24 Best Things To Do In Upper Peninsula Of Michigan, USA

1. Know more about Michigan at Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum

Lake Superior is a dangerous lake for sailors to travel, and this museum is a reminder of that fact. Many artifacts from old ships are on display, and provide a very graphic picture of their fate. Bells, hulls, panels, and even photographs are some of the many artifacts. Also within the museum grounds are other historic structures, most notably the Whitefish Point Light Station. The lighthouse is the oldest in Lake Superior that is still operational. Once your trip is over, you can visit the museum store, or have a glimpse of the lake from the viewing deck.

Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum

Address: 18335 N. Whitefish Point Road, Paradise, MI 49768

Website: Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum

Opening hours: May - Oct: 10am - 6pm (daily)

Price: 13 USD

2. Indulge in sweet rolls at Hilltop Restaurant

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This popular restaurant is a treat for you and the family. Boasting room for almost 150 guests, Hilltop serves plenty of delicious dishes, including their ribs, pizza, and gourmet burgers. An eat-all-you-can salad and soup bar is great for those who’d like more greens in their meal. Of course, before you leave don’t forget the restaurant’s famous sweet rolls, made from cinnamon and weighing in at almost a pound. These rolls are so popular, you can even order online and have them delivered across the continental US.

Hilltop Restaurant

Address: 18047 US Hwy 41 L'Anse, MI 49946

Website: Hilltop Restaurant

Opening hours: 7am - 8pm (daily)

3. Relax at Island Resort and Casino

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The Island Resort and Casino is the top gaming destination in upper Michigan, and it shows with its wide range. It is a hotel, so you can stay here during your trip to Michigan. A spa, club, and golf area provide plenty of recreation options. There are seven diners, serving a wide range of dishes and drinks. The biggest draw here is of course, the casino. Present here is a wide range of slots, card games, bingo, and poker for your continuous entertainment. You can play to win big, but always remember to gamble responsibly if you want to have a great stay here.

Island Resort and Casino

Address: Island Resort & Casino, W 399 US 2 & 41, Harris, MI 49845

Website: Island Resort and Casino

Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)

4. Take some swings at Calumet Golf Club

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The Calumet Golf Club is a public golf course located just outside town, and the one visited by locals on the regular. Surrounded by a nice backdrop of trees, the course has a smaller nine-hole layout, allowing for faster games while still keeping regulation-length. You can rent pull carts, or even full golf carts for your convenience. You can also participate in weekly tournaments for men or women. After a day of golfing, you can enjoy dinner at Jazzy’s, where plenty of food and drinks are available to go around.

Calumet Golf Club

Address: 54720 Golf Course Rd Calumet, MI 49913

Website: Calumet Golf Club

Opening hours: Mon - Thu: 12pm - 10pm; Fri - Sat: 12pm - 12am; Sun: 12pm - 9pm

Price: 30 USD

5. Find out about Michigan's copper trade at Eagle River Museum

The museum provides a lot of insight into Keweenaw history. Exhibits and display items remind visitors that the town was once a bustling port town, that also had a good mining business. Photographs, rocks, and even explosive caps are on display, a reminder of how much mining was conducted before. Once you go outside, you can catch scenic views of the beautiful falls, and the old dam from the bridge way. Last but not least, visit the stone monument to Douglass Houghton, the man responsible for discovering the copper deposits that brought prosperity to Eagle River in the past.

Eagle River Museum

Address:5055 M-26, Eagle River, MI 49950

Website: The Eagle River Museum

Opening hours: Jun - Oct: Wed, Fri & Sat: 12pm - 4pm (closed from Sun - Tue & Thu)

Price: Free (donations accepted)

6. Watch some shows at Calumet Theatre

Calumet Theatre is the premier entertainment venue in town, and has been since the start of the last century. The theater is lined and decorated in very fancy gold themes and red carpets to give a premium Broadway feel. The main hall has a two-tier layout, seating around 400 on a good night. The second floor houses a large ballroom, which you can book for your own events like parties, conferences, and weddings. You can check their schedule for shows you want to watch. The theater is listed as a National Historic Landmark, and still continues to serve its original purpose.

