Michigan Upper Peninsula Trip

[hiker74]

Even though I'd never towed anything further than 2hrs away we decided to travel North from Indiana to the wonderful UP to camp over 10 hrs away (more like 12). Amazing place! We stayed in Muskallonge Lake State Park which encompasses a large inland lake as well as access to beautiful Lake Superior. The nearest grocery is 30 miles away so we planned accordingly. The campground included the best bathroom and shower facilities we've ever encountered with lockable individual shower stalls. We had biting flies the first day but once the wind came we were fine. Lake Superior was amazing, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum was amazing and the history about the Edmund Fitzgerald as well as other wrecks was amazing, Pictured Rocks with its formations and waterfalls was great. The biggest thing we will remember is that the people who live there are great people. Yoopers are amazing people. They have life figured out. I arrived a stressed out mess, but seeing how Yoopers do life I learned to relax. They work hard but know how to rest. Sure I'm generalizing based on a week there, but it truly is different once you cross the bridge. Another thing is that they don't intentionally create "touristy" things for people to do. Everything serves a purpose for people who live there. 

[leslie]

I have just added the Upper Peninsula to my list of places to go. Let'see now... if I get to every place on my list before I get to this, I expect to be there mid-summer 2018!

So many places to go, only one retirement in which to do it.

[shovelhead]

I had to do an installation at the Dickenson hospital Iron Mountion, MI. Mid February man it was cold and the roads had a foot of ice & snow pack.
Wonder what their summer (July 4th) is like?

First time I ever saw a moose (That wasnt chocolate)   Walked out in front of my rental.... I saw it's belly until I stopped and watched it trot off...

[jwesty]

[quote source="/post/13632/thread" timestamp="1437887270" author="@hiker74"]Even though I'd never towed anything further than 2hrs away we decided to travel North from Indiana to the wonderful UP to camp over 10 hrs away (more like 12). Amazing place! We stayed in Muskallonge Lake State Park which encompasses a large inland lake as well as access to beautiful Lake Superior. The nearest grocery is 30 miles away so we planned accordingly. The campground included the best bathroom and shower facilities we've ever encountered with lockable individual shower stalls.
[/quote]Muskallonge is one of our favorite spots too, although we haven't been for a several years. It's much quieter than Tahquamenon Falls State Park, so it's nice to stay at Muskallonge and drive to Tahquamenon for a visit.

The bathrooms at most of the Michigan State Parks are similarly as nice.

Hopefully you found the Deer Park Lodge General Store a mile or so from the park for quick groceries.

Did you try Oswald Bear Ranch -- fun to do if you have time... especially if you have kids.

Was the beach narrow with the higher water?

Many years ago, the camp host pointed us to some trails to the beach where the main road turns from east to south -- supposedly a good spot to look for agates, but it's also a quieter place to take in the beauty of Lake Superior.

Some waterfalls to check out near there:

Chapel Falls:

About 20 minutes from Munising. You should see small signs to Chapel falls. It's a dirt road for some of the way (all of the way if you drive along Lake Superior from Muskallonge), and about a 1-1/4 walk/hike from the parking area.

[a href="https://www.google.com/maps/dir/46.5195613,-86.4619039/Chapel+Falls,+Munising,+MI/@46.5240409,-86.4535141,15z/data=!4m9!4m8!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x4d4eebdb53c4f819:0x8ae7303ae1a122c3!2m2!1d-86.444609!2d46.5288417!3e2"]https://www.google.com/maps/dir/46.5195613,-86.4619039/Chapel+Falls,+Munising,+MI/@46.5240409,-86.4535141,15z/data=!4m9!4m8!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x4d4eebdb53c4f819:0x8ae7303ae1a122c3!2m2!1d-86.444609!2d46.5288417!3e2[/a]

This same parking lot is also the the place to park when going to Mosquito Beach -- 2 miles:

[a href="https://www.google.com/maps/dir/46.519529,-86.4619233/Mosquito+Beach,+Munising,+MI/@46.5227186,-86.478631,2183m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m9!4m8!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x4d4eec3e8e152acf:0xc3168c2794d874b1!2m2!1d-86.4964687!2d46.5242989!3e2"]https://www.google.com/maps/dir/46.519529,-86.4619233/Mosquito+Beach,+Munising,+MI/@46.5227186,-86.478631,2183m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m9!4m8!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x4d4eec3e8e152acf:0xc3168c2794d874b1!2m2!1d-86.4964687!2d46.5242989!3e2[/a]

Miner's Falls:

Also about 20 minutes from Munising. It's a short 0.6 mile walk/hike from the parking lot.

