If water sports are top of mind when you think of a fantastic summer vacation, Lake Superior and its beautiful Michigan lake towns are a great option. You’ll find plenty of shorelines, uncrowded quaint villages, and various other activities to meet the entire family’s needs.
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The Ojibwe called Lake Superior gitche gumee, “the great sea.” Lake Superior lies directly north of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula; it’s the largest of the Great Lakes, with a surface area of 31,700 square miles. That also makes it the largest freshwater lake on the planet. The lake is 160 miles wide and about 350 miles long. That makes the area perfect for water sports like fishing, kayaking, swimming, and — although a bit cold — surfing.
With the entire population of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula at just over 314,000, the towns along Lake Superior’s coastline are relatively small, quaint, and uncrowded even during the summer. Starting from east to west, here are some of the towns you should plan to explore.
1. Sault Saint Marie
Sault Saint Marie, affectionately referred to as the Soo, lies at the intersection of Lake Superior and Lake Huron, about 50 miles north of the Mackinac Bridge. One of the main attractions is the Soo Locks, an engineering marvel. While they have an observation tower where you can watch the boats pass through the locks, you can experience going through them on a boat tour. In addition to experiencing passage through the locks, the tour provides a narrative history. You’ll also see Sault Saint Marie, Ontario, Canada, from the water during the ride. The Sault Saint Marie International Bridge connects two cities of the same name in two different nations, the United States and Canada.
Open from early May through mid-October, the Tower of History, 210 feet above street level, provides panoramic views of the area and is well worth the journey to the top. Start on the ground floor, exploring the museum, which includes a video. Then, you can climb the 292 stairs to the top of the structure or ride the elevator to the 25-plus-story building. From the observation deck, you can see up to 1,200 square miles, from the Soo Locks and Sugar Island to the Canadian waterfront and the wilderness to the north.
The Museum Ship Valley Camp is a Great Lakes freighter that is more than just a tour of her deck. The ship’s massive cargo holds feature a 20,000-square-foot museum with over 100 exhibits, explaining the role of freighters on the Great Lakes. Aquarium enthusiasts will also enjoy the four 1,200-gallon aquariums featuring fish from the Great Lakes region.
Pro Tip: While the Tower of History has an elevator to the top, you’ll find steps to get inside and a few steps while you’re inside.
2. Paradise
Paradise sits on Whitefish Bay, 11 miles south of Whitefish Point. The hallmark of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is wildlife and waterfalls, and Tahquamenon Falls State Park features both. Tahquamenon Falls offers both Upper and Lower Falls, and the Upper Falls has a drop of almost 50 feet and a width of more than 200 feet. It’s one of the most significant falls east of the Mississippi. The Lower Falls are a string of five lesser waterfalls that cascade around an island. The Lower Falls are not as massive as the Upper Falls, but they are stunning. The water takes on colors that are a cross between copper and root beer, and the foam adds to the root beer feel.
When visiting the falls, don’t rely on your GPS. Maps are a must. The first view of the Lower Falls is 100 yards from the parking lot. To reach the next viewing platform, it’s a 10-minute walk. You’ll want to drive to the Upper Falls from the Lower Falls. For people who use wheelchairs, Tahquamenon’s track chair assists where standard wheelchairs may not work. You can reserve the chair by email, phone, or Facebook Messenger beforehand.
Pro Tip: Be sure to remember insect repellent when visiting Tahquamenon Falls.
3. Whitefish Point
This area on Lake Superior, known as the Shipwreck Coast, contains about 200 shipwrecks. To learn about their tragic stories, visit the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. The museum is located at Michigan’s Whitefish Point Light Station, about a 1.5-hour drive from the Mackinac Bridge.
The star attraction at Whitefish Point is the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. The museum focuses on the region’s maritime history. One exciting artifact at the museum is the bell from the S.S. Edmond Fitzgerald, the namesake of the Gordon Lightfoot song “The Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald.”
