Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the well-known outline of land above the Lower Peninsula’s Mitten, accounts for a third of the state’s square miles but just 3 percent of its population. The region is bordered on three sides by lakes Superior, Huron and Michigan, and is connected to the rest of the state by a five-mile suspension bridge over the Straits

of Mackinac.

It takes a certain fortitude to live here. Many Yoopers (U.P.-ers) revel in it and make it possible for you to share their love of the land.

Into the wilderness

One of the U.P.’s best-kept secrets is the

, just west of the town of Watersmeet. The 18,327-acre tract preserves old-growth forest and attracts solitude-seekers who like to camp, fish, paddle, hike and enjoy the quiet. It’s peaceful — boats with motors are banned on 33 of Sylvania’s 34 lakes. Bob Zelinski, who has operated

for more than 30 years, is one of many locals who are happy to offer advice on making the most of your visit.

Artful surprises

Tom Lakenen makes junkyard art to share with the world — or at least with those who make their way to his

east of Marquette. The welder creates colorful, larger-than-life creatures of scrap metal and places them along wooded trails you can walk or drive.

East of the Mackinac Bridge, the waterways created by the three dozen islands of Les Cheneaux are a paddler’s paradise. Jessie Hadley is passionate about the area’s natural beauty and offers guided hiking, biking, birding and kayaking excursions through her

, based in the village of Hessel.

New museums preserve the past

A restored surfboat and exhibits in the 1912 boathouse of the

at Eagle Harbor recognize the heroism of the men who risked their lives in rescue efforts on volatile Lake Superior.

The

tells the history of two Keweenaw Peninsula mines and the booming communities that grew up around them.

Fine and unusual specimens in the state’s official mineral collection will enjoy higher visibility this summer when the

moves into new digs on the Michigan Tech University campus in Houghton.

Exhibit space for people, places, industry and culture have tripled in the new

, located in the U.P.’s largest city.

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