UP of MI vacation ideas

[RoxMonster]

I think we've decided to do the UP for our trip this year. I'm looking at the week of Sept 10. We'd have 6 nights and that would include our driving days (about 8 hours each way). I'd like to visit the Porcupine Mnts, the Keweenaw Peninsula and Copper Harbor and Munising/Pictured Rocks. We love to hike, do scenic drives, and visit cute small towns.

I think I am mostly unsure how to do the Porkies/Keweenaw portion. I really would like to stay at least a couple nights in Copper Harbor because it seems to totally be our vibe of place. However, it's really too far to do the Porcupines as a day trip. So do we do 2 nights Porcupines, 2 nights Copper Harbor, and 2 nights Munising? I initially looked at Houghton as a place to stay 3 nights and visit both Porkies and Copper Harbor but it seems like a bit of a "bigger" city and not really the vibe we like for vacation. Are there any other smaller, quaint towns on the peninsula that are midway between the Porkies and Copper Harbor and we could base there and do day trips?

Is 2 nights near Pictured Rocks decent enough? We'd definitely want to do a boat tour to see the rock cliffs. Just mainly unsure how to divvy up our time. We've already done a trip to Mackinac Island before so are not adding that and not really adding anything on the eastern side of the UP due to time constraints.

I feel like there are folks here who have either lived/live in the UP or have traveled there so I'd love any input you have

[strawberry]

Calumet!! Definitely stay in Calumet while on the Keweenaw peninsula. The AmericInn there is the perfect location for this. And it’s walking distance to the Visitor Center for the National Park unit that is there and also downtown. It’s an adorable small historic town. Next door to the hotel is an IGA that has a little restaurant eating area upstairs. The IGA has great pasties that you can buy and eat up there. If you have anymore questions, let me know, I live about 3 hours away from there.

[strawberry]

Also, I think two nights at Pictured rocks is enough. You’ll have time for a boat tour and some hiking and that’s really all you need there. Munising is small and there’s not a whole lot to do there.

[RoxMonster]

Thanks! I will check into Calumet.

[sadie]

I posted about this area a while back. We ended up doing Munising and Door County in October. It was really lovely hiking, though the weather was a mix of snow/rain/cold. All of the waterfalls in Pictured Rocks are beautiful. I'd totally go again. We were there 2 nights, and that was enough time, but we could have stayed longer. I want to do Porcupine Mountains next.

[sadie]

r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/topic?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpandce%2Eproboards%2Ecom%2Fthread%2F633859%2F&share_tid=633859&share_fid=92206&share_type=t&link_source=app

Here's the link to my inquiry.

[RoxMonster]

Thanks! I’ll take a look at your thread. That photo is beautiful!

[nicolewi]

We have done separate trips to Copper Harbor (years ago) and the general UP trip. We LOVED our UP trip, but ours was a summer vacation with kids. I did find it weirdly difficult to plan...figuring out driving time, hotels, etc. I would try to stay at least 2 nights at each hotel and drive from there. Checking in and out is such a hassle and there aren't a ton of great places to stay. When we did our trip, everything was booked up way out and when I schedule our trip in May or June I go the last rooms at several places. Only parts of what we did will be relevant to you but I'm including it all anyway in case you changes plans or it helps someone else.

--I think 2 nights in Pictured Rocks area is enough, but you could easily do 3 if you wanted to explore more.
--We didn't really do the Porcupine Mountains

Copper Harbor (15 years ago in late August) was VERY VERY small. We stayed in a super retro motel near the water (the King Copper, if it's still there). We went to Isle Royale for a couple nights, but we also did some things in the Copper Harbor area...Fort Wilkins, Estivant Pines, scenic drives stopping at beaches, the jam place where the monks make jam, eating at Harbor Haus (highly recommend), and driving up to have lunch at Keewenau Mountain Lodge. We also did some super crazy weird UP mine tour where we were pretty much on our own, and they had a pet skunk, but I don't know the name of that place!!! It's a beautiful area for sure.

