9 prettiest places to visit in Upper Peninsula Michigan ⚓ Circle the UP road trip ⚓ Great Lakes Michigan travel blog

Hi there!

Michigander here!

Proud to bring you the prettiest places to visit in the Upper Peninsula with some of the best views that you will find in all of Michigan!

The State of Michigan’s slogan is “Pure Michigan” and you can get plenty of that with a trip to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan aka a trip to the UP!

This is remote Michigan!

I did a 2-week road trip around the Upper Peninsula, and here are things to know about!

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This UP road trip route will start from the Mackinac Bridge, which is the eastern Upper Peninsula, so it can work in this order when you’re coming from the Mackinac Bridge and the Lower Peninsula of Michigan.

If you’re driving to the UP from the Wisconsin side, which is the western Upper Peninsula, the Porcupine Mountains can be your first stop.

No matter which direction you drive, you can make many scenic stops!

I’ve also included ideas for where to stay, including hotels and campgrounds.

Here is your quick list of hotels, and you can read the reviews at partner websites.

• St Ignace: Moosewood Inn or Best Western Harbour Pointe Lakefront (just across the Mackinac Bridge on the UP side)
• Munising: The Beach Inn Motel or Scotty’s Motel (gateway town of Pictured Rocks)
• Marquette: Hampton Inn Marquette (waterfront) or Superior Stay Hotel
  • If you’ll be in Marquette for a few days: Staybridge Suites Marquette (IHG)
• Keweenaw Peninsula: Country Inn & Suites by Radisson in Houghton or AmericInn by Wyndham in Calumet

1. St Ignace and Mackinac Bridge area

St Ignace is the city you’ll pass through right after you drive across the Mackinac Bridge.

Straits State Park is located near the Mackinac Bridge.

See more about things to do in St Ignace.

If you’re limited on time, then you can keep driving north.

But before really starting to drive north, make a slight detour to the west and take US-2 aka Lake Michigan Scenic Highway for a small part so you can drive directly along the lake.

Make a stop (safely!) and get out of the car to walk along the top of small sand dunes and the beach.

Also if you want to make a detour to the next destination, you can go to the Soo Locks, which is a narrow water crossing where massive cargo ships go through. This is considered an engineering feat. (Observation deck closed in summer 2020 due to health safety reasons, but you can still see it from ground level.)

Where to stay in St Ignace: Moosewood Inn or Best Western Harbour Pointe Lakefront

Camping in the UP with Mackinac Bridge views: Straits State Park campground

2. Whitefish Point

Now you can make your way up to what’s been called the “Graveyard of the Great Lakes” or the “Graveyard of Lake Superior.”

It’s said that it gets this name because of the MANY shipwrecks that occurred right around here.

The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum is located here, and there is a lighthouse here too.

You can also go for a long walk on the beach in search of colorful rocks!

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See more about Whitefish Point.

After your visit to Whitefish Point, you may also be interested in Crisp Point or Vermilion Point along the shores of Lake Superior!

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3. Tahquamenon Falls State Park

You’ll have passed the turn-off for Tahquamenon Falls on your way up to Whitefish Point so you’re coming back down south a little bit.

These waterfalls are the most popular waterfalls in Michigan.

The Upper Falls are the best for viewing, and the Lower Falls are the best if you want to get up close and personal with the waterfalls and wade a bit in the Tahquamenon River that feeds the waterfalls. You can take a boat across the river to a small island!

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See more about things to do in Tahquemenon Falls State Park.

Camping in the UP near Tahquamenon Falls: Tahquamenon Falls State Park campground and Andrus Lake State Forest campground.

As you drive to the west from Tahquamenon Falls, you’ll want to stick to the numbered roads (county/state/government roads) so you won’t end up on the real backroads of the UP! (These are backroads that you don’t want to end up on!)

This was a google maps fail! Around here it was also instructing to turn onto roads that didn’t exist. As long as you don’t end up on the backroads, google maps will generally work just fine!

Even worse, you don’t want to get stuck in sand on Rabbit Patch Road like a bunch of other tourists. For example if you decide to go from Tahquamenon Falls to Muskallonge Lake State Park campground.

When I arrived at Muskallonge Lake, the state park worker there said a ton of people had been rescued from there! aka needed a tow truck to get them out! $$$ This google maps fail is real! Read the comments on youtube.

If you can’t see the Upper Peninsula backroads video above, you can watch it on youtube.

PLUS… A road that you DO want to take… maybe!

If you’ll be driving from Tahquamenon Falls to Pictured Rocks (next on the list!), you may consider a slight detour to drive along the Grand Marais Truck Trail.

This is a gravel road that goes right along Lake Superior in part, and you’ll find a number of access points where you can walk down to the Lake Superior shoreline!

