Things to do in Upper Peninsula Michigan

The Upper Peninsula Michigan is truly a hidden gem of the Midwest and is great to visit any time of year!

We visited in the off season in November which I would highly recommend. Everything was still BEAUTIFUL and we had most places all to ourselves!

Ironwood Michigan

Ironwood, Michigan is one of our all time favorite Midwest towns. We spent a whole weekend here earlier this year downhill skiing, cross country skiing, drinking beer, and hiking! This trip was pre-COVID, but still such a great winter getaway! Read my full post on the must-see Ironwood stops here.

Presque Isle River Waterfalls Loop

The Presque Isle River Waterfalls Loop is located in Porcupine Mountains State Park and is 1.6 miles long round trip. There’s so many great hikes to do here (would also recommend Lake of the Clouds!) but we chose this one based on the time of year and our want to see some falls! There’s no parking lot, so just park on the side of the road. This loop offers views of the river from both sides with the West side offering boardwalks and lookout points and the East side offering a more natural experience but still with great views (we preferred the East!) Make sure to walk out to Lake Superior if water levels aren’t too high!

Presque Isle Park

Another stop named “Presque Isle” but these stops are about 2 hours apart! Presque Isle Park is located in Marquette, Michigan, a historic and cute town right on the shore of Lake Superior. See my map for more stops in this area, but this park offers a great walking trail with fun stops along the way for viewpoints, hidden beaches, and depending on the time of year, cliff jumping into the water!

Black Rocks

Black Rocks are located at Presque Isle Park in Marquette but they deserve their own shout out! Unique landscape always makes the top of our list and these rocks stand up to the hype. We had this area all to ourselves, explored the rocks, watched the waves crash, and snapped some photos. Loved it here!

Miners Falls

For a quick roadside stop, Miner’s Falls can’t be missed! It’s a .6 mile walk with stairs to get down to the falls which can be icy in winter, so watch out! The falls are gorgeous and massive – way bigger than expected for such an easy walk!

Miners Castle Point

Down the road from Miners Falls is Miners Castle Point, one of the most gorgeous views you’ll get on Lake Superior (yes, even counting Minnesota’s North Shore!). The parking lot is right next to the lookout so it’s easily accessible for anyone. You are able to walk down to the actual point, but there are a decent amount of stairs. In my opinion, it’s cool to get close to the actual point, but the views are way better up top!

Chapel Falls/Rock Hike

We wanted to get a nice hike in, so we chose to hike to Chapel Rock which is about 3 miles each way, so 6 miles total. It’s relatively flat the whole way but it was VERY muddy, which added extra time. This hike is a loop around Chapel Lake and took us a little over 3 hours. Chapel Falls can be seen about 1 mile in, but the majority of the views can be found right on Lake Superior, like Chapel Rock. Believe me, the views are worth the hike!

Chapel Rock

Chapel Rock can only be seen by hiking to it or by water. We chose the hike above, and are so glad we did! Chapel Rock is so unique and we loved seeing the tree growing from it, along with its exposed root system. Definitely recommend getting up close to this if you get the chance! Side note – you can also camp here! You must get a permit in advance but this is now on our list!

Grand Sable dunes

The massive sand dunes of Michigan were one of the reasons we decided to take this trip. I couldn’t believe something like that existed in the Midwest and wowzers is it cool to see in real life! To get great views, park at the Log Slide Overlook and traverse along the top of the dunes. JAW DROPPING. It’s hard to tell by the photos but we’re so far up that it would take over an hour to hike up, so be mindful before running down to the water!

Sable Falls

Just along the road that follows the Grand Sable dunes is Sable Falls. This pretty waterfall requires you to go down (and back up!) 168 stairs, but it’s not so bad! There’s a really nice boardwalk to enjoy the falls on the way down and also along the stream at the bottom.

Kitch-iti-kipi

Kitch-iti-kipi is a stop that we made on our way home, so it’s not along the shore of Lake Superior like the others stops on this list, but I would still recommend making a stop! This spring is full of insanely clear turquoise water that you can see the bottom and all the fish that swim in it easily. The coolest part is the pully system raft that you can self-operate across the spring to see into the water from every angle. So unique and fun – never knew this type of water existed in Michigan!