[a href="https://www.google.com/maps/dir/46.4740459,-86.5428399/Miners+Falls,+Hiawatha+National+Forest,+Munising,+MI/@46.4739497,-86.5415774,16z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m8!4m7!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x4d4eed254138901b:0x272eca09dab993e4!2m2!1d-86.5310596!2d46.4746539"]https://www.google.com/maps/dir/46.4740459,-86.5428399/Miners+Falls,+Hiawatha+National+Forest,+Munising,+MI/@46.4739497,-86.5415774,16z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m8!4m7!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x4d4eed254138901b:0x272eca09dab993e4!2m2!1d-86.5310596!2d46.4746539[/a]

[hiker74]

We passed the bear ranch multiple times but didn't go.  The beach on Superior wasn't that narrow out from Muskallonge Lake SP. We ended up going to beaches on Superior west of the State Park along the gravel road between Muskallonge Lake SP and Grand Marais.The beach there was wider and had more larger rocks.  I also found a couple large agates I think I'll have the local rock shop polish for me. We went to Munising Falls and Miners Falls but didn't make it to the others

[mary59mac]

I live in Mich but the lower peninsula. I LOVE the UP! I camped up in the Keewenaw peninsula last year and hope to get back up there this fall. May not go all the way to the Keewanaw though.

[tco2612]

I am going camping around the bloodsucker camp area the 16th of OCT. BRRRRRR

[chuck893]

We just did about 3/4 of the Superior Circle Tour. Part of it was four nights in McLain State Park on the Keweenaw, a place we've now been to I think four times (Houghton-Hancock).
[a href="https://flic.kr/p/yCdvCX"]

[img style="max-width:100%;" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5821/21424505091_9bde848ab8.jpg"][/a][a href="https://flic.kr/p/yDdbWP"]Keweenaw Upper Entrance Light, McLain State Park, MI (1950)[/a] by [a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/43619751@N06/"]Chuck Haacker[/a], on Flickr
[a href="https://flic.kr/p/xFkh7H"]
[img style="max-width:100%;" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/729/20792164493_04fc863c84.jpg"][/a][a href="https://flic.kr/p/xFkh7H"]McLain State Park, Hancock, MI, Keweenaw Peninsula, Lake Superior[/a] by [a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/43619751@N06/"]Chuck Haacker[/a], on Flickr

[sandyu]

Great pictures Chuck. The camper picture belongs on a livin lite website. Michigan is a great summer vacation spot. I never even dreamed of that until I got my camper and went to see what all the fuss is about. The water is cold, but crystal clear and great to swim in if your tuff enough.

[daplumbr]

That's some serious erosion along the shore in the last photo! McLain is a state park I really want to get to. 

[chuck893]

That's some serious erosion along the shore in the last photo! McLain is a state park I really want to get to. 

You are correct! I think this was our fourth trip to McLain, and on our third trip (which I'm gonna guess was about 5 years ago) the park staff warned that nearly the entire park would have to rejigger itself owing to erosion. Where we were camped this time (that first picture) used to be the second of three rows; now it is the first. Where the first row used to be is now mostly bike and walking path. You can still see the old site numbers on the pavement where the pavement still exists; in places the pavement is just gone, and as you can see the undercut on the bank is quite deep. There are numerous signs warning you not to get too close to the edge. Where I was standing to make that last picture was not as dangerous as it might look. I was probably 5' back from the edge. It looks to us as if the "new" configuration of the park is longer and narrower than it used to be. Erosion obviously is an ongoing challenge. Here's a link to the current park map:
http://www.michigandnr.com/Publications/PDFS/RecreationCamping/mclain_map.pdf

[calimobber]

We just returned from a week in the U.P. 1st part of the week in Copper Harbor camping at Lake Fanny Hooe and the rest at Marquette. All with the intent of riding their world class mountain bike trails. Started the first weekend running the A/C and finished the next with the furnace with perfect weather in between! It was gorgeous as always. This was our 5th trip up but the first time camping. Loved it! We got lucky and saw the aurora borealis out over Lake Superior the 1st night in Copper Harbor. It was amazing!  CH is so quiet you just feel the stress and tension fall away as you kick back with a local brew and the beautiful scenery.  I'll see if I can post a couple pictures.


Swimming in Lake Fanny Hooe



[img style="max-width:100%;" style="" src="http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x420/mtbmojo83/20150909_204047.jpg"]
Our camp site is just to the right of the bright lights on the large inland lake.  This picture was taken from the 1st overlook on the way up Brockway Mountain. We were coming back down after watching the sunset from the top of the mountain looking out over Lake Superior towards Isle Royale. 

 

[daplumbr]

We saw the northern lights over Lake Superior too. What a sight! And, mojospeople, nice dog! Any chance that's a red border collie? 

[hiker74]

Definitely going back soon.  Want to go to the North Shore (Minnesota) next trip to the Big Lake

[calimobber]

[quote source="/post/15426/thread" timestamp="1442884705" author="@sandroad"]We saw the northern lights over Lake Superior too. What a sight! And, mojospeople, nice dog! Any chance that's a red border collie? [/quote]Thanks!  We love him!  Mojo is 1/2 Border Collie and 1/2 Australian Shepherd. Momma was a little black and white BC and daddy was a big red merle Aussie. He's a really great dog. Loves people, other dogs and is always up for doing whatever we are doing.  He'll be 9 in a few weeks.