Calumet Theatre

Address: 340 Sixth Street Calumet, Michigan 49913-USA

Website: Calumet Theatre

7. Pray for the victims at Italian Hall

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Italian Hall was a two-story building in Calumet that became the site of one of the greatest disasters in town. On Christmas eve in 1913, almost 700 people, mostly children, were enjoying a party when a false fire alarm was called. The resulting stampede claimed 73 lives. The building was eventually demolished in 1984, with only the doorway arch and a plaque remaining up on the site, as a memorial to the victims of this tragedy. This memorial serves as a constant reminder to us of the importance of today’s safety regulations.

Italian Hall

Address: 401 Seventh Street Calumet, MI 49913 United States

Website: Italian Hall

8. Get a glimpse of the past at Copper Country Firefighters History Museum

The Copper Country Firefighters History Museum is one of many heritage sites in the area that you should visit. It was built in 1898, and served as the fire station of the town during the copper boom, where mines were opened left and right, until the 1960s, when the equipment was relocated nearer to the town hall. There are several fire trucks on display, from the hose carts of the 19th century, to fire wagons and sleds in the 20th. Firefighting apparatus from different times are also on display here. This museum is a reminder that firefighters have always been an important part of our society.

Copper Country Firefighters History Museum

Address: 327 6th St, Calumet, MI 49913, USA

Website: Copper Country Firefighters History Museum

Opening hours: Jun - Sep: Sat: 1pm - 4:30pm (by appointment from Sun - Fri)

Price: Free (donations accepted)

9. Check out unique items at Astor House Museum

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The Astor House Museum is home to some of Keweenaw’s rarest and most unique artifacts. You can see history through many relics of the earliest known settlers and browse the displays of tools used in the copper mining boom of the mid-1800’s. The museum houses a one-of-a-kind collection of over 400 antique dolls from around the world. There are also shipwreck materials, wheels and nautical lanterns, which show you some of the nautical history in Lake Superior. A wide collection of copper ingots, local brewery equipment, hand-blown bottles, insulators, and photographs are present, along with many other items. You can check all of these out for yourself on your visit here.

Astor House Museum

Address: 562 Gratiot Street Copper Harbor, MI 49918 United States

Website: Astor House Museum

Opening hours: Jul - Sep: 10am - 6pm (daily)

Price: 2 USD

10. Marvel at Point Iroquois Lighthouse

Point Iroquois Lighthouse stands at the entry to St. Mary’s River, and once served passing sailors by marking the narrow channel that divides the river and the great Lake Superior. The lighthouse has seen plenty of ship traffic, due to the channel being a major shipping route between the Great Lakes. From the top of the lighthouse, you can view the Canadian coast across the channel and marvel at the size of the great lake. Lectures about the history of the area are held frequently, too. The lighthouse has since been decommissioned in favor of a more modern automatic light across the channel, and is now a tourist spot that you can visit during the summer months.

Point Iroquois Lightouse

Address: 12942 West Lakeshore Drive, Brimley, MI 49715

Website: Point Iroquois Lighthouse

Opening hours: May - Oct: Tue - Sat: 10am - 6pm; Sun: 1pm - 5pm (closed on Mon)

Price: Free

11. Taste some great wines at Garden Bay Winery

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This small winery is one of the best in all of the Upper Peninsula. It’s smaller size allows it to be a more intimate and higher-quality experience. You can select from their wide selection of grape wines, like harbor red, peach & honey, Merlot, and chardonnay. Their raspberry wine is the must-try of the bunch. If you can’t choose, you can use the tasting room to sample the wines. Some of these wines have garnered local awards for quality and taste, so you can always be assured that your bottle is worth every penny.

Garden Bay Winery

Address: 11858W US Hwy 2, Cooks, MI 49817

Website: Garden Bay Winery

12. Savor a meal at Zephyr Winebar + Café

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Zephyr is one of the hottest destinations in Marquette, and has the style and soul of it. Their menu is made with plenty of the highest quality ingredients, from their spices and cheese to their cured meats. These are reflected in their dishes, like Proscuitto di Parma, Salametti Secchi, Saucisson Sec. Their salads are also decadent, with entries like wheatberry salad, duck beet, and Niçoise salad. Their daily homemade soups are a treat to have with these meals. Don’t forget to try out their wide selection of wines. And speaking of wines, the Cellar is a beautiful wine room where you can host your personal events like meetings and functions.

