Brockway Mountain Drive
Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan · 1,335 ft
Typical peak
Sep 23 – Oct 1
low confidence in typical timing.
Best light
Works at both ends of the day
Nine miles of ridge road running 700 feet above Lake Superior, with pullouts facing open water one direction and a bowl of maple forest and inland lakes the other. The summit lot gives you both compositions without moving the car.
Seasonal model estimate. Timing remains uncertain; check recent reports before traveling. Source: seasonal timing model. Calculated .
Crowds
moderate
Often busier by mid-morning; consider arriving at first light.
Getting there
Drive Brockway Mountain Drive between M-26 west of Copper Harbor and Eagle Harbor; the summit parking area sits at the high point roughly halfway along.
What turns here
- sugar maple
- paper birch
- quaking aspen
- mountain ash
Color progression
Typical peak Sep 27Typical color progression for Brockway Mountain Drive. No change from Aug 20 to Sep 6. First color from Sep 6 to Sep 15. Approaching peak from Sep 15 to Sep 23. Peak from Sep 23 to Oct 1. Past peak from Oct 1 to Oct 11. Bare from Oct 11 to Oct 25.
Leaves are typically down on Nov 1, 2026. Color starts around Sep 6.
This season so far
First frost
None yet
No night at or below 32°F since Aug 1.
Last 14 days
54°F / 45°F
Average daily high and low.
Modeled weather for these coordinates from the Open-Meteo historical archive, Aug 1 – Oct 31; not a station record. Reported peak is the median date of approved peak-color reports.
Plan the light
Brockway Mountain Drive on September 27, 2026, the center of its typical peak window.
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 7:14 AM |
| Sunrise Rises E · 91° | 7:45 AM |
| Morning golden hour ends 41 min of low, warm light | 8:25 AM |
| Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light | 1:42 PM |
| Evening golden hour starts 41 min before sunset | 6:59 PM |
| Sunset Sets W · 268° | 7:40 PM |
| Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 8:10 PM |
Times in America/Detroit · day length 11h 55m · computed from NOAA solar equations.
Local terrain can hide the sun; allow extra time to reach your viewpoint.
Which way to point the camera
Sun rises E, sets W.
Aim within 45° of the sun for translucent leaves. Turn your back to it for flat, accurate color.
Shooting conditions
Glassy water, wind blur, and what the cloud will do to your light.
Recent reports
What people actually saw here. Been recently? Add yours.
Nearby locations
Within 100 miles in a straight line; road distances can be longer.