Our main UP trip was 3 summers ago and we had a blast. It was unusually hot and sunny, which pretty much worked out great for our trip. This is what WE did and we pretty much loved everything. We did a lot that was further south, but you may want to consider:
day 1 drive up from WI; do Kitchitikipi spring, stayed in St. Ignace.

day 2 Fort Michilimackinac (great), lunch Mackinac City, drove down into lower peninsula and spent time at Petoskey State Park swimming, looking for stones, etc; this was a lot to cram into one day and there was tons more we could have done in that area of the LP but didn't have time.

day 3 Ojibway Museum in St. Ignace, ferry to Mackinac

day 4 woke up in Mackinac; bike ride; turned in bikes and took ferry back. drove to Tahquamenon Falls and had a wonderful time climbing in the water and playing in the falls (not the huge main one, the area where you can explore the water). FYI there were VERY FEW places to eat in between the falls and Munising--got dinner at a roadside ice cream place and arrive late in Munising. Stayed at a new Comfort Suites on the water--would have preferred the big hotel with pool for kids but it was booked (Holiday Inn). The Comfort Suites worked out fantastic for us, but I would only stay on the water side. Room was basic but new and hotel was fine, but the location and balcony were really nice and made it very enjoyable for us.

day 5 had a super great day doing shipwreck boat tour (we chose this over regular Pictured Rocks tour b/c figured it was more interesting for kids). Mudoon's Pasties for lunch. Wonderful afternoon swimming at Sand Point Beach. Enjoyed our dinner at Taco Primo.

Day 6: Went to some of the falls in the area and Miner's Castle (SOOO pretty). Went to a beautiful beach--I think it was Miner's Point Beach??. We would love to go back and explore more in this area. There were tons of beaches and hikes we could have done but we were on our way back. Drove to Fayette State Park near Escanaba--kids loved the historic park. Spent last night at a cottage on the beach in Escanaba.

[wildrice]

keweenawlove might have some good tips!

[sparty04]

I don't have any great info as we are doing our first UP trip this summer, but I found this boat trip for Pictured Rocks that we plan to try riptideride.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw98ujBhCgARIsAD7QeAgQLL0t9XUEEeJvMfPK4euwkvpgOga3vSuZ3WG80Mt60yuR0FzCzecaAtFrEALw_wcB

We are camping at Tahquamenon Falls so we will explore that area and spend a day at Pictured Rocks. One of my friends did a really in depth UP vacation a few years ago and I believe they stayed in a few airbnbs because hotels are scarce.

[keweenawlove]

Thanks for the tag wildrice. I grew up in Calumet so I've been all around. It's funny to see Calumet mentioned as a tourist destination. They have built up the historic park a lot recently. Shutes is a cool old bar that used to be a speakeasy if you're into that kind of thing. Hungarian and Douglass Houghton falls are two cool hikes kind of close.

I think Copper Harbor might have more of the vibe you're going for and a day trip from Calumet to the Porkies would still be a haul. Depending on what you're looking for in the Porkies, you could also consider skipping since I think the topography is pretty similar to the Keweenaw.

For pretty drives, I like to take the "lake way" to Copper Harbor (along M26 through Eagle River) although check on that because part of the road is currently closed. My favorite stops are the Fitzgerald restaurant (reservation needed but you can get takeout or a drink for the deck), Great Sand Bay, and Esrey Park. The drive up to Brockway Mountain is really pretty too.

In Copper Harbor, the Hunter's point hike is a cool shorter one. I also love to park at the lighthouse overlook across the street from Ft Wilkens and walk around the bay there (either on the beach or trail). It's the best sunset spot. There's a ton of trails all over. My uncle owns and is the main chef at the Harbor House so I'm glad you liked it nicolewi!

Let me know if you have specific questions.

[RoxMonster]

Thanks so much keweenawlove for the great local info. I’m thinking now about staying our first night only closer to the Porkies. This would be the day we drive up (8 hour drive and we lose an hour due to time change). Then we could explore some of that region the next morning/afternoon and then drive to our next lodging on the peninsula for 3 nights. In terms of what we want to do in the Porkies, I had just heard it had beautiful hiking and a cool view at Lake of the Clouds I think it was. I honestly think a half day there would be good.

I will look at some lodging in either Copper or Eagle Harbor and think we will base out of there. Maybe on the drive from our first lodging to that area, we could stop and check out the national historical park in Calumet (I try to visit every NPS site I am near).

Thanks again! I may circle back to this as we get closer if I have more questions if that’s ok. One last question - I know it’s impossible to predict but is weather still usually amenable in mid Sept? I don’t mind cooler temps as I like it for hiking but hoping for no snow flurries or similar.

[keweenawlove]

RoxMonster, for sure keep asking as you get closer. Mid September is one of my favorite times up there. It *should* still be relatively warm. Snow in theory has happened but it would be pretty rare for that time of year.

Lake of the Clouds is for sure beautiful. I think you can drive to an overlook but I've only run up to see it on the escarpment trail so I think it can be as quick or as long a day as you want.

