Forget Up North: Niles, MI Has Fall Colors Worth the Trip

Southwest Michigan's fall colors deserve the spotlight just as much as up north, and Niles is proving it with stunning aerial views.

Northern Michigan gets plenty of love for its stunning fall colors, but Southwest Michigan deserves a little time in the spotlight. When autumn puts on a show around here, you don’t need a road trip up north. Sometimes, you just need to look around.

With its rich history and scenic rivers, Niles makes a pretty spectacular backdrop. I wonder what these riverbanks looked like centuries ago. Unfortunately, my drone doesn’t have a time-travel setting, so we’ll have to settle for a bird’s-eye view of the City of Four Flags today.

A couple of years ago, I flew over the St. Joseph River at Riverfront Park, the Niles Dam, and the Dowagiac River at Losensky Park to capture autumn from above. The colorful canopy and winding waterways did not disappoint.

Take a look through the photo gallery below, then keep scrolling for the drone video. Southwest Michigan has a few fall bragging rights of its own.

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See More: Southwest Michigan's Hidden Gem Shows Off Brilliant Fall Foliage

Enjoy stunning views of Fall Colors at Losensky Park in Niles from the sky in the one-minute video below.

Below is a very short video of the fall colors surrounding the Dowagiac River.

The minute-long video below shows an incredible view of the Niles Dam from the sky.

If you have taken amazing photos of the fall colors in Southwest Michigan that you would like to share with us, we might publish them.  Share your photos with us in the comments on social media.

*Dana Marshall is an FAA-licensed drone pilot.