Top 5 Upper Peninsula Car Tours: Scenic Routes & Reviews
Thinking about seeing Michigan’s Upper Peninsula from the comfort of your car? It’s such a great idea! Seriously, you get to experience some pretty wild scenery while keeping things nice and relaxed. I mean, picture this: vast forests, shiny lakes, and some really interesting little towns. We have looked into the top five driving routes in the UP to assist you in discovering this unique place at your own pace. From historic landmarks to naturally beautiful spots, be prepared to fill up on the charm of the Upper Peninsula.
1. M-26: Copper Harbor to Eagle Harbor
Alright, M-26 is like this lovely piece of blacktop that sticks to the Keweenaw Peninsula’s shoreline. That’s right, it runs between Copper Harbor and Eagle Harbor and gives a great show of Lake Superior’s views! So you will be so close that, really, you will think you can feel the spray of the waves from your car. This route, almost with all of its scenic beauty, is wrapped in tales of the copper rush from a time long ago. Like your traveling back.
A drive through Copper Harbor, which is just that little town at the tip of the peninsula, and a trip into a more recent past can show you just a bit more. Actually, there are several quirky little shops to be had there, and you can find a bite to eat at some truly great spots. Stopping to see the old Eagle Harbor Lighthouse is really important; its tower looms over the waves, telling tales of maritime disasters. This tour’s almost more about the small trips along the way as it is about arriving.
- Brockway Mountain Drive: Near Copper Harbor, take a little detour along Brockway Mountain Drive for a lookout point from so high above.
- Eagle Harbor Lighthouse: Make sure to get some photos, like your remembering something so very important, when going to the ancient lighthouse site at Eagle Harbor!
- Fort Wilkins Historic State Park: Travel back to when copper ruled everything at this 1844 rebuilt fort, and find out a thing or two of the olden days, honestly.
2. US-2: Iron Mountain to Ironwood
Going across the UP’s southern end, the US-2 presents, more or less, an exceptionally beautiful tour through an area, really, so rich in woods and mining history. This one’s very interesting. On this path connecting Iron Mountain with Ironwood, so nearly every bend in the road almost promises an astonishing vista. This experience, like the quiet rustling of tree leaves, provides a sense of quiet that you cannot find in cities.
Start your excursion in Iron Mountain by visiting the famous Iron Mountain Iron Mine, and the adventure begins way down below. Learn the tale of how Iron ore mined to serve a country, and find out about the perseverance of those who were dedicated to getting the treasure out. Continue down the highway as the trees hug close and small hamlets go by.
At the furthermost reaches of your travels sits Ironwood, full of history. You almost get transported to a different time. Stop in the historic Ironwood Theatre to watch an event or just marvel at the building’s splendor. The past, like what was learned through all of your adventures, has such an amazing way of telling stories.
- Iron Mountain Iron Mine: Go into an actual iron mine, that really gave insight into the challenging world that once occurred below!
- Pine Mountain Ski Jump: Quite an adventure as you climb up this gigantic jump—it really does look exciting.
- Ironwood Theatre: An excellent building; find some kind of performances to see or perhaps a guided historical tour to grasp its history.
3. M-123: Paradise to Tahquamenon Falls State Park
Do you want to view nature up close? Drive the M-123 between Paradise and Tahquamenon Falls State Park, and almost, but not quite, enter paradise. The focus here’s very much about the park. Actually, so you almost cannot take it all in at once with its 50,000+ acres. However, do try because, truly, it offers many ways of connecting you back again.
The Tahquamenon Falls really, are the park’s biggest sight. Its Upper Falls’ amber waters tumble over a 50-foot drop, one of the biggest falls located east of the Mississippi, as a matter of fact! From below, marvel as they tumble and turn! The Lower Falls gives a softer experience for nature-lovers and might even cause visitors to choose some of its several trails going around, maybe getting up close to a thing or two about it. Consider bringing a picnic or simply stopping by to take some pictures for a truly wonderful time out on the open land.
- Tahquamenon Falls (Upper and Lower): At the Upper Falls’ scenic overlook, gaze out, just completely taking in this wonderful show; do not even think of leaving behind a trip towards its smaller sister down near to the Lower Falls—it might bring another set of perspectives!
- Tahquamenon Rivermouth: Keep a watch for the beautiful birds; find trails meandering close by to enjoy viewing different things like those around, maybe even those under that!
- Paradise, Michigan: Before returning from that amazing wonderland or heading way further than those woods and creeks, do yourself such a favor and just maybe stop over at this peaceful little community along Whitefish Bay!