Zephyr Winebar + Café

Address: 215 S. Front Street Marquette, MI 49855

Website: Zephyr Wine Bar

Opening hours: Tue - Sat: 11am - 11pm; Sun: 12pm - 10pm (closed on Mon)

13. Buy and sell treasured collections at Old Bank Building Antiques

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This antique shop was built in an old bank building in Negaunee, and is one of the biggest shops in the Upper Peninsula. You can choose from a wide selection of antique furniture pieces from old tables to chairs, and there are even some unique pieces like statues and wall decor. Art Deco, retro, and modern styles of furniture are available to suit your tastes. You can also sell some of your good old furniture here. There are also other pretty items like trinkets and necklaces if you fancy something smaller and pocket-able. If you want a souvenir from Michigan you can keep practically forever, a piece from this store is the way to go.

Old Bank Building Antiques

Address: 331 Iron St, Negaunee, MI 49866, USA

Opening hours: Tue - Sat: 11am - 6pm (closed on Sun & Mon)

14. Check out all the birds at Estivant Pines Nature Sanctuary

Estivant Pines has some of the oldest pine forests in the state, with trees that are over 300 years old and have trunks measuring between 3 - 5 feet (1 - 1.5 meters) in diameter. There are two trails that pass through some of these massive trees, both around a mile (1.6 km) long. On the ground, there are many species of wildflowers, like asters, orchids, baneberry, and violets, along with ferns like maidenhair, spleenwort, and holly fern that populate the forest floor. You can view many kinds of birds here; some of these are the woodpeckers, hawks, and crossbills. There are also migratory species that pass by the park. You’ll have a field day spotting all the wildlife in this sanctuary.

Estivant Pines Nature Sanctuary

Address: Copper Harbor, MI 49918 United States

Website: Estivant Pines

Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)

Price: Free

15. Set up camp at Fort Wilkins State Park

The Fort Wilkins State Park has over 700 acres (283 hectares) of historic land, which was once an outpost to protect ships traversing the dangerous waters of Lake Superior. The Copper Harbor Lighthouse located along the shore once guided ships along the coast, and is home to a museum you can visit. You can also set up your RV or tent in the campgrounds for stays up to 15 nights, or you can stay in one of the cabins there if you want to feel what the residents of the past did. Keep in mind you’ll need to buy your wood here, and don’t forget to watch your campfires. You’ll learn plenty about the history of maritime travel here at Fort Wilkins.

Fort Wilkins State Park

Address: 15223 US Highway 41 Copper Harbor, MI 49918

Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)

Price: 74 USD

16. Bike and hike around Fumee Lake Natural Area

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Fumee Lake Natural Area is one of the more pristine natural lakes in Michigan, and is home to a rich collection of wildlife. The area is actually composed of two lakes, the Big and the Little Fumee Lakes, covering around 507 acres (205 hectares). There are over 11 miles (17.6 kilometers) of hike and bike trails which are relatively easy to traverse. You can view many different species of wildlife here, from many different orchids, to the ducks, geese, loon, butterflies, and the bald eagle. The area is also a recreational center, where you can canoe, kayak, hike, bike, and even ski during the winter months. If you want to connect with nature, Fumee Lake is a place worth visiting.

Fumee Lake Natural Area

Address: Fumee Lake Commission, Iron Mountain, MI 49801

Website: Fumee Lake Natural Area

Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)

Price: Free

17. Go fishing at Otter Lake

Otter Lake is a quiet town in the heart of South Peninsula, and is named after the Otter Lake, which is characterized by its large otter population. Just under 400 people live here, and is a tight-knit community. Some places to visit include the Southern Links Trailway, a 10-mile (16 kilometers) biking, hiking and, horse riding trail that passes through scenic forests and fields. Another place to visit is the blueberry farm, open from mid-July to mid-September. The Otter Lake Park is the biggest attraction here, and is a venue for boating, fishing, camping, and many other recreational activities. The town is a great place to unwind from the rigor of city life.

Otter Lake

Address: Otter Lake, Michigan

Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)

Price: 7 USD per boat

18. Brave the rapids at Piers Gorge

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A whitewater rafting trip down the Menominee River is one of the most exciting things to do in Michigan. With large, western-style rapids and the deepest gorge in the Midwest, both new and experienced rafters will experience a one-of-a-kind thrill. The half-day Menominee River rafting begins in Niagara, Wisconsin, reaching some of the toughest rapids near Piers Gorge. There is a stop at the Piers Gorge Portage Trail each where rafters can hike up a short trail to see the rapids ahead. This is where you can choose if you want to go on the adventure of a lifetime.