If you like more historic places, you might enjoy the Laurium Manor Inn in Calumet (either to tour or stay). Also, one of my family members run an Air BnB in a historic house in Eagle River
www.airbnb.com/rooms/5512716?check_in=2023-06-01&check_out=2023-06-06&guests=1&adults=1&s=67&unique_share_id=dd4d33f3-8596-436c-a65a-dbbd8fa9dddd

[jeaniebueller]

2 nights in pictures rocks us more than enough. What about doing a night in Marquette?

[penelope]

I was also born and raised in the Keweenaw (and still live here) and I second keweenawlove, thoughts. Calumet has some cool historic old places and good places to eat. By September the students will be back in Houghton, and while Tech isn't huge, when you add 7,000 additional people to a town that only has 7,000 residents to begin with it can feel a bit congested. If Copper Harbor is the vibe you are going for then staying north of Houghton-Hancock will be perfect for you.

The last few years September and October have been better than our summers, hopefully a beautiful fall trend holds for your trip! Bring lots of layers though, it will still be fall and the nights and mornings will crisp, regardless of how warm the days may be. Make adding and removing layers easy. It is typically cooler in the Harbor than downtown as well, it's just further north and it makes a difference. I live 10 miles north of Houghton and just that little bit pushes us about week behind with all things blooming, and a week or two ahead of things starting to turn color. So even though September isn't peak color month here you should still see some up there around that time.

I also agree with the possibility of skipping the Porcupine Mountains. The terrain is very similar to the Keweenaw and you will see almost the same type of view from the top of Brockway Mountain in Copper Harbor. There isn't much there other than the porkies and no real quaint little towns in between either. You would go through Twin Lakes, a very popular camping area, but there isn't really much to do there if you're not camping.

Taking the lake way to Copper Harbor is for sure the most scenic, Great Sand Bay is gorgeous, and agreed again, Fitzgerald's is worth the stop. If you do decide to spend more time in the Keweenaw you can get to Lac Le Belle and Bette Gris in about 20 minutes and it's beautiful there as well. There is also some great hiking on Bare Bluff, about 3 hours to do the whole thing.

Pictured Rocks are beautiful but I've never spent more than one day there. The actual boat tour is 2-3 hours, depending on which on you choose. I don't believe Marquette is the vibe you are looking for, it's a bit larger, busier, and NMU students will be back as well.

As your time gets near, please don't hesitate to reach out, I will gladly offer suggestions / answer questions!!

[keweenawlove]

One of the other more major hikes I thought of is Mt Baldy (Lookout Mountain) in Eagle Harbor.
www.upnorthtrails.org/trails/mount-baldy.html

[bex1973]

Grand Marais is one of my favorite UP spots, it's gorgeous. Although to be fair some of that might be nostalgia around the people I was with there but it really is pretty.

[waverly]

We did 2 nights in Picture Rocks, and it was fine. We could definitely have done more as we didn't see everything but it is still a good amount of time. It take a long time to drive around in the park, so factor in driving time, and we had issues with cell signals during a lot of the park. Something to keep in mind.

I did the boat ride as a kid, and it was beautiful. I did it as an adult, and the waters were too rough, and we ended up turning around. My friend said people were throwing up on her boat ride. This all suprised me because like I said it was fine when I went as a kid. But apparently, not always fine. So be aware that weather and Lake Superior conditions will affect the boat ride. We've never had issues on any other boat tours on the Great Lakes, but likely the other places we went were more protected/ harbor situations.

[RoxMonster]

Thanks everyone for all this info! It's been very helpful. I think I'm going to try getting lodging near/in either Copper Harbor or Eagle Harbor for that portion of our trip.

For Pictured Rocks, would Grand Marais be a better place to stay than Munising? Or are they both about the same, all things considered?

[Pom]

May 30, 2023 17:33:34 GMT -5 RoxMonster said:

Thanks everyone for all this info! It's been very helpful. I think I'm going to try getting lodging near/in either Copper Harbor or Eagle Harbor for that portion of our trip.

For Pictured Rocks, would Grand Marais be a better place to stay than Munising? Or are they both about the same, all things considered?

Grand Marais is much smaller but really beautiful. Munising has more lodging options and is where the boats go out. We did the Pictured Rocks tour and glass bottom boat tours. Highly recommend both. I would visit Grand Marais if you have time but probably stay in Munising.

[bex1973]

May 30, 2023 20:29:16 GMT -5 Pom said:

May 30, 2023 17:33:34 GMT -5 RoxMonster said:

Thanks everyone for all this info! It's been very helpful. I think I'm going to try getting lodging near/in either Copper Harbor or Eagle Harbor for that portion of our trip.