4. The Lake Michigan Circle Tour (West UP Section)
The Lake Michigan Circle Tour is so famous—a long, stunning trail that really borders the whole lake. So much to see here. Specifically, the trip along this stretch inside the Upper Peninsula offers up fantastic views, along with an array of places really worth spending some time. From charming waterfront towns to rocky shoreline landscapes, the scenic route does justice to any soul who adores naturalness itself! Just maybe consider that when hitting play here.
Beginning around Menominee or Escanaba will get the Lake Michigan experience going properly; perhaps first try somewhere like Fayette Historic State Park which just has to do with showing back when things were really heating inside an antique iron-smelting town set inside Garden Peninsula; so this alone guarantees something really intriguing enough from up close itself.
You may not also choose to lose attractions just as Big Bay de Noc or further down US 2. A bit away from it, there lies this small historic location having stunning vistas overlooking one’s horizon, basically something from one’s dreamlands that may feel true after witnessing themselves—remember making photos together—doing them right really captures moments! I mean so feel yourselves pulled towards watching each turn.
- Fayette Historic State Park: An old iron-smelting factory town shows insights dating straightaway through from that Iron Industry golden time along Michigan Peninsula’s earlier life set; don’t miss finding one by knowing back some historical views—or rather getting historical photographs going up near walls near yourself either inside that very little building, or further alongside outdoor ones near those very little alleys down yonder there during afternoons almost!
- Big Bay de Noc: This pretty expansive natural harbor spot may serve you anything from calm sightseeing down to exciting sports throughout that bright year as many migratory bird habitats gather alongside shoreside edges out further during their travels as ever… really what’s beyond expectation during these kinds experiences during one’s entire timeline anyway!!!
- Palms Book State Park (Kitch-iti-kipi): Often the “Mirror of Heaven” it always appears so unbelievably clearly pure; go discover springs down through an underwater observation area at various different water adventures as we talk further now; do go—be prepared. Perhaps one could be needing all things packed ahead before seeing any surprises there anyway since everything will not truly work out unless carefully brought before there truly really after witnessing this together then really what more shall those after ones even then shall claim anyhow later anyway by their true honest hearts since forever almost truly?!
5. M-25/M-134: Along the Eastern U.P. Shoreline
Okay so this particular travel plan might take users for really amazing trips all surrounding shore routes from what most take so naturally about how Michigan’s so uniquely scenic around it—this really is saying such good times do definitely occur as planned down here just while actually feeling very blessed indeed if done appropriately too and accordingly well during a timely arranged timing like really, if done properly though perhaps since ever truly too too by far if possible maybe!!
Driving along M-25 and heading towards a section up the M-134 really offers scenes so picturesque from around several sites surrounding Eastern’s end of the U.P.; That, also just may take place surrounding Lake Huron just being down deep beside themselves there; feel so strongly all that refreshing lake air coming at them there and around everything surrounding too too truly!! From little scenic coastal destinations such all by Port Austin down too and towards Rogers location even down by, always remain chances existing alongside paths during stops up from and further too so they might seek down these historical settings down further—all just that are there indeed maybe!!!
So consider discovering the famous old lighthouses for amazing backstories or discovering coastal spots such being scenic so all can find such scenic landscapes down even from such amazing cliffs over and around maybe… maybe after those many long hikes throughout such open trails and all or anything whatsoever!!! It nearly just should remain this thing ever being so nice out across—and throughout for now. Be sure now!!! It really actually could just do nicely really with anything out beyond by the actual coast there. Be absolutely so just then already almost please already. Be surely definitely!!!
- Port Austin: Look throughout that Thumbcoast for awesome moments even alongside by M-25 route there with views such and just near those community settings by its bay so picturesque. Then and even ever even…
- Rogers City: Enjoy over down here too or so all of their community parks here ever down through so ever that too, all which will still truly happen soon for certain, also! Also yes. This must be fully guaranteed perhaps mostly yes though!!! And even mostly too all truly there though if fully for truly maybe?!!
- Lighthouses around route sides from coastal stretches across: Capture such pretty photographs maybe mostly too if really quite hopefully definitely truly anyway probably actually or nearly not maybe fully surely yes probably potentially too perhaps as ever ever mostly… really yes. Surely just trust as yes also and there’ll actually ever totally even eventually surely and definitely all do become totally then there for certain surely then please already thanks there surely maybe though!!! It is this yes trust then trust thanks okay!!