Marquette to Manistique – Waterfalls, Lighthouses, & Springs

While staying in Munising we opted to explore the surrounding towns and areas on the days the weather blew in the large mass of smoke and fog/mist. The temperatures were 15 – 20 degrees cooler under the mass, so we planned our outings based on where the warm weather and sunshine would be; which worked out very well.

Huron Mountains

About 25 miles north of the town of Marquette are the Huron Mountains and at their base is Big Bay Point, the town of Big Bay, and Lake Independence. Within the mountains is the Thomas Rock Scenic Overlook and interpretive Trail.

Big Bay Point

First we head out to Big Bay Point to get a look at the view and the 1896 lighthouse we’d been seeing advertised on roadside signs on the drive up . As we get to the lighthouse, we find homemade signs saying “Private Drive” and looking online we discover the lighthouse is now a B&B whose new owner is not allowing access to the public. So, this is the best picture I can get by using a telephoto from just outside the property line.

Big Bay

On our way back from the point we drive through the very small town of Big Bay, which was founded in 1875 around a sawmill. Between 1903 and 1932, the Brunswick Lumber Company mill made bowling pins and hardwood flooring here. Then, Henry Ford bought the mill and operated it from 1943 to 1947. It is now a private residence, so we opt not to take pictures.

Thomas Rock Overlook and Interpretive Trail

Next, we head up the mountain to the Thomas Rock Overlook for a picnic lunch before setting out on the short trail. There are small information boards all along the trail telling you about the flora and fauna. In addition there is a large board at the overlook pointing out what you’re seeing. If the visibility is good you may be able to see the Keweenaw Peninsula from here.

Marquette

Presque Isle Park

Heading south back to Marquette we stop at Presque Isle Park to visit Black Rocks; which is a very popular place for cliff jumping into Lake Superior. We can drive directly there; but it is such a beautiful day we choose to take the 2 1/4 mile perimeter trail instead. During the walk we see some incredible sights and a lot of families out enjoying the weather.

We also come across a very surprising site for an Indian Chief who lived to be 103yrs old. We believe he is actually buried here as there is a sign saying that this was his home for many years… and into eternity.

Lower Harbor Ore Dock

Next stop in Marquette is this incredible maritime & mining relic used for loading iron ore onto lake freighters. Ore arrives at the ore dock via rail cars; which go all the way out to the end of the dock. They then dump their cargo into steel “pockets” or bins beneath the tracks. Once a freighter is lined up along the side, the chutes are lowered to the open cargo hatches and a door at the bottom of the pocket opens allowing the ore to run into the boat. This one is no longer in use; but the one at the Upper Harbor is still active for those wishing to see it in action.

Marquette Maritime Museum

Walking around the bay to the the Maritime Museum we find that it is located in the old City Water Works building, which was built in 1891. It contains exhibits on local shipwrecks, early life saving, and has one of the largest collections of Fresnel lenses on the Great Lakes. The outside of the building is just as impressive as what’s inside.

Marquette Harbor Lighthouse

On the bluff just beyond the Maritime Museum is the Marquette Harbor Lighthouse; which was built in 1866. The second story was added in 1910, a covered stairway was completed in the 1950’s and it was painted red in 1965. All of these additions make this a very unique lighthouse on the Great Lakes and have earned it a spot on the National Historic Register.

Manistique

The quaint city of Manistique is located about 40 miles south of Munising on Lake Michigan. The temps are in the mid 50’s in Munising today and mid 70’s in Manistique. Not hard to see why we opted to come south for the day.

Downtown

As we drive through downtown on our way to the boardwalk we see centuries old buildings and something neither of us has seen in decades… a Ben Franklin.

Downtown is small; but definitely worth a closer look. So, we opt to begin the boardwalk trail from the middle, walking toward town first with the intent of having lunch here. We choose Tap21, a small place in a turn of the century building featuring a 1893 Brunswick Back Bar and a tin tile ceiling across from the Ben Franklin. Out of respect for the other patrons we don’t take any pictures; but the ambiance and food are incredible.

Boardwalk and Shoreline

After lunch we head back down to the boardwalk and complete the walk around the shoreline.

Schoolcraft County Historical Park

Heading north we see a very unusual structure on the horizon so we head that direction to investigate. As soon as we cross a bridge we see Schoolcraft County Historical Park.

Once in the park we discover that even through the bridge we just crossed (Siphon Bridge) doesn’t look like anything special; it’s actually below the level of the river. It was built in 1919 and the designer’s intent is for the river to help support the bridge via a flume beneath it.

The building that caught our attention turns out to be the Manistique Water Tower; which was built in 1922 and held a 200,000 gallon water tank. It’s unique because it’s a 137 foot tall octagonal red brick building.

Kitch-iti-kipi or “The Big Spring”

On the way back to Munising we stop at Palms Brook State Park and it’s famous “Big Spring”. Our intent is to ride the hand operated raft across Kitch-iti-kipi and see this incredibly clear spring for ourselves.

The spring is 45 feet deep and is Michigan’s largest natural spring. It flows at a rate of 10,000 gallons a minute and the water temperature is 45 degrees year round.

The water comes from rain and snow-melt seeping into the bedrock, creating pressurized caves and tunnels. This pressure then forces the water to bubble up through cracks beneath the big spring.

Wildlife

On the way back from Kitch-iti-kipi we see a field of wild turkeys with a few deer.

Pasties in Munising

You can’t be in the UP without trying it’s most famous food… Pasties. Pasties are meat and vegetables baked into a pie crust. They were brought to the US by Cornish miners immigrating here in the 1840’s and can be dated back to 1150 in England.

The pasty became popular with miners because it was easy to bring into the mine, could stay warm up to 10 hours, and kept them full. Many camp cooks would customize the pasties based on the miner’s preference and put their initials in the crust so workers could easily identify which one was theirs.

Luckily miners are a superstitious group and would leave their crusts to pacify the ghosts and goblins they believed inhabited the mines; which saved them from consuming the arsenic dust on their hands. We opted for a knife, fork, and plate.

Laughing Whitefish Falls

Our final day trip outing is Laughing Whitefish Falls. As we head down the path we’re walking through beech-maple forest until finally reaching the falls and picturesque gorge surrounded by towering old growth white pine and hemlock.

Between day trips and exploring Pictured Rocks (separate post) we thoroughly enjoyed this area and made the best of what could have been a very bad situation created by the smoke from the Canadian fires.

Next up… the Keweenaw Peninsula.