Michigan and Wisconsin in Summer

[tburnand]

I would appreciate some suggestions for places to stay in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and then into northern Wisconsin. We have never been to either state, so we are definitely open for some recommendations. Thank you in advance.

[Adventure.AS]

I am planning on trying the cross Lake Michigan ferry - SS Badger. It connects Manitowoc WI to Ludington MI. In 2016 the RV fare was $6.95 per foot (one way.) I dropped in at Ludington last year to make inquires and learned that the ferry company will let you overnight (dry) in the parking lot at either terminal at no charge.

Just south of Ludington MI is Silver Lake State Park. Nice park and there is off roading on the huge dunes. If you don't tow with a 4X4 you can rent Jeeps and quads or go on a dune tour.

[Dingo Girl]

One of the nicest State Parks in Michigan is at Ludington, it's on the shores of Lake Michigan.
Between Ludington & Manistee is another gem, Federal Park. Also on Lake Michigan.
There is one at the base of the Mackinac Bridge that has beautiful views of the bridge & straights of Mackinaw. I can't remember the name of it but would not be hard to find out.

[RamblinManGa]

Hi from AZ. . . don't forget the WBCCI International Rally is in Escanaba, MI which is WAY up there ( Ya, you betcha ) Actually closer to WI. . . Might get fun, might get crazy. . .just sayin. . . . regards, Craig

[Minno]

If you are in the UP, try the Soo Locks Park at Sault St Marie. There are 2 parks right next to each other: we prefer the city owned Aune-Osborne Park over the private park. You can watch the ships head back and forth for the locks right from your camp. They take reservations. All the state parks in the UP are fabulous also and you can get reservations.

Kay

[karenjude]

We love Houghton City campground. Right on the portage canal connecting 2 parts of Lake Superior. Full hookups. There's a paved trail right there that goes for many miles. It becomes packed dirt after a few miles but great for biking and running as it's complete seperate from the road. You can hop the boat there for Isle Royale National Park. Pretty area and home to Michigan Tech where our son goes. Keewenaw breweryright in town which is a short walk from the campground. Easy day trips to Porcupine Mountains and Copper Harbor. We are not fans of Michigan State Parks. The sites are small, and packed in. The national forest sites ( no hookups) are quiet and pretty.

[wildwilly.]

I would highly recommend theNorthern Highland American Legion State Forest which is in far northern Wisconsin near the UP of Michigan. There are numerous state campgrounds which are well maintained and reasonably priced. If you are into biking there are miles of off road bike trails connecting many nice towns in the area. We stayed near Boulder Junction last fall and had a great time in that area.

[Gigi1957]

Wagon Trail in Ellison Bay, WI is a great CG to see Door County. Lake Fanny Hooe in Copper Harbor, MI. Copper Harbour is way out on the UP, but a beautiful area. Mackinac Mill CG in Mackinac City is right on the lake and very nice. We toured the area for the first time in Summer 2016.

[Rgentum]

Last summer, we stayed several days at each of the following & recommend both:

1. Roberts Landing Campground, on the shore of Lake Huron about halfway between Mackinaw City & Cheboygan.

2. Hancock City Park, on the shore of the lake between Hancock & Houghton. While there, we did a daytrip circumnavigation of the Keweenaw Peninsula, including Copper Harbor, & a tour of the copper mine just north of Hancock, & can recommend both.

[GammaDog]

Posting to receive updates. Our 2017 itinerary includes the UP of MI. Never been there. Thanks to all who post here... what I've read so far makes me look forward even more to the trip!

[larryglarson]

We spent time there this fall. We like state parks and the Wisconsin ones are great, not so for Michigan. Porcupine State Park in Mich. is nice, but you will find some of the camping spots very poor, electricity is available, but along way away.

I would stick with the advice you have been given.

[russingr]

I'm also greatly interested in Michigan and the UP. Since we live in Dallas, it seems like those areas would be ideal to beat the summer heat (we're retired). Any particular watchouts or places to avoid in those areas during the summer?

[Airborne6]

If you have never been to Bayfield Wi I believe you would love it. Maggie's restaurant is a must stop. Madeline Island is a short ferry ride of two miles and there is camping on the island. Big bay state park is beautiful. From Bayfield you have access to guided kayak trips and guided cruises of the awesome Apostle Islands. Trek and Trail guided kayak tours can get you to the sea caves or the islands to hike. Bayfield is a quaint little town that has free concerts in the park every Tuesday during the Summer. You can charter a sailboat ride from many licensed Captains. Lake Superior is a beautifully clear lake with breath taking shorelines. You won't regret the stay.

[RxGuy]

If you go to the Keweenaw Peninsula, I would suggest:

Copper Harbor: Just past Copper Harbor is the end of US-41.

http://copperharbor.org/

That you explore/drive Brockway Mountain Drive.

Fort Wilkins State Park: If you don't wish to camp there, at least visit.

http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandt...pe=SPRK&id=419

Also there is the Eagle Harbor Lighthouse:

http://www.keweenawhistory.org/sites/lighthouse.html

The Keweenaw Peninsula (Houghton, Hancock and Calumet areas) are in what is known as Copper Country. The area was heavily mined for copper back in the day. I believe there are some mine tours available in Hancock.

Calumet has: Keweenaw National Historical Park

https://www.nps.gov/kewe/index.htm

If you camp at a Houghton/Hancock RV park, that would be a good home base to see the Keweenaw Peninsula.