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4. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

This is a national park site, and 1 of 3 national lakeshores located in the Great Lakes, which are the only national lakeshores in the United States.

So as a national lakeshore, there are tons of spots for scenic sites! This includes overlooks, waterfalls, and beaches.

Best quick stops include the overlooks of the Miners Castle and Log Slide.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is best known for its cliffs. You can see the Pictured Rocks cliffs by boat and sea kayak.

You can also see the cliffs by foot by hiking the Chapel Loop Trail.

If you’re after hiking trails that come with Lake Superior views, be sure to see the list of best hikes in Pictured Rocks.

For hiking trails that take you to waterfalls and the Lake Superior coastline, have a look at Sable Falls Trail and Chapel Falls Trail.

Looking for colorful agate stones is a thing on the shores of Lake Superior, and you can do this in Pictured Rocks too.

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Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore stretches from Grand Marais on one side to the east, and Munising on the other side to the west.

The big sand dunes are on the Grand Marais side.

The famous Pictured Rocks cliffs and the tree growing on a rock are on the Munising side.

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See more about things to do in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

Where to stay in Munising: The Beach Inn Motel or Scotty’s Motel

Camping in the Upper Peninsula in/near Pictured Rocks:

• Pictured Rocks campgrounds
  • Twelvemile Beach (Lake Superior camping!)
  • Hurricane River
  • Little Beaver Lake
  • List of camping spots in Pictured Rocks (including the basics on backcountry camping)
• Pictured Rocks backcountry campsites
• Hiawatha National Forest
  • Bay Furnace campground on Lake Superior
  • Au Train Lake campground on an inland lake

5. Marquette

The biggest city in the UP.

But don’t expect too much! It’s no “big city” compared to the top American cities. The downtown is a cute little area. This is also a college town, home to Northern Michigan University. 

If you want to load up on groceries, this can be a place to do so. There’s a Meijer here. (An indication of how “big” Marquette is. ;))

For nature and incredible Lake Superior views…

Don’t miss Sugarloaf Mountain!

And don’t miss Presque Isle Park!

See more about things to do on the drive from Munising to Marquette.

Where to stay in Marquette: Hampton Inn Marquette (waterfront) or Superior Stay Hotel

If you’re staying in Marquette a few days, look at Staybridge Suites Marquette (IHG).

6. Keweenaw Peninsula

This is more of an “off-beat” UP spot, as not as many people get up to the Keweenaw Peninsula compared to other places in the UP.

Copper Harbor is the city that’s located at the far northern tip of the UP (and far northern tip of Michigan). Houghton is the main city in the Keweenaw Peninsula. This is another college town, where Michigan Tech University is located.

For nature and incredible Lake Superior views, don’t miss Hunters Point Park and Devil’s Washtub. The Brockway Mountain overlook is another good spot.

Copper Harbor is also known for mountain biking trails. You can rent bikes there or bring your own.

The area is also “Copper Country” and there are many spots around the Keweenaw Peninsula where you can learn about the former big copper industry of the region, including through visits to places that are a part of the Keweenaw Heritage Trail and Keweenaw National Historical Park.

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See more about the Keweenaw Peninsula.

Where to stay in the Keweenaw Peninsula: Country Inn & Suites by Radisson in Houghton or AmericInn by Wyndham in Calumet.

Camping in the Upper Peninsula in/near the Keweenaw Peninsula:

• Fort Wilkins Historic State Park campground
• McLain State Park campground
• Baraga State Park campground

7. Porcupine Mountains State Park

Now this is the far western Upper Peninsula, getting close to Wisconsin.

Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park is said to be Michigan’s largest state park. You get hills inland, and Lake Superior on the coastline here.

There are basically 2 sides to the state park.

Union Bay is the side with the visitor center and famous Lake of the Clouds overlook. This is also the side where you can access the Escarpment Trail, considered to be among the best hikes in the Porcupine Mountains.

Presque Isle is the side with the waterfalls. There is a riverside waterfall hike you can do to see a series of waterfalls with the Presque Isle River waterfalls loop.

And as the name of Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park indicates, the Porcupine Mountains (aka the Porkies) has miles and miles of wilderness. To go along with that, there are hiking trails that can be a part of your backcountry camping experience. There are both campsites and cabins available that you can hike to, some right along Lake Superior!

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See more about things to do in the Porcupine Mountains.

Where to stay in Ontonagon: Ontonagon home with firepit

Camping in the Upper Peninsula in the Porcupine Mountains:

• Union Bay campground (lakefront campsites available)
• Presque Isle campground
• List of camping spots in the Porcupine Mountains (including backcountry campsites and cabins)

On your way to the next place on the list, you might want to go to Bond Falls!

8. Southern peninsulas of the UP

Now to make it a loop of the UP, you can start driving back east, along the southern part of the Upper Peninsula.

