8 Things to do on Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula

Jul 5th 2021

The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is full of amazing places to explore. We spent a week on Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula, which is located in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. We camped at the Wilderness Resort which made for a perfect base camp to explore the area.

During our stay we saw some amazing waterfalls, hiked along the edge of Lake Superior, and got our fix at the local bakery! 

Here's our list of 8 things to do when you're near Copper Harbor, or Eagle Harbor, Michigan.

Hunters Point Park

This city park in Copper Harbor was named for early settler Mr Hunter who owned some land here. It's was in danger of being lost as it was purchased for development, but the local town got together and bought the land and preserved it for future generations to enjoy. 

There's two trails here (North Beach and South Beach) and they total about 1.2 miles in length. You can hike to the end of the point and get a good view of Porter's Island. DO see this at sunrise! It's worth it for that magical light. 

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Brockway Mountain Drive

This mountain in Copper Harbor was named after one of the pioneering residents of the area, Daniel D. Brockway. In 1933 a road was built here by 300 men who were paid $0.25 an hour. All manually, by hand, with no leveling tools. Nearly 100 years later it's still a beautiful scenic drive offering unprecedented views of Lake Superior, Eagle Harbor, Copper Harbor, and Lake Fannie Hooe.

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Astor Shipwreck Park

At the East end of Copper Harbor you'll find Astor Shipwreck Park. On September 21, 1844 the John Jacob Astor had just been unloaded, when strong winds came about and it dragged its anchor, blowing up on rocks. It somehow exploded, and although the captain tried all Winter to salvage it, it ended up sinking.

The anchor and other parts have been lifted up out of the water over the years, but there is an underwater trail to the remaining pieces 35' under the surface for those intrepid underwater explorers.

There's some cool plaques here that tell the story better than I can, and it's a great place to search for agate on the beach, while getting some views of the Copper Harbor Lighthouse across the water.

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Devils Washtub

This geolocation formation known as a blow hole, formed by ancient volcanic activity, can be found just West of Copper Harbor. There's not much to see here, just a hole with some water in it. I guess there's an arch under there somewhere and depending on the condition of the lake, it can be filled with gravel (or not). Other than that, it's the most Northern part of Michigan (excluding Isle Royal) so its cool place to visit. 

Just be careful here! It's sketch as all get out.

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Montreal Falls

This four to five mile hike near Lac la Belle offers up close and personal views of Montreal Falls, a cascading waterfall that dumps off into Lake Superior. It's a two part falls, (Upper and Lower Falls), with Upper Falls being roughly 1/2 a mile up from the Lower Falls. Each are worth hiking to and are beautiful in their own regard.

Getting here can be challenging, as the road leading in (Smith Fishers Rd) is gravel, and full of pot holes. So if you have one of those cars that are -2 inches off the ground, you just might not make it.

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Bare Bluffs

This three mile hike East of Lac la Belle is sure to impress! It affords impressive views of Lake Superior, and is located on the way to Montreal Falls (you pass this trailhead). Just a heads up, you might want to stick to the left. This is the quickest path to the views, and doesn't require technical climbing like the other path does. 

Those with littles should also be careful here because those bluffs rise up several hundred feet and would definitely leave a mark if someone fell from there.

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Jampot Bakery

This bakery run the monks of the Holy Transfiguration Skete Monestary in Eagle River is a place you simply cannot miss! Father Basil helped to open this place 30 years ago, and has since grown to over 740 acres in size (the monestary). They offer a wide variety of jams, jellies, and baked goods.

Their cream cheese muffins are simply heaven, and talking to Father Basil is sure to put a smile on your face!

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Jam Lady

Prepare for an experience like no other, at this small ghost-shop in Eagle River, MI. It's been in business for over 200 years, the last 70 of which has been at this single location.

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 I won't give too much away on this one, you'll just have to watch our video below and find out what makes this place so special!

Author

Nick Haskins

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