October 9, 2025, 1:12 p.m. — Correction: the tour start time has been corrected from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m.
On Saturday, Oct. 11, graduate students and their families will be given the opportunity to ride the Mount Ripley chairlift as maples blaze red and birches glow yellow across the Keweenaw. “It’s a fun event to enjoy,” said Victoria Santillan, the Graduate Student Government’s (GSG) Social Chair. “It also shows how beautiful our peninsula is… it’s very magical.”
GSG’s annual Fall Colors Tour is open to graduate students, their families, and friends. The trip begins Saturday, Oct. 11 at 9 a.m, at the MUB. Transportation included, “We are providing three buses right now,” said Santillan. “There are limited spots—we are going to close at around 200.” However, those who miss the cutoff may still follow along by car.
The first stop is Mount Ripley, where a chairlift ride to the top offers a panoramic view of Houghton and the Portage Canal. After about an hour, the group will head north to Eagle River for a look at a scenic dam. There will be a group picnic at Great Sand Bay, where participants are encouraged to pack their own food.
In the afternoon, the group will drive up Brockway Mountain for one of the Keweenaw’s most famous overlooks, then finish at Lac La Belle before returning to Houghton around 4 p.m. “Every year we have a different route,” said Sindhura Repaka, GSG’s Public Relations Chair, “There are some classic spots like Brockway, but some will be different.”
The fall color season in the Keweenaw is short—peaking within a couple of weeks as reds, yellows, and greens collide. For graduate students far from home, the tour is a chance to experience the region in its prime. To sign up for the tour, Huskies can visit gsg.mtu.edu/social and scan the Q.R. code for the color tour listed under 2024-2025 Session Social Events.
