Technically, the Upper Peninsula is in Michigan, but maybe don’t say that to any “Yoopers” (UP residents), because up here it’s an entirely different world—one of wild waterfalls, forests, beaches, sea cliffs, and small towns never far from the shores of Lake Michigan and Lake Superior. Naturally, things to do in the Upper Peninsula tend to revolve around the outdoors, though you’ll find history, plenty of Scottish pasties, and a surprising amount of craft beer, too. This is Michigan gone wild—literally. Sometimes it’s even left off the map.
Let’s get one thing straight: If you can’t handle snow, don’t come to the UP from November to March. If you do like snow, the region has fantastic skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling. That leaves three seasons, all of which are lovely, but autumn can be a special treat. Coincide your visit with when the forests are flashing emerald and bright orange.
The Upper Peninsula is more than 16,000 square miles (41,000 square kilometers) and the biggest city is Marquette, with 20,000 people. There’s no large airport and you’ll definitely want a car—it’s roughly a 5-hour drive end-to-end. The towns themselves are quite walkable, but to get to big-hit attractions like Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, four wheels is the way to go.
The south shore of Lake Superior is especially spectacular. If you have time to make a slow, scenic drive, do so—you’ll wind from the Porcupine Mountains to the volcanic Keweenaw Peninsula, from Marquette and Munising (both great towns) to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and beyond. You could even head to the wild and backcountry Drummond Island, which peeks into Canada, via car ferry from De Tour.
