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Copper Harbor
Where the U.P. ends and awestruck begins
As you drive up the Keweenaw Peninsula, keep going to Copper Harbor — it is as far north as you can go on the Upper Peninsula mainland. What waits in this village at the tip is more splendid than you can imagine. You will see what we mean as you slowly wind up Brockway Mountain, stopping often to gaze across miles of trees and an untameable Lake Superior. Go deep into one of the first Copper Country mines. Stay late to stare at a sky staggering with stars. And if you dare, ride a mountain bike down trails built for the bold — or the slightly unhinged.
Location | Things to Do | Eat and Drink | Weather | Places to Stay
Where is Copper Harbor
This tiny village is Michigan’s northernmost community, flanking the shore of Lake Superior. The village wraps around the intersection of US-41 and M-26.
For the quickest way to reach it, take M-41 north 44 miles from Houghton at the base of the Keweenaw Peninsula — you can be there in 55 minutes. When you arrive, look for the sign boasting that Copper Harbor is the last stop on US-41, 1,950 miles from its other terminus in Miami, Florida!
Park your car and explore the village on foot, Copper Harbor is only 10 blocks long and three blocks wide. It is home to a little over 100 hardy year-round residents. But don’t let Copper Harbor’s size deter you from coming. You can easily fill two days or more experiencing some of the best adventures in the U.P., and arguably the country!
Top Things to Do
Scenic Drives and Vistas
Brockway Mountain Drive: One of the Midwest’s Most Scenic Drives
Because of its scenic views, Brockway Mountain Drive is consistently voted one of the best drives in the Midwest. This 8.8-mile scenic roadway begins west of Copper Harbor off M-26, across from the Copper Harbor Marina. The first half-mile is a steep incline that continues for three miles, with pull-offs to see incredible vistas of the forests, Copper Harbor and Lake Superior. When you reach the peak, the 360-degree view is spectacular on a clear day. It’s a four-season must-do, but it is especially gorgeous in the fall when the treetops are ablaze in scarlet, orange and yellow. The road is closed in the winter, but it becomes a groomed snowmobile trail and is a top adventure for sledders. You will not want to miss seeing a sunrise, sunset or stargazing from this mountaintop. Do all three before you go home.
High Rock Bay: Explore “The End of the World”
High Rock Bay is about as close to Keweenaw Point, the absolute northernmost tip of the mainland Upper Peninsula, as you can get. It’s not easy to get to, but if you have a high clearance vehicle, let your inner explorer rip loose. But take this drive slowly. The indigenous people in the U.P. believe the 20-foot-tall red cliffs rising from Lake Superior’s shore held spiritual significance for the earliest people who lived in the U.P. Today, it is a destination for non-faint-of-heart adventurers and rockhounds seeking coveted treasures such as copper deposits, agates and “yooperlites” or fluorescent sodalite rocks.
Copper Harbor to Eagle Harbor: A Coastal Experience Comparable to California State Route 1
Some compare this Lake Superior drive to the Pacific Ocean coastal drive in California. However, it is only 22 minutes along M-26 — although we highly recommend making frequent stops to take in the jaw-dropping scenery. Many say it is the best part of the Lake Superior Circle Tour.
The coast changes from bedrock beaches and massive reddish gray and black boulders to soft-sand beaches at Eagle Harbor. Two pull-offs to help you slow down are the Joseph and Mary Lizzadro Lakeshore Preserve, four miles west of Copper Harbor. Its bedrock and cobble beach is one of only three A-ranked, globally rare beaches of its kind in Michigan. Rockhounders will delight in finding rain impressions, ripple marks and fossilized stromatolites. Explore the boreal and mixed hardwood forests and lowland swamp, too.
The Keweenaw Shores No. 1 Nature Sanctuary is a step back to pre-historic times. Its geology dates to the formation of the Lake Superior basin! Two high points of this sanctuary are its rocks covered with colorful lichens ranging from pink to orange, yellow and green. The second, is a cove that allows you to see sunrises and sunsets without visual obstructions. Esrey Roadside Park, along M-26, gives you beach access (great for rockhounding), restrooms and one of our state’s most scenic picnic areas.
