The Tahquamenon Upper Falls has a drop of nearly 50 feet and is more than 200 feet across.
Photo courtesy of Dave Reed

Unrivaled natural beauty

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is a spectacular blend of natural beauty—waterfalls, geological formations, wilderness, and scenic views at every turn. Abundant recreational opportunities, a rich history, and friendly people make this region worth the drive.

Family adventures

Explore a real copper mine with the Adventure Mining Company historic tours in Greenland, in the Keweenaw Peninsula. Both surface and underground tours are great for families. Kids will learn about copper mining while traversing the rocks, looking for bats, using flashlights and wearing special hard hats. Visit www.adventuremine.com.

Solve mysteries and explain illusions at the Mystery Spot in St. Ignace, voted Michigan’s #1 unusual attraction by readers of Michigan Living magazine. Experience optical contradictions and physical sensations that are hard to believe. Fun for the entire family—be sure to bring your camera! For more details, visit www.mysteryspotstignace.com.

Experience the history, legends and beauty of Mackinac Island with a narrated tour on horse-drawn carriage. Starting downtown, you’ll see the famous Grand Hotel, tour the magical new Wings of Mackinac Butterfly Conservatory (with over 500 free-flying butterflies from around the world), and pass by the Arch Rock, Island Cemeteries and Fort Mackinac. Purchase tickets for island attractions at www.mackinacislandpackage.com.

Sault Ste. Marie is home to the “Soo Locks,” a system of locks that ease ships between the elevation difference of Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes. Watch freighters “lock through” from one of two viewing platforms and learn about the 1855 construction of this engineering marvel in the Soo Locks visitor center. Visit www.saultstemarie.com.

Off the beaten path
The Keweenaw Water Trail is a designated route established for canoeing and kayaking. It ultimately allows for a 100+ mile trek around the “Copper Island.” National Geographic Adventure Magazine nicknamed the water trail, “A Superior Sports Port.” The route highlights rugged Lake Superior shoreline, unique geology and wilderness areas. Most sheltered bays offer public launch access. Learn more about the Keweenaw Peninsula at www.keweenaw.info.

Colorful and bold, the Pictured Rocks tower 50 to 200 feet directly from Lake Superior. Photo courtesy of Jerry Bielicki

Michigan is said to have nearly 200 named waterfalls, all but one of which are located in the Upper Peninsula. Tahquamenon Falls is the largest waterfall in the state, and is easily accessible within the Tahquamenon Falls State Park, about 20 miles east of Paradise. Some other notable falls include Miners Falls within the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Laughing Whitefish Falls near Munising, Bond Falls near Paulding, and the Gorge Falls and Potawatomi Falls on the Black River. Other, smaller falls are often discovered on hikes and trails, especially in the western areas of the region.

The Round Island Lighthouse was built in 1895 for the dangerous shoals around the channels between Mackinac Island and Round Island. Photo courtesy of Vito Palmisano

No trip to Mackinac Island is complete without visiting Mackinac Island State Park. Rent a bike and take a ride around the island. There are over 2,250 acres in the park, with over 70 miles of natural and paved trails for your walking, hiking and running pleasure. For a “guided” tour, go hiking or biking with Doc Crain, and learn about local legends and lore while visiting rock formations and traversing through the island’s forest trails. Learn more at www.mackinacisland.org.

The 60,000-acre Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park is located on the shores of Lake Superior in the western Upper Peninsula. The “Porkies” park has an extensive trail system for hiking as well as 23 miles of the North Country Trail. There are also more than 60 waterfalls within this park alone, many of them easily accessible.

Great history
Explore the haunting world of shipwrecks at the Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point in Sault Ste. Marie. Throughout the museum gallery, visitors see dramatic shipwreck legends come to life. Artifacts and exhibits tell stories of sailors and ships that braved the waters of Lake Superior. The waters that extend west from Whitefish Point along the 80-mile stretch of rugged shoreline have earned the ominous title, “Lake Superior’s Shipwreck Coast.” Visit www.shipwreckmuseum.com for more information.

Meet 1880s soldiers and Victorian ladies in Michigan’s only Revolutionary War-era fort, Fort Mackinac, on Mackinac Island. Explore 14 original buildings, see a cannon salute fired over the harbor, listen to a military music concert or attend a court-martial. A new exhibit in the post hospital traces the history of military medicine, while period settings illustrate the life of an 1880s soldier. Visit www.mackinacparks.com.

The Keweenaw Peninsula area is known as “The Copper Country,” with a colorful history in copper mining and the intrepid immigrants that settled here. Visit Hancock to see a historic mine shaft building and the Quincy Mine Hoist, the world’s largest steam-powered hoist. Hosts give guided tours and visitors can take an exciting cog rail tram ride into an actual mine shaft.

The “Mighty Mac” celebrated 50 years in 2007. The Mackinac Bridge, connecting the upper and lower peninsulas, is the longest suspension bridge in the western hemisphere. Photo courtesy of Brian Walters

Many visitors will arrive in the Upper Peninsula via Michigan’s much-loved “Mighty Mac” Mackinac Bridge, which celebrated 50 years of official service in 2007. This 5-mile suspension bridge boasts over 100 million crossings between the Upper and Lower Peninsulas. Its two towers loom 552 feet above the Straits of Mackinac and are adorned with 42,000 miles of wire wrapped cables weighing in at 12,000 tons.

A snow lover’s paradise
This region gets snow, snow and more snow each winter, making it a draw for thousands of “downstate” visitors who enjoy cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, tubing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling and hockey.

The snowmobile trails that wind through the Sault Ste. Marie area are some of the best anywhere. Maps enable riders to branch out for a full day or a multiple-day wintry escape, with a choice between 12 groomed trails that stretch for more than 1,600 miles. The Upper Peninsula’s expansive natural space has led it to be recognized as having some of the best and most scenic riding areas in the country.

Take the family tubing down the Doc Holle Silver Mountain Tubing Hills, located 2 miles west of St. Ignace or unpack the cross-country skis for a trek along the picturesque scenery at the San Dunes Cross Country Ski Trail in Brevort.