Upper Penninsula Michigan Hiking

“I will be spending 5 days in Hancock MI in mid August and was looking for info on day hikes in the U.P. Is there any guide books that anyone recommends? The Porcupine State Forest looks promising, does anyone have info on it?

Thanks.”

“reptiles: Sunshine is a local up there, so she'll have the best current info I'm guessing. Also, stop at Downwind Sports in downtown Houghton (across the canal from Hancock) and someone there should have tips. There are some XC ski trails around there that are probably good hikes and may include historic sites. Calumet just north of Hancock is a National Historic Park.

In the Falcon Guide series is Hiking Michigan, but nothing in there that is close to Hancock, though Porkies are not that far to the west and the book has a good section on that park.

Sturgeon Gorge Wilderness is at the south end of Houghton County (which is quite long n to s). There is a good hike down to some falls on the river in the gorge, but it isn't the easiest to find. Now that it's an official Fed. wilderness, signage might be better.

At the tip of the Keeweenaw, at Copper Harbor, is a state park and some other sites with paths. And there is Brockway Mountain, which has a steep scenic drive to the top, from which you can see Isle Royale on a clear day. The drive up from Hancock is really pretty; just make the loop -- if you go up the interior highway to Copper Harbor, take the west shore route back through Eagle Harbor and Eagle River along Superior, or vice versa.

If you are into rocks and minerals, visit the mineralogy museum at Michigan Tech. University in Houghton. Mining engineers know how to find really cool rocks.

Keep us posted on the dates; I'll check my materials for any more info that would be of use.”

“reptiles,

I got your e-mail addy from your bio page. I'll send you a message. If you let me know how many people and what kinds of things you're interested in, I'll hook you up with a bunch of information. Sure hope you can take some time out for coffee or a hike! I work in Hancock and live in the Keweenaw. I've also done about half of the trails in the Porcupine Mountains. It's an hour drive from Hancock so I'd plan at least a day out there, if I were you. :o)”

“Reptiles:

F.J. McClain State Park is 7 miles north of Hancock right on Lake Superior. It lists hiking as available activity in my Michigan Atlas/Gazetteer, as does Fort Wilkins State Park in Copper Harbor. Also at Copper Harbor (or right next to it) is Estivant Pines, which has a 2.5 mile loop through a 200-acre grove of virgin white pine.

6 miles east of Eagle Harbor on Lake Superior is Agate Beach, which offers a chance to walk the shore in search of lake polished agates.

On the other side of the Keeweenaw from Hancock are sandier beaches. You can't spend five days up there without driving over to Gay and having a beer at the Gay Bar.

Twin Lakes S.P. south of Houghton/Hancock on M-26 is noted in the Atlas as being a wooded wilderness area with hiking as an activity.

The Keeweenaw has a lot of waterfalls to see. Some are near roads, others will require more effort. The locals should know some good ones that would make nice hikes. There are a lot of old two track roads that go off into the woods. The Michigan Atlas or some topos might show you possible places to explore and find high points from which you could see out over Superior in one direction or another, or as at Brockway Mountain, both.”

“Hey Sunshine, I figured you'd spot the thread and get Reptiles fixed up. Still hoping to get up and do a hike with you. Maybe Reptiles' trip will offer a chance.”

“If I had five days to hike in the U.P., I would make a trip to the Porkies. I've done the Porkies several times and have always enjoyed the challenging hikes. Bugs, mud, and bears can sometimes be a problem, but with preparation, they are easily overcome.

http://showcase.netins.net/web/ladagephoto/scrapindex.html”

“Since reptiles asked for day hikes, I'm guessing he can't take all five days for himself in the backcountry. But there are some Porkies routes that can be used for day hikes, as Sunshine also noted. It is worth the hour's drive from Hancock.”

“I just visited snacks' hiking page and it is outstanding. Great story of hiking the Porkies from both the adult and youth viewpoints, along with great stuff on Isle Royale and other destinations. Excellent photos.”

“I was just in the neighborhood last month. If you go to the end of US-41 in Copper Harbor, you can take logging roads east around the tip. I wouldn't recommend it without 4 wheel drive. From there, you can find some pretty isolated shoreline and hills. But I don't know if there is any literature on the area. Oh, and you need to watch out for some crazies with trucks. But you can bushwack and camp there anywhere you want.

BTW, the state of Michigan has been thinking about buying/trading for the tip. I think it is still deliberating. I think it would make a nice national park - Isle Royale without the boat ride.