Favorite Adventures
Copper Harbor Trails: 37 Miles of Internationally-Renowned Thrills
The Copper Harbor Trails take mountain biking, Class 1 E-biking, hiking, birdwatching, berry picking, backpacking, trail running and photo taking to an incredible level. This is one of the top-rated trail systems in the world, designated a Silver Level "Ride Center" by the International Mountain Bicycling Association. Except for dedicated downhill trails, all of the multi-use trail loops are open for your white-knuckling, grit-challenging, spirit-thrilling fun. Traverse ridges, valleys, forests, lakes, streams, historic locations, mountaintop vistas and the Lake Superior shoreline. In winter, explore the trails snowshoeing or set off on a few loops cross-country skiing or fat tire biking.
Estivant Pines Nature Sanctuary: Stand in the Shadows of 300 to 500-Year-Old Pines
The Estivant Pines Nature Sanctuary protects the largest remaining stand of old-growth Eastern White Pines in Michigan. It’s home to hundreds of Eastern White Pines, aged 300 to 500 years, with trunks spanning three to five feet in diameter! Two loops bring you through the towering pines and forest. It’s the perfect place to pause, breathe deeply and let the peaceful stillness of the U.P. restore you.
Hunter’s Point Park: Excellent Bird-watching a Short Walk Away
A quick walk from town, Hunter’s Point Park juts into Lake Superior. Getting there is easier than ever on the 1.6-mile, family-friendly biking/hiking trail that runs between the Copper Harbor Visitor Center and the Hunter's Point parking lot. Once there, take one of two trails through the woods to access the rocky Lake Superior shoreline. Bring your birding bucket list or a field guide. This point is on the ancient migration path for numerous species.
Isle Royale National Park: Visit One of the U.S.A.’s Least Visited National Parks
Isle Royale National Park, accessible by ferry boat from Copper Harbor, may be one of the least visited U.S. National Parks, but it is also one of the most revisited. Come once, and you will know why. The Wall Street Journal named Isle Royale the Best National Park, outranking Denali, Yellowstone, Big Bend and others. National Geographic even added it to its “Best of the World” picks!
You can catch the Isle Royale Queen IV Ferry in Copper Harbor from mid-May through September. During the summer, it makes round trips almost daily, so day trips are doable. Plan on it taking three hours and 45 minutes to cross each way. Go at least once to hike or paddle this amazing remote wilderness, and you will plan to go back.
History Unfolds
Astor House Antique Doll & Indian Museum: Relive Copper Country History
See some of the Keweenaw’s rarest and most unique artifacts at the Astor House Museum, part of the Minnetonka Resort. Discover history through relics of the earliest known settlers and browse mining tool displays from the mid-1800s Copper Boom days. The museum also houses a collection of over 400 antique dolls from around the globe. It is open from July through September.
Delaware Copper Mine Tours: Enter One of the First Mines of the Copper Boom
If you have time to visit only one attraction in the Keweenaw, make it Delaware Mine near Mohawk. Gutsy miners mined copper at this site from 1847 to 1887. A self-guided tour takes you down Shaft No. 1 to the first level (at a depth of 110 ft.) to see pure veins of copper exposed in the mine walls.
Above ground, follow the walking trails to the mine ruins, a saw mill, a large antique engine display, a train collection, a small zoo and rock piles to search for souvenir copper. There is a gift shop and museum to round out your stay.
Fort Wilkins Historic Park and Copper Harbor Lighthouse
Fort Wilkins Historic State Park is one of the easiest ways to delve into what mid-19th-century life was like in a remote army outpost. In the summer months, living history programs with period-costumed guides draw you into the story.
The historic lighthouse in the state park is the second one built on Lake Superior. It made the National Register of Historic Places in 2012. The complex includes the 1848 lighthouse keeper’s stone dwelling, the 1866 schoolhouse-style lighthouse, the 1866 privy and the 1933 steel skeleton tower, which remains an active navigation aid. A private road blocks access to the lighthouse by car or foot, but in summer, Noah’s Ark Charters offers boat trips from the marina to this historic beacon. While visits from a local historian are occasional, you’re free to explore the grounds at your own pace before catching a return charter back to the marina.
Planning a day by the water? Bring your boat or paddling gear and launch from the Fort’s campground into beautiful Lake Fannie Hooe — it’s great for fishing and family fun. No boat? No worries. Anglers with a Michigan fishing license can fish right from the dock. Afterward, enjoy easygoing hikes or bike rides along the park’s scenic trails.
To visit, you’ll need either a Michigan Recreational Passport or a day pass to enter the park and enjoy the campgrounds.
