It might be hard to keep your eyes on the road in Northport, Wisconsin – the fall colors are simply spectacular. You’ll want to drive carefully on this scenic highway, though, because this might be the curviest little stretch of road in Wisconsin. (It's also one of the best fall drives in Wisconsin.) It’s called Highway 42 and it has to be experienced to be believed. Fill up your tank and hang onto the wheel – here's what’s waiting down the road.
Highway 42 is one of the state’s great highways for scenic drives. It travels 138 miles from Sheboygan to Northport, never straying far from the shores of Lake Michigan and Green Bay. It’s been used by millions of tourists who are traveling through Door County or taking the Lake Michigan Circle Tour, a scenic driving route that rings the lake.
While Door County draws throngs of tourists, things get decidedly more tranquil as you drive north, past the villages of Ephraim, Sister Bay, Ellison Bay, and Gills Rock.
In Door County, you’ll make it to this road if you head to the passenger car ferry that takes visitors and locals to Washington Island. This last stretch of road is where the driving gets really interesting.
There are a few theories on why the road is so twisty. Some say the curves were built to accommodate utility poles along the highway. The story could be true, but why aren’t there more curvy roads like this? Utility poles are everywhere!
A more accepted story suggests aesthetic reasons – it might have been built to reflect the aesthetic vision of Jens Jensen, a prominent landscape architect.
Jensen designed parks and natural spaces that were built to follow the curves of nature, and he helped found The Clearing Folk School in nearby Ellison Bay. In any case, this drive is spectacular and worth seeking out for its beautiful curves.
If you have a zoom lens, you can get a really interesting photo down the highway. Or you can simply roll along and take in all of the spectacular fall colors – the best colors can be found from late September until early October.
What is your pick for the best fall drive in Wisconsin? The Badger State has tons of gorgeous spots for a fall drive. Here are some more scenic driving routes that are hard to beat.
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