For Pictured Rocks, would Grand Marais be a better place to stay than Munising? Or are they both about the same, all things considered?

Grand Marais is much smaller but really beautiful. Munising has more lodging options and is where the boats go out. We did the Pictured Rocks tour and glass bottom boat tours. Highly recommend both. I would visit Grand Marais if you have time but probably stay in Munising.

Agreed, more lodging and food options in Munising.

Ahhhh, this is making me miss how gorgeous it is in Grand Marais. My friend's grandparents lived right on the water and one time we tent camped at the rustic campsites next to their house and we were on a bluff overlooking the water and it was amazing!  We would walk/run/stumble down the big log run there are walk back along the water and there was a small waterfall that you could play around in on the way and it was so great.  I need to make a trip north!!

[wildrice]

I went to college in the UP and lived in Marquette, and it's still one of my favorite places in the world. It is close enough to Munising that you could drive there to do the pictured rocks stuff, but unless a lot has changed (possible), Marquette is going to have a lot more restaurants, breweries, cute shops, etc. There are also many shorter hikes and such that are easily accessible. It's also just beautiful, like the whole UP. I think I'd personally stay there and use that as a base for things an hour-ish away (which is NOT western UP, that's a few hours), but I am definitely biased. I'm happy to give some recs if you plan to stay there, though it's been 17 years since I lived there (and about 8 since I've visited) so some things may have changed.

Unfortunately I feel like I missed out on a lot of UP exploring when I lived there - I mostly did stuff within an hour of Marquette due to practicalities of being a college kid - so I haven't even been to many of the other places mentioned in this thread, despite living there for 6 years! I have done Munising/Pictured Rocks a couple of times though.

[midwestmama]

RoxMonster, make sure to eat at least one pasty while you're in the UP! It's not a true UP trip without one. Pro tip is that ketchup is the "Yooper" dipping sauce (as opposed to gravy).

[bex1973]

May 31, 2023 12:01:37 GMT -5 midwestmama said:

RoxMonster , make sure to eat at least one pasty while you're in the UP! It's not a true UP trip without one. Pro tip is that ketchup is the "Yooper" dipping sauce (as opposed to gravy).

Ketchup for life.

[fernweh]

May 31, 2023 7:33:22 GMT -5 wildrice said:

I went to college in the UP and lived in Marquette, and it's still one of my favorite places in the world. It is close enough to Munising that you could drive there to do the pictured rocks stuff, but unless a lot has changed (possible), Marquette is going to have a lot more restaurants, breweries, cute shops, etc. There are also many shorter hikes and such that are easily accessible. It's also just beautiful, like the whole UP. I think I'd personally stay there and use that as a base for things an hour-ish away (which is NOT western UP, that's a few hours), but I am definitely biased. I'm happy to give some recs if you plan to stay there, though it's been 17 years since I lived there (and about 8 since I've visited) so some things may have changed.

Unfortunately I feel like I missed out on a lot of UP exploring when I lived there - I mostly did stuff within an hour of Marquette due to practicalities of being a college kid - so I haven't even been to many of the other places mentioned in this thread, despite living there for 6 years! I have done Munising/Pictured Rocks a couple of times though.

Oh my - small world but I was in college in Marquette at the same time as you (I was there from 2003-2007).

[wildrice]

May 31, 2023 12:50:01 GMT -5 fernweh said:

May 31, 2023 7:33:22 GMT -5 wildrice said:

I went to college in the UP and lived in Marquette, and it's still one of my favorite places in the world. It is close enough to Munising that you could drive there to do the pictured rocks stuff, but unless a lot has changed (possible), Marquette is going to have a lot more restaurants, breweries, cute shops, etc. There are also many shorter hikes and such that are easily accessible. It's also just beautiful, like the whole UP. I think I'd personally stay there and use that as a base for things an hour-ish away (which is NOT western UP, that's a few hours), but I am definitely biased. I'm happy to give some recs if you plan to stay there, though it's been 17 years since I lived there (and about 8 since I've visited) so some things may have changed.

Unfortunately I feel like I missed out on a lot of UP exploring when I lived there - I mostly did stuff within an hour of Marquette due to practicalities of being a college kid - so I haven't even been to many of the other places mentioned in this thread, despite living there for 6 years! I have done Munising/Pictured Rocks a couple of times though.

Oh my - small world but I was in college in Marquette at the same time as you (I was there from 2003-2007).

So funny! I was there 2000-2006 (I took a year off in the middle and just worked). I am sure we either know each other or know people in common!