Stargaze into the Darkest Skies: See more stars and the Northern Lights
Much of the area surrounding Copper Harbor has no city light pollution. It is marvelously pitch dark, which means you can look with awe into a dome of countless stars, planets and nebulae. The International Dark Sky Park (one of three in Michigan) is at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge, open to the public and accessible 24 hours a day. Surrounded by vast, untouched wilderness, it offers some of the best Northern Lights viewing in the U.S.—when conditions are just right.
Events & Festivals: Raise Your Spirits in Copper Harbor Style
Mid-March through Mid-June
May, Events Throughout Migration Season
Keweenaw Migratory Bird Celebration
Memorial Day Weekend
Thursdays, End of June through August
Performances in the Park
4th of July
Independence Day Celebration | Parade at 10 a.m. | Kids’ Games in the Park | Fireworks at 11 p.m.
Mid-July
Run the Keweenaw
Third Saturday in July
End of the Road Keweenaw Tour and Classic Car Show
Third Weekend in August
Labor Day Weekend
Mid-December
Winter Wonderfest & Park Lighting
Where to Eat and Drink
Copper Harbor may be remote by most standards, but it attracts adventure-seeking chefs and wait staff who know how to please your palate. From coffee shops to a craft brewery to family menu favorites to fine dining, kick back, satisfy your hunger and ask locals for ideas of what to do next.
Brockway Inn
Roaster and coffeehouse | Fair Trade, organic and shade-grown coffee beans | Local art and more
Jamsen’s Fish Market & Bakery
Coffee shop, bakery, Lake Superior fish and unique gifts | On a waterfront landing | Taste the freshness of brewed coffee, homemade donuts, muffins, scones, turnovers and cookies | Fresh-caught and smoked fish, too
Brickside Brewery
Microwbrew and tasting room | Hand-crafted beers on tap, growlers and bottles to-go
Harbor Haus Restaurant
Waterfront fine dining | Vast menu featuring local fish, berries and vegetables, seafood, steaks and more | Every dish is made fresh in-haus
Lake Effect Bar & Grill
Family dining and full bar | Popular lunch, dinner, drinks and late-night fun spot | Delicious burgers, sandwiches, salads and macaroni and cheese | Open mid-May to mid-October.
Log Cabin Bar
Wood-fired pizza | Mount Bohemia Adventure Resort | Fresh dough made daily from Italian flour, fresh mozzarella, fresh toppings | Baked in an authentic Italian wood-fired oven
The Mariner North
Casual dining and bar | Find something for everyone in the main lodge: steaks, fresh fish, great BBQ ribs, sandwiches, homemade soups, salads and pizza | northern woods ambience
The Tamarack Inn Restaurant
Family dining | Home-cooked breakfast or lunch just the way you like it | High marks on the brisket and whitefish | Views of Lake Superior and Brockway Mountain | Close to Isle Royale ferry dock and snowmobile trail
Copper Harbor Weather
Summer: This is our most popular season for outdoor adventuring. June to September are the warmest months when average daily temperatures are 62oF. August is the hottest month with temperatures up to 72oF and a low of 58oF.
Fall: Few places in the United States can compete with the glorious fall foliage at the tip of the Upper Peninsula! Peak leaf color is during the first three weeks of October. In mid-September, temperatures climb to 62oF then steadily drop to highs of 50oF in October and down to lows of 30oF by November. For those who love winter sports, the flakes fall as early as late October.
Winter: The Copper Harbor area is a winter wonderland for snow enthusiasts — offering snowmobiling, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, backpacking, fat tire biking, ice fishing and some of the gutsiest downhill skiing in the Midwest. Temperatures range from highs of 34oF to lows of 13oF. These temperatures along Lake Superior churn out lake-effect snow from late October to early May. Nearby Mount Bohemia records an annual snowfall of 273 inches, but has also topped the 300-inches mark. Throughout winter, you will almost always find snow to play in at Copper Harbor.
Spring: This is our short but sweet season, with temperatures climbing into the 40s and 50s from April into May. Pack a hat, warm jacket, gloves and boots, then go outside and fill your lungs with fresh Lake Superior and mountain air. Spring is also the best time of year for rockhounding and viewing the Haven and Manganese waterfalls.
Nearby Places to Stay
While Copper Harbor is an easy day trip from larger communities such as Houghton and Hancock, you can find lodgings with the comforts and rates you want right near the village. They range from Bella Vista Motel & Cottages, open mid-May through mid-October, to Mount Bohemia Adventure Resort, open all year.
