Upper Peninsula Grand Tour

Cross the bridge and head east to Tahquamenon

Cross the Mackinac Bridge and turn east on M-28. Tahquamenon Falls is 90 miles east — plan to arrive by afternoon. The upper and lower falls are connected by 4 miles of trail or a canoe rental.

Afternoon Excursion

Half Day

Upper and Lower Tahquamenon Falls

Upper falls: 200 feet wide, 50,000 gallons per second, amber from tannins. Lower falls: accessible by rowboat rental across the river. The full trail connecting both is 4 miles.

4h~$8

Tip

Bears are common — use bear boxes at campgrounds

Black bears in the UP are habituated to campgrounds. All food must go in the metal bear box at your site. Never leave coolers in vehicles — bears have broken car windows for them.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Base in Munising for two nights. The sandstone cliffs of Pictured Rocks are the centerpiece of the UP. Kayak tours, boat tours, and the Chapel Loop trail all deliver from different angles.

Morning Excursion

Half Day

Chapel Loop backpacking

9.5-mile loop through old-growth forest past Chapel Falls, Chapel Rock, and Chapel Lake. Backcountry permits required ($5/night). The forest here is among the oldest in the Midwest.

6h~$5

Afternoon Excursion

Half Day

Grand Island kayak circumnavigation

Grand Island sits just offshore from Munising. A half-day guided kayak loops the island, passing sandstone arches and a historic cemetery. One of the best paddling experiences in the US.

5h~$85

Marquette — biggest city in the UP

Marquette has 20,000 people and feels like a proper small city. Northern Michigan University, a good brewery scene, Presque Isle Park, and the best hospital if something goes wrong in the backcountry.

Afternoon

Activity

Black Rocks cliff jumping at Presque Isle

The famous Black Rocks at the north tip of Presque Isle are the cliff jumping spot for UP locals. 15 feet into Lake Superior. Cold, clear, and genuinely exhilarating.

2h~$0

Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park

4 hours west of Marquette on M-28. The Porkies are the last old-growth hardwood forest in the Midwest. Lake of the Clouds sits in a glacial valley below the escarpment.

Morning

Activity

Lake of the Clouds overlook

Short walk from the parking lot — but do it at dawn or dusk for the full effect. Cloud inversions fill the valley below the escarpment at dawn in autumn. One of the best views in the Midwest.

1h~$17

Kitch-iti-kipi and Manistique

Michigan's largest natural spring: 45 feet deep, 10,000 gallons per minute, crystal clear. Self-operated observation raft costs nothing. Manistique is a small port town with decent Friday fish fry.

Return south through the Straits of Mackinac

Drive the north shore of US-2 past St. Ignace and back across the bridge. Stop at Fort Mackinac on the island if you have a few hours — the British-American fort history is underrated.