Birdwatching is another popular activity. Whitefish Point acts as a migration corridor for birds and the area has a global Important Bird Area designation with over 340 recorded species of birds. The Whitefish Point Bird Observatory is an excellent place for birdwatching and photographing birds in flight. The piping plover is an endangered species and this is a great place to catch a glimpse of them from early to mid-summer.
Pro Tip: The observatory has an owl banding lab where you can meet the researchers and maybe see an owl. They are open Friday and Saturday nights from dusk to midnight during the banding season.
4. Grand Marais
Grand Marais is the eastern entrance to the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Grand Marais is a quaint harbor town of only 350 people, so the miles of Lake Superior beaches provide an opportunity for solitude and serenity. With some of the darkest skies in the United States, the beach is an excellent place for stargazers to take out their telescopes. Rockhounds will want to head to Agate Beach, directly north of Main Street, to try to uncover those semi-precious agates.
Those who enjoy exploring lighthouses have a pair to photograph in the Grand Marais Harbor of Refuge Inner and Outer Lights, located on the west pier at the entrance to Grand Marais Harbor of Refuge. These lights are also on the National Register of Historic Places.
Pro Tip: While you’re in the area, you shouldn’t miss the stunning Kitchi-ti-kipi, Big Springs, located in Palms Book State Park.
5. Munising
Munising is the western gateway to the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Located on Lake Superior’s south shore, it was the first of four national shorelines. The National Park Service operates the Pictured Rocks, where you’ll find vivid multi-colored limestone cliffs.
Pictured Rocks National Shoreline sits between Munising and Grand Marais, and you’ll find it to be an outdoor-lover’s heaven.
A Michigan Upper Peninsula food specialty is a pastie, and Muldoon’s Pasties and Gifts is a popular place to try one. The pastie is a hand-held Cornish meat pie made with ground beef, potatoes, carrots, onion, and rutabaga, all baked in a pie crust. Sometimes, they’re served on a plate and topped with gravy.
Pro Tip: One of the easiest ways to fully view the Pictured Rocks National Shoreline is through a boat tour, especially if you find hiking difficult. The boat tour is excellent for all activity levels. Pictured Rocks Cruises leave from the Munising City Dock, where the longest tours are two hours and 15 minutes and include Spray Falls, covering 32 miles roundtrip.
To learn more about what you need to know before visiting Pictured Rocks National Shoreline, check out this article: 11 Things To Know Before Exploring Pictured Rocks National Shoreline.
6. Marquette
Marquette is the largest city in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It’s a major port for shipping iron ore and home to Northern Michigan University, where you’ll find the DeVos Art Museum on the University’s campus. With over 1,500 items in its permanent collection, you’ll find art ranging from local and regional artists to Japanese art and artifacts.
Another museum worth a stop is the Marquette Regional History Center. It offers a permanent collection that includes interactive, immersive exhibits highlighting the history between man and the environment. The six hands-on exhibits include touch-screen kiosks featuring information on Lake Superior and the Native American Culture.
Stay at the Hampton Inn Marquette Waterfront on the Lake Superior shore. We enjoyed our breakfast and morning coffee on the deck overlooking Lake Superior. Even on cold mornings, the large windows allow for a beautiful view of the lake.
Pro Tip: In the summer, the Marquette Regional History Center offers 90-minute Historic Marquette Walking Tours, where you’ll meet historic characters in period dress who provide fun historical interpretations of local sites. Digital audio tours are available on their website.
7. Big Bay
Located about 45 minutes northwest of Marquette, Big Bay is a small town with attractive accommodations. Big Bay Point Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast offers an overnight lighthouse experience. While the Big Bay Lighthouse is an active navigation aid that the U.S. Coast Guard still monitors, you can still stay overnight here in the bed and breakfast.
