure where to begin your color tour? We’ve got you covered! Our Fall Color Tour Map will lead the way for a one-day driving route winding through the roads of our region flanked experiencing the colors of fall. Find your way to local shops and restaurants of our small towns, and markets offering the best of the fall harvest. Make it an overnight stay and experience the delightful amenities at the popular Harrington Inn, featuring a brand new Eleven Seventeen Lounge, or enjoy one of our other area lodging locations.
Whether you are looking for campsites with full hook-up options or rustic sites to pop a tent nestled in the heart of the Manistee/Huron National Forest, NewayGo County has just the spot for your relaxing fall camping retreat. Camping is the perfect way to end a day on the water and Diamond Lake County Park, White Cloud County Park, or River Rock Campground provide close-by locations for pitching your tent or parking your camper and relaxing around the campfire to share tales from your travels.
Fall in Michigan is never complete without a visit to a farm market. In NewayGo County you will find two treasured fall destinations: Heritage Farms Market and Nelson’s Farm Market. Our markets are the perfect destination for fall family fun. Sip a cider slushie at Heritage Farms and indulge in Nelson’s famous donuts or caramel apples. Choose one or visit both while exploring the fall colors of the countryside.
NewayGo County is your destination for 2 or 4-wheeling fall trail fun. The Michigan Cross Country Cycle Trail in White Cloud offers over 16 miles of motorized trails and connects to regional trail systems. The roads of NewayGo County are also Off-Road Vehicle (ORV) friendly welcoming you to explore any of the county’s well-maintained roads, White Cloud County Park, and Diamond Lake County Park.
Fall is the peak season for steelhead fishing when you’ll find the anglers flocking to the areas below to Croton Dam on the Muskegon River and below the Hesperia Dam on the White River for world-class fishing. Learn all about fishing the rivers of NewayGo County on the Riflers and Reelers page of our website.
The Exploring Challenge provides a unique way to discover all of the great spots for fall experiences in Newaygo County. The NewayGo County Tourism Council has assembled over 130 activities such as playing disc golf at Muskegon River Bluffs in NewayGo, biking the Town & Country Path in Fremont, or exploring the Richmond Woods Nature Preserve in White Cloud to give you a flavor of the region and all we have to explore.
Visit the Challenge page: https://newaygocountyexploring.com/challenge/
Diverse public art dots the countryside along the NewayGo County’s Art Trail. This self-guided tour is a great fall color route that leads you to 25+ public art installations along a simple to navigate tour of the county. Start your tour by exploring 11 public art displays throughout the charming town of Fremont, and then take a ride to enjoy even more historic and creative works of art throughout the county.
Get ready for a fall adventure on 45 miles of hiking & biking trails outlining the Hardy Pond. Wooded trails invite you to explore color from a new perspective with amazing views of the natural beauty of our area. The Dragon features: bridges, scenic overlooks, rock armoring, and expanses of wooden boardwalk, creating a trail that is both challenging and fun.
NewayGo County is home to almost 70 miles of the North Country Trail, linking scenic, natural, historic, and cultural areas across America’s northern heartlands. Plan a backpacking trip or experience a section of this nationally renowned trail beginning at the Newaygo County Welcome Center. The Center features a 2-mile looped trail that is the perfect fall color destination for hikers of all experience levels.
Fall brings the beginning white tail deer, small game, and waterfowl hunting seasons. NewayGo County offers access to public land throughout the fall season and into winter. The MI-Hunt map will help you find just the right spot for your hunt. The Michigan deer hunting calendar begins with the Liberty Hunt in mid-September for youth hunters and hunters with disabilities. Learn all about hunting our area on our Riflers and Reelers page.
In Newaygo County we’re lucky to have a plethora of birds to see and hear while exploring the trails and natural outdoor spaces throughout the region. It is true that many birds don’t stay in Michigan during the winter-yet even then we have many bird species. One...
by Carmen Faulkner At sunrise, the serious contenders went out. They walked or snowshoed or rode snowmobiles. Some carried ice shanties, others stuck true to what I would consider to be the ‘old school, torturous’ tradition of sitting on buckets in the wind and cold....
by Carmen Faulkner All right everyone, the winter thaw is over! The few days of warm weather and the reminders from green grass poking up from under the usual January snow was wonderful, but wintery conditions have made their way back into the forecast for the...
By Samantha Breza Want to do something new this winter? Try snowshoeing! Snowshoeing is an easy sport to get into. The equipment is relatively cheap, snowshoers don’t have to register the equipment, or pay annual fees for it. Snowshoers don’t need to take classes or...
By: Nick Smith As a new Newaygo County Resident, I was very excited to find a place to hunt this deer season. Over the past year, I have heard many successful hunting stories from people I have met, and seen some nice size deer while traveling from place to place. ...
Are you Two Dam Tuff? It's a question that gets asked the first Saturday in October each and every year in Newaygo County. For those "in the know", The Croton and Hardy Dams are separated by about 6 miles as the crow flies, and are spectacular tourist draws in...