Most of the UP is publicy owned or accessibly commercial forest land. I'd recommend Porcupine Mountains SP, Pictured Rocks NL. Oh, and I've been dying to get out to Grand Island NRA near Munising.

Hey, while we're at it, is there any good hiking near Sault St. Marie? I'll be there for a conference in a week and a half.

rl”

“Pekka,

Let me know if you make it up this way! I just sent reptiles a 10 mile day hike itinerary which gives the best of the park.

reptiles,

If you think you're up to it, you can add four more miles to that hike to do the length of the park. It would be one hell of a hike but well worth it if you only have a day there. When are you headed this way? Oh! If you're looking to stay at camp grounds but don't care for them, let me know. I know of some wonderful places to hike in that aren't campgrounds but do see some traffic from day hikers.”

“My brother is driving to Grand Marais tomorrow morning and offered me a ride, so I'm going to get to hike the NCT between Grand Marais and Muskallonge Lake on the Lake Superior Shore.
I just finished section hking the NCT in the Manistee Nat'l Forest, now I'm gonna start on the UP.”

“Have fun Le Subtil; Grand Marais is a neat little village. Say hello to the bears (though I hope you don't have to, LOL).”

“Ditto what Pekka said. Snacks' website is great!!

RL - I've heard good stuff about Grand Island. But, when I was checking some websites, I got the impression that there would be more traffic than anticipated.

I've heard its a great place for kayaking!”

“My brother kayaked around Grand Island earlier this month, if you want info.”

“I've mountain-biked Grand Island, which is a fun way to go around. But I haven't camped. It's a multiple-use recreation area, and there are some fees for certain uses. Sounds like it is getting busier, and from what an outfitter friend of mine said, more regulated and bureaucratized. But a beautiful place nonetheless.”

“Wow! Thanks everyone for the info.
I wil be up in Hancock Aug 16th through the 22nd. My fiance's father's side of the family is from there. Her great Aunt whose 96 just had a stroke so we are going up to visit. Also, her immediate family will be there and we will get to see her brother's new baby. We'll be camping at the family cottage on Portage lake and hopefully day tripping around for a few days.

I went to Copper Harbor the last time I was up there and drove to the top of some hill. We also stopped at some waterfalls near a bridge, then some more on the side of the road, and at a lighthouse somewhere.
Sunshine, do you know Wickley Insurance agency? That's her dad's family. I'll check my email later.
Thanks again everyone!”

“REPTILES:

Sounds like you did the Brockway Mountain drive, and I know the waterfalls -- been there, done that too. There is a little jam shop near one falls run by monks; did you visit that? Good stuff.”

“Those monks make the BEST thimbleberry jam and their bread is excellant! We actually got some for a wedding gift!”

“Thanks for the feedback. For those who forwarded your links, I'll check them this weekend.”

“The jam shop is called "The Jam Pot". What good stuff!”

“The monks make good oatmeal raisin cookies!”

“Le Subtil -

Please let me know how your trip goes. I have been "eyeing" that part of the NCT for some time now and have it temp. pegged for a trip later this summer. Thanks!!”

“My adventure this weekend was interesting. I didn't get to hike from Grand Marais to Muskallonge Lake. It's a long story, but I did get to the Sea Kayak Symposium in Grand Maris. There were easily 500 kayaks there. It was fascinating. And, I hiked a 6 mile section of the NCT in the UP barefoot, picking up where I left off on my Pic Rocks trip and beginning my UP NCT section hike in a pitifull way (I did something really dumb) Sable Falls and river are first rate. I also donated 2 or 3 pints of blood to the UP state bird, and I haven't slept since Thursday. Maybe when I wake it will all have been a dream...
Craig”

“Barefoot? I hope it was a sand beach, or that you have incredible tough feet.”

“Barefoot in the sand is not good for long hikes. Your arches really start to feel it.”

“Well, the other options for trail surfaces in the U.P. don't seem conducive to bare feet. I'm sure the full story from Le Subtil ought to be interesting.

BTW, an article I read on dealing with plantar facitis recommended barefoot beach walking as therapy. No discussion of how far was appropriate though.”

“Just wanted to let you know that I haven't forgotten about you. It's been damn hot and humid so we have been at the beach these days.

Tuesday I will be xeroxing a bunch of stuff to mail you including info on some books. You should get a package by this weekend.”

“I know's it's been cloudy and thunderstorming here but where's my Sunshine?

