Upper Peninsula 5-Day

Cross the Mackinac Bridge

The 5-mile Mighty Mac costs $4 to cross and should be driven slowly. Stop at the Michigan Welcome Center on the north side. Head west on US-2 along Lake Michigan's north shore.

Afternoon

Activity

Tahquamenon Falls

The largest waterfall east of the Mississippi — 200 feet wide, amber-colored from tannins. Upper and lower falls connected by a 4-mile trail or canoe rental. Plan 3 hours.

3h~$8

Tip

Cell service is sparse across most of the UP

Download offline maps before leaving home. Verizon has the best coverage in the UP. US-2 and M-28 are the main corridors; everything else is a coin flip.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

The sandstone cliffs drop 200 feet into Lake Superior. The Miners Beach and Chapel Loop is the best all-day hike. Kayak tours of the arches are world-class.

Afternoon Excursion

Half Day

Pictured Rocks kayak tour

Half-day guided kayak tours depart from Miners Beach. Paddling through the sea arches and past the Miners Castle formation is one of the best outdoor experiences in the Midwest.

4h~$85

Marquette and Iron Country

Marquette is the UP largest city — good food, a decent craft beer scene, and Presque Isle Park on a Lake Superior peninsula. Base here for two nights.

Morning

Activity

Presque Isle Park loop

Free 323-acre park on a Lake Superior peninsula. The Black Rocks at the north tip are the best cliff-jumping spot in the UP. Loop takes about 90 minutes walking.

1h 30m~$0

Porcupine Mountains Wilderness

Porcupine Mountains State Park is 4 hours west of Marquette. The Summit Peak escarpment and Lake of the Clouds view is one of the most dramatic inland views in the US.

Morning

Activity

Lake of the Clouds Escarpment

Short walk from the parking lot to a 1,958-foot ridge above a glacial lake surrounded by old-growth forest. Sunrise is otherworldly. Bring a jacket even in summer.

1h~$17

Return south through the Straits

Drive back east on US-2 for a different perspective on the Lake Michigan shoreline. Stop at Kitch-iti-kipi, the largest freshwater spring in the US — turquoise, 45 feet deep, free to raft.

Afternoon

Activity

Kitch-iti-kipi (Big Spring)

A self-operated observation raft lets you float over the spring and watch 10,000 gallons per minute well up from the sandy bottom. Completely free. Nothing like it anywhere else.

45m~$0