Van Riper State Park in nearby Champion, Michigan, isn’t on Lake Superior, but rather Lake Michigamme, an inland lake. This state park creates a fun day trip from Big Bay, where you can spend the day picnicking and enjoying the sandy beach. Take a slow drive through the park’s northern area, and you might experience a moose encounter.
Pro Tip: Be aware that Michigan’s Upper Peninsula has two time zones. The Lake Superior coastline is in the Eastern time zone; however, some west near Wisconsin areas are on Central time. When making time-sensitive reservations, check which time zone the venue is following.
8. L’Anse
On U.S. Route 41 between L’Anse and Baraga, take time to see the giant copper sculpture rising over 60 feet above Keweenaw Bay. Nicknamed the Snowshoe Priest, Frederic Baraga left an upper-class European lifestyle in 1830 to open Catholic missions along the south shore of Lake Superior. The stunning statue pays homage to one of Keweenaw’s most loved pioneers.
Located east of Pequaming is Second Sand Beach, an ideal location for swimming, picnicking, and other day-use activities.
Pro Tip: Second Sand Beach offers a handicapped porta-potty, an accessible beach walkway, and van-accessible parking.
9. Baraga
If you prefer camping to hotels, Baraga State Park, located on Lake Superior’s Keweenaw Bay, makes a good base camp for exploring the western part of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The park offers a 0.75-mile nature trail for hiking, kayaking, and ORV-friendly activities.
Pro Tip: Baraga State Park is one of few state parks allowing off-road vehicles between the campground and the nearby ORV trails.
10. Copper Harbor
Located on the northernmost point of the Keweenaw Peninsula, Copper Harbor got its name from its mining history. For stunning views of Lake Superior up to 1,300 feet above sea level, the Brockway Mountain Drive takes you 9 miles along a picturesque drive.
History buffs will enjoy Copper Harbor’s 700-acre Fort Wilkins Historic State Park. The park offers an 1844 U.S. Army Outpost and an 1866 Copper Harbor Lighthouse, one of the first lighthouses on Lake Superior.
Located about 1 mile south of Copper Harbor, spring is the best time to view the 45-foot-tall Manganese Falls. The falls are often non-existent in the summer months.
Pro Tip: Under the right weather conditions, you can view the northern lights from Copper Harbor.
11. Calumet
Located along Route 41, Calumet dates back to 1875 and has a rich mining history. Start your tour of the region by stopping in at the visitor center. The Keweenaw National Historical Park tells the story of the entire Keweenaw Peninsula, with sites throughout the area.
The Calumet Theater began as an opera house in the late 1800s. In the early 1900s, the theater featured Broadway productions. Over the years, as Calument’s economy declined, the theater primarily was for movies. Today, it still has events and musical entertainment. History buffs will enjoy a tour of this stunning theater.
Pro Tip: The Visitor Center is open year-round from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and has two floors of interactive exhibits about Calumet and its connection to the mining and copper industries.
12. Houghton
Situated on Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula, of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Houghton is the largest city in the Copper Country region. Houghton is a fun town to visit if you’re interested in geology. The A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum includes three mineral collections: the A.E. Seaman Mineral Collection, the University of Michigan’s collection, and the Great Lakes collection. Houghton, one gateway to Isle Royale National Park, but a true hidden gem), provides ferries and seaplanes to transport you to the island.
Pro Tip: During the summer months, May through September is the best time to visit. In winter, the area measures snow in feet rather than inches, and some activities like access to Isle Royale National Park are seasonal.
13. Ontonagon
Michigan’s largest and arguably most beautiful state park is the Porcupine Mountain Wilderness State Park. If you love the great outdoors, you’ll want to spend some time here. We only had a day when we visited, which wasn’t enough to explore the vast area.
For more information on exploring the area, check out How To Spend A Perfect Long Weekend In Michigan’s Porcupine Mountains.
Pro Tip: Be sure to pack snacks or even a picnic lunch, as we found it challenging to find restaurants available when and where we needed them.
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