Top Things to Do in Michigan's Upper Peninsula
Do
Glass Bottom Shipwreck Tours
Look up to see a lighthouse and cliffs, or down through glass viewing wells to see two shipwreck sites near Munising. shipwrecktours.com
Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum
Learn about the treacherous Lake Superior and see the bell from the ill-fated freighter Edmund Fitzgerald at Whitefish Point. shipwreckmuseum.com
Iron Ore Heritage Trail
The 47-mile rail-to-trail path travels along the Lake Superior shore and through historic mining communities. ironoreheritage.com
Isle Royale National Park
Visitors arrive by boat or seaplane for adventures, including hiking, kayaking, camping and scuba diving, on this cluster of 450-plus islands in Lake Superior. nps.gov
Keweenaw National Historical Park
Dozens of sites related to the UP's copper-mining boom, including a miner's cabin and the Quincy Mine, dot the Keweenaw Peninsula. nps.gov
Kitch-Iti-Kipi
Located within Palms Book State Park in Manistique, this gorgeous natural spring provides an oasis of clear turquoise water amid a pine grove. Ride an observation raft across the spring, spotting trout and ancient tree trunks.
Marquette Maritime Museum and Lighthouse
The museum is small, but the lighthouse tour educates about a keeper's life. mqtmaritimemuseum.com
Northern Waters Adventures
Guided half-day or full-day kayaking trips explore the multicolored cliffs of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. northernwaters.com
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Sandstone cliffs streaked by minerals, dunes, beaches, waterfalls and forested shoreline stretch for more than 40 miles between Munising and Grand Marais. nps.gov
Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park
Michigan's largest state park (60,000 acres) holds rivers, lakes and tumbling waterfalls. Don't miss Lake of the Clouds, surrounded by old-growth forest. michigandnr.com
Seney National Wildlife Refuge
A mosaic of wetlands, bog and forests supports more than 200 bird species. Hike the 1.4-mile Pine Ridge Nature Trail to see songbirds and beavers. Backcountry roads are open to bikes, or paddle the Manistique River. fws.gov
Famous Soo Locks Boat Tours
Passengers get up-close looks at 1,000-foot freighters in the busy international harbor of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan's oldest city. soolocks.com
Tahquamenon Falls State Park
A paved path leads to the region's largest waterfall, the star of this 46,179-acre park (70 miles west of Sault Ste. Marie).michigan.gov
Washington Street
Browse Marquette's boutiques and galleries. travelmarquettemichigan.com
Eat and Drink
The Antlers Restaurant
Taxidermic creatures decorate this Sault Ste. Marie landmark serving regional favorites like cherry chicken and beer cheese. saultantlers.com
The Delft Bistro
A historic theater-turned-bistro in Marquette dishes innovative fare such as salmon poke. thedelftbistro.com
Elizabeth's Chophouse
A cheese and charcuterie board is large enough to share, but you'll want to keep cedar-planked whitefish with garlic spinach all to yourself. The balcony overlooks Marquette's ore docks. elizabethschophouse.com
Jean Kay's Pasties and Subs
The deli-style restaurant in Marquette specializes in the traditional UP dish: the Cornish pastie. jeankayspasties.com
Jamsen's Fish Market and Bakery
Grab a cheddar-bacon-and-chive scone or a turnover with wild berries from this Copper Harbor shop, which overlooks Lake Superior. jamsen.biz
Lake Superior Brewing Company at the Dunes Saloon
This logging-era tavern in Grand Marais comes with knotty pine walls, can't-miss seasonal Lake Superior whitefish and house beers like Riptide IPA. Lake Superior Brewing Company on Facebook
Ore Dock Brewing Company
The brewery pays homage to Marquette's heritage with local art on display and a bar inlaid with iron-ore pellets. Grab one of 10 beers on tap and borrow a board game or see if live music is on the evening schedule. ore-dock.com
Randall Bakery
Sample pasties bursting with meat and potatoes at the old-time lunch counter in Wakefield, south of the Porcupine Mountains. Locals also stop in for doughnuts. randallbakery.com
Roy's Pasties And Bakery
Meat and potatoes (and other variations) fill flaky piecrust pockets—a miners' lunch staple. The Houghton bakery is one of many UP spots that continue the tradition. royspasties.com
Stay
The Landmark Inn
Guests choose from 66 rooms and suites—some with fireplaces or whirlpool tubs—at this restored 1930 Marquette hotel. thelandmarkinn.com
Mountain View Lodges
In Ontonagon, on the eastern edge of the Porcupine Mountains, cottages have kitchens, fireplaces and screened porches. mtnviewlodges.com
Roam Inn
A lumber baron's 1896 home has morphed into a lodge-like inn in Munising. Some of the 18 guest rooms offer Lake Superior views. roam-inn.com
The Vault Hotel
Teller windows, salvaged bank boxes and a massive vault leave no doubt about the history of this building, recently reimagined as a boutique hotel. The sandstone building opened in 1887 as Houghton National Bank, at a time when copper mining and Great Lakes shipping brought in millions of dollars. Guests today can choose from three floors of guest rooms, themed to "Old Money," "New Money" and "Found Money." thevaulthotel.com
For more information: Upper Peninsula Travel and Recreation Association uptravel.com
Keweenaw Convention and Visitors Bureau keweenaw.info
Marquette County Convention and Visitor Bureau travelmarquettemichigan.com
Sault Ste. Marie Convention and Visitors Bureau saultstemarie.com