Keweenaw Peninsula South

The Ontonagon Country

Driving to the southern part of the Keweenaw Peninsula we stop at the Ontonagon Marina to stretch our legs and as we drive in we see a sign for a Lighthouse Museum less than a mile away. What the heck, we’re here, so we leave the camper at the marina and go for a little walk. When we arrive, we discover the Museum is one of the Keweenaw Heritage Sites within the Keweenaw National Historical Park.

The lighthouse is beautifully restored and the lighthouse volunteers are very friendly and knowledgeable about the area. They provide us with some really good suggestions for things to see and do while in the Porcupine Mountains.

Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park

“The Porkies” as the park is affectionately referred to, is Michigan’s largest State Park at just under 60,000 acres and straddles two time zones. And, it is contains another of the Keweenaw Heritage sites.

Sunset over Lake Superior from Presque Isle Campground

After setting up camp, having dinner, and relaxing for a bit, we go for a walk around camp in the evening to get a lay of the land. As we head back to our site, we catch a glimpse of the sun beginning to set. So, we take a little detour down to the beach just south of where the Presque Isle River empties into Lake Superior to watch. There’s a fallen tree washed up on the beach that provides a perfect seat for the upcoming show, so we sit and enjoy the cool breeze off Lake Superior as we watch the sky change before us.

Summit Peak

Upon waking we check the latest forecast, and it appears to be a great day for a hike. So, we choose to head up to Summit Peak to get a birds eye view of the area. After looking at the options we decide to combine several trails for a loop of about 5 miles. We begin with a trek along Beaver Creek, over Little Carp River, to the edge of South Mirror Lake, up Summit Peak, climb the Summit Peak observation tower, and finally back down to the parking lot.

Day trip outside Porcupine Mountain State Park

Today we leave the State Park for the day to see Bond Falls and explore some of the surrounding areas. We’ve had several recommendations to visit Bond Falls from locals and other travelers all along our trip, so we figure it’s worth a drive to check it out.

Bond Falls

Named for the man who owned this property, Bond Falls has been attracting visitors since the late 1880’s. Once we arrive, we head down a short walk until we are greeted by the incredible sight of these falls in their full 50 foot drop glory. Then we head up the one mile loop trail around the falls to see the smaller falls areas and the flowage at the top. Pictures just don’t do these falls justice, this one has to be seen, and heard, in person. If that’s not possible click here to view a very short video on our YouTube channel.

Bond Falls Flowage

The Flowage was created in 1940; with the construction of a dam across the Middle Branch of the Ontonagon River to store water for the hydro-electric station to the north. The flowage covers 2,220 acres of what used to be dense forest and part of the tiny sawmill town of Calderwood.

Kakabika Falls

Heading back from Bond Falls we stop briefly at Kakabika Falls. We know it can’t compare to what we just left; but it’s a very short hike down a small trail to see six different small falls. The trail and falls are unique and beautiful; but obviously not visited often as the mosquitoes are in a frenzy. So, after seeing all six falls we hightail it back to the truck and move on to our next planned destination.

Copper Peak Ski Jump

Next up is Copper Peak Ski Jump; which is the world’s largest artificial ski jump tower. Constructed in 1969, the 35 degree, 469 foot jump, was used for ski jump flying from 1970 to 1994 and was the site of 10 international events. For the past several years it’s been an adventure ride with all profits going toward the goal of refurbishing it into a summer jumping venue with a porcelain track and plastic tiles on the landing hill. We learn as we’re checking in that they have recently received a $20M grant toward this project, so this may be the last year for the adventure ride.

Why is it adventure ride when it seems to just be an interesting landmark? We find out pretty quickly… we ride the 810 foot chair lift up 36 stories, then take an elevator up another 18 stories, where we step out onto a fenced platform. We’re now 1180 feet above Lake Superior and still not at the top. We step off the platform and walk up several flights of stairs beside the jump to finally reach the top. Talk about getting your heart pumping!

The gentle ride down the chair lift, looking at the views, helps to get our heart rates back to normal.

