Northern Michigan, distinguished for its maritime and mining history, is a sparsely populated region of small cities and large forests. Partially surrounded by three of the Great Lakes, the area has secluded beaches and about 150 major waterfalls. Spots for sightseeing focus on these features, offering scenic vistas and historic sites.
The Fort Gratiot Lighthouse, built in 1829, in southern Michigan, was the first built in the state, but shortly afterwards, lighthouses were built in northern Michigan. Some are private residences, and the Sand Hills Lighthouse (sandhillslighthouseinn.com) is now an inn. Point Iroquois Lighthouse (exploringthenorth.com), located on the site of a 1662 Indian massacre, guards a narrow passage between Lake Superior and St. Mary's River. The lighthouse, first illuminated in 1857, went out of service in 1962. The keeper's large house and 65-foot tower are open to the public. A 72-step climb to the tower's lantern deck provides views of Whitefish Bay. Sand Point Lighthouse (deltahistorical.com), built in 1867, suffered a fire in 1886 that took the life of one of Michigan's first female lightkeepers. Admission to the lighthouse includes a pass to the society's museum.
The Keweenaw Peninsula was a major copper mining region from the late 1700s to the early 20th century, but the town of Calumet, which once had 60 saloons, 33 churches and 30 schools, and housed 70,000 people, shrank to fewer than 10,000 after the Depression. Coppertown USA (uppermichigan.com) preserves equipment used by the miners and explains the evolution of the refining process. The exhibits at the Michigan Maritime Museum in South Haven celebrate the state's nautical heritage. The museum offers boat-building lessons, tours of a sloop, and harbor cruises aboard the Lindy Loo, a river launch vessel. The Museum of Ojibwa Culture focuses on Ojibwa, Huron and Odawa culture in the area around the Straits of Mackinac. Housed in a historic landmark building, the museum exhibits a long house, Native American dress and archaeological finds.
Northern Michigan is home to seven of Michigan's 11 underwater preserves that protect shipwrecks and other artifacts. The combination of treacherous weather and heavy traffic led to the sinking of thousands of ships in the Great Lakes. Skin and scuba divers now flock to the preserves. Munising Bay Shipwreck Tours (shipwrecktours.com) explores the Alger Underwater Preserve in glass-bottomed boats. Two-hour tours cover 10 miles. The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum has locations in Sault Ste. Marie and at the Whitefish Point Light Station, on a section of shoreline known as "Lake Superior's Shipwreck Coast." The museum, located in an 1899 structure built for the U.S. Weather Bureau, houses exhibits and the Shipwreck Society's archives.
Isle Royale National Park (nps.gov) in Lake Superior, accessible only by boat or seaplane, is a vast wilderness of old-growth forests, with no roads. Miles of inland waterways, suitable for kayaking and canoeing, wind through the park, and backcountry campsites are only reachable on foot or by canoe. Dense fog and sudden squalls are common, and the park is closed in the winter because of extreme weather conditions. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is a 40-mile stretch of coast ,with dunes, cliffs and waterfalls. The Pictured Rocks, named for the mineral deposits that color the stone, rise 50 to 200 feet above the lake. Miners Castle is among the most famous of the rocks.
- Coppertown USA: History
- Coppertown USA: Exhibits
- Museum of Ojibwa Culture
- Michigan Underwater Preserves: About
- Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum: Whitefish Point Light Station
- National Park Service: Isle Royale National Park
- National Park Service: Isle Royale National Park: Canoe and Kayak
- National Park Service: Isle Royale National Park: Operating Hours and Seasons
- National Park Service: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
- National Park Service: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore: Scenic Sites
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