I'm flying out Thurs. at 1am so any info you can get to me before then would be much appreciated. I'm also planning on stopping in at that gear store the main street when I get there to get any more info that I might need.

Would you still like to meet for a beer or possibly a hike? Let me know.

Thanks.”

“You didn't get the package?!?!?!

I was wondering why I hadn't heard from you. If I mail something now, it won't reach you.

Do you want me to drop some stuff off at the Wickley Agency? I was going to ask if you'd like to borrow my books and then decide which if any you'd buy for yourself. I sent copies of the indexes to give you an idea of what each contained. They both have their merits but I have a personal preference.

Yes!! I'd definately like to meet up!

Which gear store? Webbers or Downwind Sports? They're across the street from each other.

Heck, I'll send you an e-mail.”

“A future reference for everyone: the Las Vegas Post Office sucks! I get bills delivered the day they are due. Mail has been known to sit for close a week before it gets sorted or sent out.”

“I sent you an e-mail. Check it out. :o)”

“Hey Reptiles, your timing is good. The heat wave is supposed to end Thursday here in Northern Wisconsin and the U.P., turning to fair and in the low 70s for the weekend. Have fun up in the Copper Country.”

“Joy, you can get to the Jam Pot website and several other interesting sites at www.pasty.com. THey have some very nice pictures of the U.P., local businesses, local news, etc. (Sorry, I don't know HTML!) Time to order some thimbleberry jam!”

“YUM!”

“Sylvania Wilderness -- just outside Watersmeet. Some good trails. And if you want great canoeing. (You can rent a canoe just east of the "park.") But nice trails for day hikes along lakes. Not many people this time of the year.”

“ffred, Sylvania is only about an hour from my house. It's a beautiful place in September once a frost trims back the bugs and paints the trees.”

“pekka Didn't make it there this year. Last year it was GREAT in August -- no nasty bugs. I envy you having such a place so near. I'm 6 hours south--you guessed it - Chicago. But spent many days in Sylvania years past.”

“There hasn't been enough hiking threads around lately so here's my vacation/trip report and pictures from the U.P. and the Porcupine Mountians.

Here?s a trip report from my vacation to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in August. We went to see my fiancé?s parents at her grandfather?s cabin on Portage Lake. Thursday was spent traveling from Vegas. Friday was spent visiting with her great aunt, her grandfather and then finally barhopping in Houghton. Yummy micro brews.

Saturday we went to Copper Harbor to see the ?Art in the Park Festival?. Along the way, we stopped at Lac La Belle and had lunch at the waterfalls. Then we headed up to Copper Harbor to the festival. It was a pretty good festival with several photographer booths whose work was worth buying. One in particular had spent a lot of time out at Isle Royal photographing the wildlife. From Copper Harbor, we went to a little set of falls in a small gorge right up the road from Copper Harbor. Then we made our way back down the coast stopping at the sand dunes and at a picnic area to dip out feet in the lake, look for agates, and take photos. Sunday was church, boat trip to Lake Superior, and hanging with her dad?s family who live in Houghton, and nearby cities.

Monday was MY day. Kara promised me that we could go hiking in the Porcupine Mountains at least one day of MY vacation. A question to the married people? Is the majority of your vacation time spent visiting one family or the other? I miss the days of taking a four-day weekend to go backpacking, not having to listen to the sheltered and ignorant words of a man who has hardly left the Upper Peninsula in the past 80 years. Talk about being out of touch with the rest of the world! However, I digress, I?m sorry, back to the Porkies. We did the short hike to the lookout tower and then hiked back to the car. We stopped and talked to some backpackers who were doing a figure 8 shaped loop through the park. You could easily plan a 4-5 day loop hike through there and not have to travel the same trail twice. We then stopped at the Little Carp River and hiked about 2 miles round trip to several waterfalls. Then we drove to the Presque Isle River. What an awesome set of waterfalls! We took the board walk to the top of the second falls where you can see the first falls in the distance, then we made our way down to the mouth of the river on Lake Superior. I could have spent days there photographing the waterfalls, the swirling pools of water, and all the green trees. I really miss trees living here in Las Vegas. We finished the day by bar hopping in Houghton again, till 2:30 in the morning! Now that?s quality vacation time. Slightly hung over, we flew out the next day.

Upper Penninsula”

“I guess you'll have to cut and paste.

http://www.dotphoto.com/Go.asp?l=Kurt&P=&AID=90639&GID=67022&T=1”

“nice pics. looks like a place i would like to see.”