If you go to the eastern UP, visit:

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore:

https://www.nps.gov/piro/index.htm

Tahquamenon Falls State Park:

http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandt...=428&type=SPRK

Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum:

http://www.shipwreckmuseum.com/

Soo Locks:

http://www.saultstemarie.com/attractions/soo-locks/

If you have never gone through locks, they offer boat tours through the locks. If you like gambling, there is a casino near Brimley.

Go see the Mackinac Bridge:

http://www.mackinacbridge.org/

There is a state park immediately by the bridge; Straits State Park:

http://www.michigan.org/property/straits-state-park/

If you go as far as the Mackinac Bridge, you might as well go to Mackinaw Island State Park:

http://www.mackinacparks.com/parks-a...nd-state-park/

Also there is a historic fort in Mackinaw City, technically it is not in the UP but it's only 5 miles over the bridge to get there.

Try some pasties.....

http://www.mackinawpastie.com/

Hope this helps.

[BillfromWI]

Michigan
The Michigan DNR Web site shows all the state parks.

City of Houghton MI RV Park, very nice on the Portage River. Eat a pastie, tour a mine.

Fort Wilkins Historic Park some new very nice sites and some older very tight sites. It is at the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula, with a restored frontier fort.

McLain State Park, nice facilities, sunsets over Lake Superior

Porcupine Mountains Start Park, Presque Isle Beach CG no services but very quiet with nice open sites and nice hikes along the river.
Union Bay CG has power. Someone else warned about the sites here. Those along the shore can be un-level and/or small. I think the sites along the center road are best.

Straits State Park, St. Ignace ferry to Mackinac Island—horses, bikes, fudge and The Grand Hotel; no cars (go there)

Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore (take a viewing cruise)

There are a lot of waterfalls in the UP.

Wisconsin
Wisconsin DNR Web site also shows all the state parks.
Wisconsin State Parks sites with power go early. Reserve now, if you can.

The City of Washburn WI Thompson West End Park campground on Chequamegon Bay of Lake Superior. Washburn is about 7 miles north of US2 and the next town south of Bayfield, the HQ for Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. They are both cute towns. (take a cruise of the islands)

Ferry from Bayfield to Madeline Island and Big Bay State Park CG.

The Brule River for trout fishing or whitewater canoeing and a rustic campground

Not in Wisconsin, but the Duluth Lake Front is fun—shopping, galleries, restaurants, tour an ore boat—highly recommended. There is a train museum at the former depot that is pretty nice. There are lumber baron mansions in Superior and Duluth to tour.

Hayward, Minocqua and Rhinelander are the heart of the North Woods vacation country with lots of things to entertain you.

Not exactly “northern” but the Door Peninsula should not be missed. Someone mentioned Wagon Wheel CG. Peninsula State Park has nice sites, but it’s probably too late to get one with power and most of the sites are shaded so solar is iffy.

[Sandra F]

As noted, we live in the UP and have enjoyed the following areas:

Fayette Historic State Park

Grand Marais

Porcupine Mountains

Tahquamenon Falls State Park

The UP is the playground for many who enjoy the out-of-doors.

[Yooperchick]

Yes, Michigan is beautiful, I live in the U.P. and it is paradise! You're getting lots of advice for Northern LOWER Michigan and it is very pretty too, but is below the Mackinac Bridge and part of the Michigan mitten, not the U.P. Marquette, the largest city, doesn't have a lot of campgrounds but it's worth a visit, since the Lake Superior beaches, the historical buildings and the food and charm make it worth the trip. And you can always stay in Gwinn, only 25 minutes away, which is where there are complimentary services at my house. Munising is east about an hour of that and has more waterfalls than anywhere in the U.P. Also you can take a boat ride to see Pictured Rocks, nothing else like it. The caves and beaches are spectacular. Continue east and you should definitely visit Tahquamenon Falls. There are quite a few campgrounds along Lake Superior between Munising and those locations. Bring bug spray, June and July can be black fly season on the beaches. West of Marquette is Big Bay, which has a nice campground, and the tavern where the movie Anatomy of a Murder was filmed. West of that and closer to Wisconsin is Houghton/Hancock/Calumet and Copper Harbor. There are beautiful campgrounds along that way. McLain State Park is one of them, in Hancock. Fort Wilkins in Copper Harbor (at the tip of the peninsula) is also quite nice and has several sections. There is much to do there. Charming shops, boat rides, food ok but not great. Climb or drive up Brockway Mountain, the highest point in the U.P. and you can see out over Lake Superior for miles. Don't miss the Jam Pot, a bakery and jammery run by monks in Eagle Harbor, which is along the ride from Houghton/Hancock to Copper Harbor, which is about an hour to an hour and a half. The drive along the lake side is very pretty. I'll post Wisconsin notes in another message.

[Yooperchick]

Ok, I covered a lot of the U.P., but forgot the Porcupine Mountains. They are very close to the west end of the U.P., near the border of Wisconsin. Campgrounds there, lots of hiking, a BEAUTIFUL and serene place that shouldn't be missed.

In Northern Wisconsin, and not too far from the Porkies is Bayfield. It's up the peninsula from Ashland, and is the site of the Apostle Islands. You can take a ferry to Madeline Island, or rent a kayak to explore the islands further out.

[eggman]

watch out for the Chicago -Wisconsin Dells traffic on weekends...reminds me of the weekend Hudson River Counties-Manhattan traffic in NY ! yikes!

[Wanna EB]

On your way up, you have to visit Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The beauty is stunning and the two park campgrounds (DH Day and Platt River) are awesome. We have been all over the world and this is one of the beautiful places that exists.