Black River Harbor

After our heart pumping experience in the sky, we’re ready to be brought back down to earth, so we continue on to Black River Harbor Recreation Area on Lake Superior.

The harbor is very calm and peaceful and the attached park offers plenty of places to sit, relax, and enjoy the natural surroundings.

It’s been a full day, so we begin our journey back to camp, stopping at a few of the waterfalls along the way.

Rainbow Falls

To reach Rainbow Falls we climb down several flights of stairs only to realize that we can only see the very top of the falls through the trees. Most of the view is actually blocked by the rock; but it does provide a very nice view looking down Black River.

Sandstone Falls

Next stop is Sandstone Falls where after a short trail down the hill we can actually climb out onto the sandstone and get up close and personal with these falls. There are a few ledges producing falls of different sizes and it’s not hard to imagine families coming to swim and play here on the weekend.

Up next, Potawatomi Falls and Gorge Falls. These two can be reached from the same trailhead and a short 1/2 mile trail connects them together.

Potawatomi Falls

Gorge Falls

West River and East River Trails

It’s a new day, and today we decide to do the West and East River Trails from the campground. This 2.6 mile loop trail offers lake and river views, waterfalls, boardwalks, forest trails, and scenic viewpoints.

The trail begins with a short walk through the forest to get to a set of stairs leading you down to the Presque Isle River.

The Riverbed

Next we cross a bridge to get a good view of the Riverbed. The Riverbed is formed by water flowing over finely terraced rock called the Nonesuch Shale. Composed of sand and clay it was deposited here by a lake that, according to the informational sign, was here almost a billion years ago. The round potholes are formed where an eddy current continuously swirls sand and pebbles in a circular pattern.

Lake Superior Beach

Once across the bridge we head down an island formed by Lake Superior and the Presque Isle River.

After taking in the vastness of Lake Superior and chatting with a few fellow travelers enjoying the beach we complete the small island loop, then walk across the Presque Isle River via the rocks.

Then we head up the bank into the ancient forest (~400 yrs old) via the West River Trail where we learn that the trees here are primarily sugar maple, yellow birch, and eastern hemlock.

Manabezho Falls

The first waterfall we see is Manabezho Falls. With a crest of 150ft and a drop of 25ft this is the largest waterfall on the river. Due to the dry summer, this waterfall appears to be two separate falls when it’s usually the full width of the river.

Manido Falls

Next up is Manido Falls; which has a drop of ~15 ft.

Nawadaha Falls

Our final waterfall of the day is Nawadaha Falls; which also has a drop of ~15ft.

At the turn from the West to the East River trails we cross a bridge and get a really good view down the Presque Isle River.

Heading down the East trail back to camp we discover that it’s a lot more developed with boardwalks, stairs, overlook platforms and a lot more people.

Northern section of Porcupine Mountains State Park

Today we head to the northern part of Porcupine State Park to explore what’s on offer.

Union Mine Trail (Heritage Site)

First up is the Union Mine Trail; which is a one mile self-guided loop tour that explores the history of this mine:

• originally opened in 1846 and was abandoned as unprofitable in 1847
• opened again near the end of the Civil War and closed again in 1865
• opened very briefly for the last time in 1908

It offers mine shafts, waterfalls, and beautiful woods. There was a large group just heading into the trail when we arrived, so we decided to go backwards.

Lake of the Clouds

Next we head to Lake of the Clouds overlook; which is at the top of a peak that rises over 1,000 feet above Lake Superior and lies about two miles to the south. Here we find panoramic views of the Porcupine Mountains as well as a 500 foot gorge where “Lake of the Clouds” has formed at the bottom.

Next we head down the 1.8 mile trail to the Little Carp River.

Until we finally reach the lake.

Our time in Michigan has been wonderful. We’re so impressed with how well the state has protected their shoreline from development and how accessible they’ve made these areas to locals and travelers alike.

We do have one more small stop in Michigan planned for later in the trip; but for now we’re heading to Wisconsin and the The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.