A first-time guide to Michigan's Upper Peninsula

13.07.2024 - 03:03 / lonelyplanet.com

Jul 4, 2024 • 10 min read

If you’ve ever met anyone from Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, they likely held up their right hand, then pointed to a spot on their palm to illustrate where they’re from.

But Michigan’s famed “mitten” aside, the Wolverine State has another separate region to the north called the Upper Peninsula. Brimming with wilderness, the sparsely populated “U.P.” is an outdoorsy destination that’s ideal for disconnecting from devices and recreating your favorite childhood summer camp memories.

The Upper Peninsula is big, spanning more than 16,000 sq miles, and most of that is covered with trees. In addition to all the forests, the U.P. is surrounded by three of the Great Lakes, Superior, Huron and Michigan, so it also has roughly 1700 miles of shoreline and beaches to explore. Much of the U.P. is public land — in the form of state parks, national forests, state wildlife management areas, national wildlife refuges, or state forests — which means there are basically endless opportunities to adventure here.

Fun fact: The U.P. is part of Michigan because of a clash with neighboring Ohio called the Toledo War. Long story short, while seeking admission to the union in the 1830s, Michigan gave up an area that included Toledo and got the entire Upper Peninsula in return.

Considering a visit to the U.P.? Here’s what to know as you start planning your trip. 

Summer is the most popular time to visit the Upper Peninsula, when the weather is warm but not too hot, thanks to breezes coming off the Great Lakes. Most people visit to spend time in nature, which is abundant on the Upper Peninsula, and the mild summer weather is perfect for a wide range of outdoor activities, from camping and hiking to fishing and boating. Be forewarned: mosquitoes and deer flies are out in full force, so bug spray is an absolute must. And, bugs aside, summer is also the U.P.’s busiest time of year, so prepare to rub shoulders with lots of other travelers.

That said, winters are also magical in the Upper Peninsula. Temperatures can dip into the single digits, but the some 300,000 people who live in the U.P. don’t just sit around and wait for spring. They gear up and head outside for ice skating, snowmobiling, ice fishing, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. The U.P. gets lots of snow, thanks to a phenomenon known as the lake effect, so it’s also home to a handful of downhill ski areas.

In addition to warm clothing, bring your camera, as the Upper Peninsula is extremely photogenic in winter. Snow covers the trees like a dusting of powdered sugar, waterfalls freeze into otherworldly shapes, and sheets of white-blue ice cover the lakes. 

Fall is equally beautiful in its own way. The Upper Peninsula is brimming with deciduous trees —