Tourist Attractions in Michigan's Upper Peninsula

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula includes the Western Region, Central Region, and Eastern Region. Lake Superior forms the northern border for all three regions. The Central Region and Eastern both have Lake Michigan on the southern border, while Lake Huron also borders part of the Eastern Region’s southern and eastern shores. Because of the proximity of all three lakes, tourist attractions in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula are plentiful.

Castle Rock

Castle Rock stands almost 200 feet above Huron, offering views of Mackinac Island, St. Ignace, and all of the wildlife living in the area. It’s a seasonal lookout point.

Crisp Point Lighthouse

Crisp Point Lighthouse served as a U.S. Life-Saving Service station in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The lighthouse remains a popular area attraction. The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1993, but the grounds are open to visitors in the spring, summer, and fall.

Eagle Harbor Light Station and Museum Complex

The Eagle Harbor Light Station was part of the Eagle Harbor Mining Company. The lighthouse beacon kept ships from hitting the cliffs at night. It’s now multiple museums, including the Keweenaw History Museum, Commercial Fishing Museum, and Maritime Museum.

Fayette Historic State Park

In the late 1800s, Fayette was a thriving industrial community that manufactured pig iron. While that industry is gone, the buildings remain. Self-guided tours are available in the summer months, or you can arrange a guided tour of the buildings. There are also trails and a campground.

Great Sand Bay

Sand dunes and rocky areas mix with a long white sand beach spanning over 1,000 feet along Lake Superior. It’s a popular beach for swimmers who are willing to deal with the colder water temperature.

Hiawatha National Forest

There’s a lot to see and do in Hiawatha National Forest. When you’ve been playing slots and casino games all day and want to take a relatively easy walk, head to Au Train Campground. There’s a two-mile Songbird Trail that travels through the forest, fields, and along the lakeshore. You also go through a bog. Alone the way, songbirds, ducks, and birds of prey are visible.

Lake of the Clouds

Lake of the Clouds is in the Porcupine Mountains. It’s hidden the middle of the dense forests and towering cliffs. From the overlook, it looks like the lake is truly in the clouds. The other reason it’s a popular option is that it’s a great spot for bass fishing.

Lakenenland

Lakenland is a unique attraction that’s essentially nothing more than trash. The thing is the creator, Tom Lakenen, takes scrap iron and other repurposed items to establish works of art that are visible while walking the trails. There’s a bog walk, picnic areas, and two ponds for fishing.

Mackinac Island State Park

Established in 1895, Mackinac Island is Michigan’s first state park. It’s a no-car island, that encourages people to get out and walk around, rent a horse, or take a horse-drawn carriage/taxi. Many historic homes and buildings are scattered around the island. Start with the Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse and work your way to others like the American Fur Company Store and Dr. Beaumont Museum. Don’t miss the spectacular Arch Rock either.

Miners Beach

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula has many beaches available, but Miners Beach is the one to go to if you want to view Bridalveil Falls and Elliot Falls. It’s the longest beach on the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

The Pictured Rocks rise up to 200 feet above Lake Superior. The sandstone cliffs stand out as minerals seeped into the rock creating colorful layers that are visible from the water. Limonite creates white layers, and black (manganese), green and blue (copper), and red and orange (iron) add to the picturesque quality. Blueberry picking is allowed in season, but limited to one gallon per person, per day.

Presque Isle Park

Frederick Law Olmsted is one of history’s most famous landscape architects. He designed Central Park, the Niagara Reservation in Niagara Falls, gardens surrounding the United States Capitol, and many others. He was asked to look at the 323-acre Presque Isle and share insights, and his response was not to do a thing to change its natural beauty.

Seney National Wildlife Refuge

Covering more than 95,000 acres, Seney National Wildlife Refuge is in the Central Region of the Upper Peninsula. It’s a wildlife refuge with many dog-friendly trails and plenty of wildlife to see. Trumpeter swans, mink, moose, and many types of ducks are among the animals you’ll see within the refuge.

Soo Locks

St. Mary’s River connects Lake Superior with the other Great Lakes in the Eastern Region of the Upper Peninsula. Ships transition this narrower, shallower river through a series of gravity-fed chambers and gates known as the Soo Locks. Over 85 million tons of cargo pass these locks each year. Visitors are welcome to watch ships navigate the locks from Soo Locks Park and its Observation Deck.

How many tourist attractions in Michigan's Upper Peninsula can you fit into your casino trip? If you can’t get to everything on your list, they’re not going anywhere. You’ll love coming back year after year to keep checking attractions off your list.