Piers Gorge Rafting

Address: W 5768, Old Piers Gorge Rd Norway, MI 49870

Website: Piers Gorge Rafting

Opening hours: 10am, 2:30pm (daily)

Price: 50 USD

19. See the brilliance of Whitefish Point's northern lights

Whitefish Point is located along a shipping route, and is also a graveyard for many ships throughout history. Located here is the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum (mentioned earlier in this list). You can view many migratory birds here, as the area is a stopping point in their route. Some species include gray owls, golden eagles, merlins, and the venerable Peregrine Falcon. The star of the show here is the northern lights that appear after dusk. You can watch the brilliant colors light up the clear sky from fall to early spring.

20. Have a picnic at the top of Mount Arvon

Mount Arvon is Michigan’s highest point, standing at 1979 feet (603 m) above sea level. It is part of the Huron mountains, a series of large, flat mountains in the Upper Peninsula. The area is privately owned, but the mountain is open to the public. It is most accessible from L'Anse, around half an hour’s drive away. At the top of the mountain, there is a sign that marks the summit. A picnic table and barbecue area are also present, so you and your friends can celebrate your ascent. You can leave letters in the mailbox present if you want to leave a message for the mountain.

Mount Arvon

Address: Mount Arvon, Michigan

Opening hours: 24 hours (daily; closed during winters)

21. Jump off the cliffs at Black Rocks

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Black Rocks is a name given to a rocky cliff formation at the northern end of the Presque Isle Park. Many young people in Marquette know about the cliff as a jump diving point into the lake, and is even a kind of ritual for some college students. Here, the top of the cliffs are between 20 - 30 feet (6 - 9 meters) above the lake, making for a good splash. You’ll see plenty of locals take turns diving during the day, as this is a seriously fun activity. During the fall is the best time for you to jump, as the water is not too cold. The waters are clear, so are you ready to take the plunge?

Black Rocks Cliff Jump

Address: Presque Isle State Park, Marquette, Michigan

Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)

Price: Free

22. Meditate in the sands of Bete Grise Beach

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Relax and take a swim at the Bete Grise Beach, which has plenty of fine sand and pristine water perfect for the summer months. Located in the Bete Grise Preserve, the beach is a perfect spot for a vacation, as it is relatively unaffected by commercial activity. It is also protected from the full force of Lake Superior, thanks to its location. You can also view the Mendota lighthouse located here, which aids boats through the canal into the nearby Lac de Belle. If you want to connect to nature and hear only the waves and the wind, this place is just for you!

Bete Grise beach front

Address: Bete Grise, Michigan

Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)

Price: Free

23. Explore the hidden wonders of Kitch-iti-kipi Spring

Kitch-iti-kipi is Michigan’s largest freshwater spring, located within the Palms Book State Park. The spring measures 300 by 175 feet (91 by 53 meters), with a depth of 40 feet (12 meters). The spring is a geological wonder, as it never runs dry thanks to water seeping in from below at a constant rate and temperature. Fish is plenty in the water, with different species of trout swimming around. The surrounding plants and wildlife also depend on the lake for water, and provides some of the richest natural scenery in the area. Thanks to the original land owner’s demand, the spring and the park around it will remain a public space that you can visit, forever.

Kitch-iti-kipi Spring

Address: Sawmill Rd, Manistique, MI 49854, USA

Opening hours: 8am - 10pm (daily)

24. Relive history at Fort Mackinac

You can almost hear the cannon blasts, the rifle fire, and marching soldiers here, as history comes alive at Fort Mackinac, located in the Mackinac Island off the coast of St. Ignace. The fort is the oldest building in Michigan, and along with 13 other historical structures, it boasts exhibits explaining everything from military training and battles to medical treatments to family life within the fort. The fort was more than just a military outpost, it also served as a home for soldiers and their families. Today, it is the headquarters for Mackinac National Park, where tourists flock here regularly. As a bonus, you can fire the Mackinac cannon, with the help of a crew member.

Fort Mackinac

Address: 7127 Huron Rd. Mackinac Island, MI 49757

Website: Fort Mackinac

Price: 14 USD

The Upper Peninsula, rich in nature and history

A lot of US history is told here in the Upper Peninsula, which is highlighted by monuments and buildings of the mining and shipping industries of the last two centuries. Today, much of the land is preserved historical sites and natural parks, which makes it great for adventurers, conservationists, and historians. The peninsula is well worth a visit, it’s a great way for your next vacation to be unique.