About Chippewa County
This is the land of The Great Waters, a five-county destination where lakes Michigan, Superior, and Huron meet and bring with them a series of unmatched greats.
Great Wonders: Who needs the Panama Canal when the Soo Locks await you? This 155-year-old engineering marvel allows the passage of ships ranging in size from the smallest sailboats to 1,000-foot freighters from Lake Superior to the lower Great Lakes. If that’s not enough wonder, check out the view from Sault Ste. Marie’s Tower of History. Natural wonders are found throughout the county, like on Drummond Island’s Maxton Plains, where fossils and glacial patterns are visible in the bedrock.
Great Play: If you play as hard as you work, you know that it’s all about the toys. If clubs are your first choice, a wide variety of golf courses await you, with views ranging from waterfront scenes to wooded gems. If you prefer a rod and reel, Chippewa County boasts miles of rivers and streams, abundant lakes, and the angling amusement of Superior and Huron. For those whose toys involve spokes and pedals, or maybe just hiking boots, miles of hiking and biking paths can be found in our forests, alongside our waterways, and in the most unexpected places. If a beach towel is your favorite toy, you won’t be disappointed in this area known as The Inland Seashore, where miles of beach and water await you.
Great History: The stories of Native Americans, French fur traders, ships lost at sea and the people who have inhabited Michigan’s oldest city and its surroundings unfold in a variety of venues in Chippewa County. Several museums showcase life on and near the big lakes, including the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point, the Museum Ship Valley Camp and the River of History museum, both located in Sault Ste. Marie, and the DeTour Passage Historical Museum. With literally dozens of lighthouses, museums, and cultural sites peppered throughout the county, get ready to immerse yourself in earlier times.
Great Winters: They can be motorized or non-motorized, but a great winter requires one key element: snow. With an average annual snowfall far exceeding 100 inches, a great winter is a certainty. Whether your cure for the winter blahs involves the high excitement of snowmobiling well-groomed trails or standing at the edge of a world-renowned endurance race, visitors find it here. For those preferring non-motorized excitement, strap on skis and hit the cross-country trails or plod in snowshoes through unexplored forest. With high-speed tubing runs, dog sled operations, and a snow train nearby, the only limit to winter recreation is your imagination.
Want to learn more about what makes Chippewa County great? Visit www.saultstemarie.com or www.thegreatwaters.com