You can visit a peninsula on a peninsula!

There are smaller peninsulas you can stop at that are more off-beat UP spots.

There’s the Garden Peninsula, where you can visit Fayette Historic State Park (camping available) for a bit of history on what life around here was like back in the day. Here you can also see a unique geological formation for the region, with some dolomite cliffs that are a part of the Niagara Escarpment.

And there’s also the Stonington Peninsula where you can visit the Peninsula Point Lighthouse.

You can climb up to the top of this lighthouse.

9. Kitch-iti-kipi

And then continuing the drive, near Manistique is one of the most popular spots in all of the UP.

Kitch-iti-kipi is where you can see the bubbling big spring! You can ride the free observation raft to actually see down below where the water is “bubbling” beneath the sand and entering into the spring.

See more about Kitch-iti-Kipi.

Where to stay in Manistique: Comfort Inn

And then drive back to the Mackinac Bridge to complete your circle of the Upper Peninsula!!!

One more stop on your Michigan road trip

And if you want to make an overnight stop in the Lower Peninsula on your way up north to the UP (or back down south), you might consider Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore!

It might be a slight detour, but you might think it’s worth it!

This is located on the shores of Lake Michigan.

Where to stay in Traverse City: Bayshore Resort

Camping near Traverse City: Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore campgrounds

To start your UP road trip

Now going back to the start! Before you make it to the Upper Peninsula…

If you’re driving up from the south in Michigan and looking for a stop just before you cross over to the UP, then make a stop at either Wawatam Park (Lake Huron side) or McGulpin Point (Lake Michigan side, picture below) so you can have views of the Mackinac Bridge from the Lower Peninsula!

And then you will drive across the Mackinac Bridge to the Upper Peninsula!!

Welcome to the UP!!!

What is the prettiest part of the Upper Peninsula?

The prettiest parts of the Upper Peninsula include Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, the Keweenaw Peninsula, and the Lake Superior lighthouses! 

Upper Peninsula Michigan map

👆 Map of where the Upper Peninsula is located in Michigan. Explore the map.

Upper Peninsula road trip route map

For the visual, here’s the basic route that’s outlined on the list below. 

Lake Superior circle tour

The Lake Superior circle tour is a thing. (So is a Michigan scenic byway.)

Circling Lake Superior means driving around the lake through Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Ontario (Canada)!

If you want to do the whole loop, Americans do need a passport to travel to Canada, or an enhanced drivers license if you live in a state where that’s offered… like Michigan!

Part of this drive around the UP will cover the Michigan stops to make on the Lake Superior circle tour!

Lake Superior isn’t the only one of the Great Lakes that you can see on a UP road trip though!

The Upper Peninsula touches 3 of the Great Lakes: Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, and Lake Huron! With the trip route below, you can see all 3 of these lakes!

As you are driving, you may also come across signs for the Lake Michigan circle tour and the Lake Huron circle tour too.

You can also make your Michigan road trip into:

• Michigan waterfalls road trip
• Michigan lighthouse road trip
• Lake Superior road trip
• Lake Superior camping trip

North Country Trail

There is also something called the North Country Trail which is a national scenic trail.

This is a hiking trail (backpacking trail) that extends for 4,600 miles across many states from the midwest to east coast. Part of it goes through the Upper Peninsula.

Camping in the Upper Peninsula

I did this as a 2 week camping trip. So it’s possible to find campgrounds along the way. 

For Michigan state park campgrounds, be sure to see this list of state park campgrounds in the UP that will give you amazing views of the Great Lakes! You’ll want to make reservations, and this is the state park camping reservation website.

For national park campgrounds, you will also want to make reservations, and this is the national park camping reservation website.

You can also find Michigan state forest campgrounds and Hiawatha National Forest campgrounds along the way too.

Prepare for minimal cell and data service

Even if you won’t be camping, you want to prepare as if you won’t have cell service (data service) as you drive from one destination to another within the UP.

Since this is remote Michigan, there’s a good chance you will hardly get any data service while on the road. (You may get a little service as you’re passing through small towns.)

Most importantly, this means that it would be a very good idea to download offline google maps before you go. This is free.

GPS mostly works around the UP, so as long as you have offline maps, then you’ll be able to navigate even if you aren’t able to get data.

Quick list: Best things to do in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan

• Eastern Upper Peninsula
• Whitefish Point (shipwreck coast)
• Tahquamenon Falls State Park
• Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
• Western Upper Peninsula
• Keweenaw Peninsula
• Porcupine Mountains State Park
• Lake Superior lighthouse road trip
• Upper Peninsula waterfalls road trip
• Camping near Lake Superior

HAPPY DRIVING AROUND MICHIGAN ON YOUR U.P. ROAD TRIP!

I did this Upper Peninsula road trip in summer 2020. Your experience may vary!