Canton residents looking for the best fall color close to home have a new trail-by-trail plan from the Canton Public Library.

The library published its "Fall on the Fly: Foliage Through Walks, Rides and Road Trips" guide on Tuesday, Sept. 1, mapping local parks, cycling paths and scenic drives timed to peak viewing. The guide puts Western Wayne County's peak color at mid- to late October.

Walking trails

The guide steers walkers toward Heritage Park, where paved paths wind past ponds lined with red maples and yellow birch; its flat, fully paved loop is wheelchair- and stroller-accessible. It also recommends the separate Lower Rouge Trail, where paths cut through oak and hickory forest and pedestrian footbridges cross the Lower River Rouge. Canton Township and Wayne County funded a replacement of the park's asphalt paths, completed in October 2024.

The Fellows Creek Wetland Nature Trail and the ITC Corridor Trail also appear in the guide as connected routes for leaf-peeping without a car. The library's timing advice: early October brings pale yellow and lime-green tones near creek beds like Fellows Creek, while sugar maples and oaks hit peak crimson and gold by mid-month.

Bike routes

For casual riders, the guide recommends the I-275 Metro Trail, a paved path running from Novi to New Boston. Riders should check conditions first. TrailLink reports a closure from south of Five Mile Road to Hines Drive through late fall 2026. The guide warns there is no dedicated parking lot along the trail and suggests using intersecting parks.

Hines Drive in Edward N. Hines Park, a Wayne County parkway stretching from Northville to Dearborn, is listed for its maple and oak canopy along the Middle Rouge River. The guide also recommends the Lower Rouge River Recreation Trail for beginners, citing its flat crushed-limestone surface and boardwalks through forest canopy.

Road trips

The shortest drive is Huron River Drive from Ann Arbor to Dexter, a 10-mile stretch the guide recommends for mid-October, with a stop at the Dexter Cider Mill. The M-22 route through Leelanau, Benzie and Manistee counties covers 116 miles about four hours north of Canton, with peak color expected Oct. 13 through Oct. 20. The guide's farthest pick is an Upper Peninsula tour from the Tahquamenon Scenic Byway to Copper Peak, five to seven hours from Canton, where colors start changing at the end of September.

The full guide is available at cantonpl.org.