Brockway Mountain Drive image used with permission from Instagram user garyrennisphoto

Emily Bingham | ebingham@mlive.com

25 Upper Peninsula marvels everyone should see

The Upper Peninsula is a land unlike any other in Michigan, with endless untouched natural beauty, a rich and fascinating history, and seemingly something new to be awed at around every corner. Here's our guide to the must-see spots around the U.P. If you have a favorite to add, let us know in the comments!

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Copper Peak photo courtesy Chris Hasselschwert

Copper Peak

Copper Peak is home to the world's largest artificial ski jump, offering off-season visitors the highest unobstructed view in the entire Midwest: 1,782 feet above sea level, on a viewing platform that, by design, sways up to 18 inches in either direction in stiff breezes. If you can brave the 810-foot chairlift ride and subsequent 18-story elevator lift to the tippy top, you'll be treated to a 40-mile panoramic view.

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Kitch-iti-Kipi photo courtesy Ruth Ferguson

Kitch-iti-Kipi

More than 10,000 gallons of water bubble up every minute from the limestone fissures at Kitch-iti-Kipi, Michigan's largest freshwater spring, located at Palms Book State Park in Manistique. Get an up-close view on the cable-guided floating viewing platform.

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Heading down Quincy Hill to begin a mine tour. MLive file photo | EDWARD HOOGTERP

Mineral mines

Don a hard-hat and walk directly into a chapter of Upper Peninsula history on a Copper Country mine tour. Check out Delaware Mine Tours, Quincy Mine Tours, and Adventure Mining Co., all of which offer a cool peek into Michigan's past.

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Lake of the Clouds Overlook | Photo by Emily Rose Bennett

Porcupine Mountains

Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park (known lovingly to many Michiganders as "The Porkies") is a 60,000-acre Northwoods wonderland with scenic rivers, stands of virgin hardwood, pristine lakes and seemingly endless untouched beauty. Lake of the Clouds Overlook is one of the most popular spots in the park, and when you're there, it's not hard to see why.

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Les Cheneaux Islands | MLive file photo

Les Cheneaux Islands

The name for this archipelago of 36 islands — 12 of them inhabited — off the eastern shores of the Upper Peninsula means “the channels,” a nod to the narrow waterways that make this destination a dream spot for kayaking and boating.

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Tannery Falls in Munising | Emily Rose Bennett

Waterfalls

The crown jewel of the U.P.'s waterfalls is Tahquamenon Falls, the second-most voluminous waterfall east of the Mississippi River. Yet there are more than 200 waterfalls to discover here. A great place to start: our four-day waterfall tour guide.

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Ice caves at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. MLive file photo

Winter (seriously)

Upper Peninsula winters are the real deal, so they are a paradise for snowsports like downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice climbing and fat-tire biking. A few really cool winter activities that anyone can do: Checking out ice caves (Grand Island in Munising Bay is a great spot for this) and dog sledding.

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A kayak rests on the sand of Bete Grise Bay. MLive file photo

Keweenaw's "singing sands"

On the southern side of the Keweenaw Peninsula, Bete Grise (“gray beast” in French) has become famous for its “singing sands,” a phenomenon where the sands makes musical squeaking or barking sounds when visitors walk on the beach. Science tells us the unusual sound is due to a number of factors, including sand-grain size and humidity; local lore claims the unusual sound is the spirit of a Native American woman singing to a lover long lost at sea.

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MLive file photo | Dean Kelley

Presque Isle Park

Presque Isle Park, on a peninsula poking out into Lake Superior, is the “recreational crown jewel” of Marquette. There’s plenty to do here all year long, including a scenic driving loop, hiking and biking trails, playgrounds and picnic areas, and a section of sheer shoreline known as Black Rocks that's popular for cliff jumping into Lake Superior.

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The mysterios Paulding Light. Photo via Wikimedia Commons | user Flivver 99

Paulding Light

Since the 1960s, people have reported seeing a mysterious light every night in a valley south of the community of Paulding. Some have said the light is proof of paranormal activity, possibly the ghost of a railroad brakeman. In 2010, students from Michigan Tech concluded the light is created by certain atmospheric conditions combining with nearby traffic lights — but that hasn’t detracted from the allure of the Paulding Light for many visitors who want to see the eerie light for themselves.

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Millie Mine Bat Cave

Yes, there is a bat cave in the U.P. More than a million bats — one of the largest breeding colonies in North America — resides in an abandoned iron mine in Iron Mountain known as the Millie Mine Bat Cave. Visitors can visit the mine anytime, but dusk in spring and fall are the best times to see the bats coming and going.

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Drummond Island fossil ledges photo via Instagram user tagettj

Drummond Island

The second largest freshwater island in the U.S. is just off the eastern shore of the U.P. The island is more than two-thirds state owned, rich in history and wildlife, home to a rare geological environment called an alvar (grassy limestone plains), and is a recreational paradise, with one of the world’s largest closed-loop off-road trail systems. Two spots to check out: The Maxton Plains and the Fossil Ledges.

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One of the many welded art pieces featured in the U.P. sculpture park known as Lakenenland. MLive file photo | Kim Schneider

Lakenenland

This perfectly quirky roadside toursist attraction in Marquette features more than 80 scrap metal sculptures, ranging from alligators to flowers to dancing monsters, created by welder Tom Lakenen.

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Courtesy Michigan DNR

Fayette Historic State Park

This former iron smelting center on the Garden Peninsula is now a ghost town whose historic structures are preserved as a state park. Check out the haunting beauty for yourself on a camping trip; sites are just $17/night.

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Brockway Mountain Drive image used with permission from Instagram user garyrennisphoto

Brockway Mountain Drive

This historic, nearly nine-mile drive along the spine of the Keweenaw Peninsula is hands-down one of the most spectacular roadways in the state. Several scenic stops along the way allow passengers to pause and admire the beauty.

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Seney Wildlife Refuge

Established in 1935 as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other creatures, this 95,000-acre preserve in the eastern-central U.P. is a wonderful spot for hiking, birding, photography, kayaking/canoeing, fishing and even berry picking.

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Photo by John Stelzer via Instagram

Sylvania Wilderness Tract

This 27,000-acre preserve is one of the most extensive regions of old-growth forest in the Midwest, spared from the lumberman's axe because it was originally an exclusive retreat for a group of wealthy 19th-century businessmen. The woods and lakes here are pristine; campsites available through Ottawa National Forest.

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The Presque Isle River where it empties into Lake Superior. Photo by Emily Rose Bennett

The Rivers.

The Two Hearted. The Menominee. The Yellow Dog. The Tahquamenon. The names of the Upper Peninsula's rivers are as epic and etched in Michigan lore as the waters themselves. Whether you're fishing, kayaking, waterfall hunting, whitewater rafting, or just admiring them riverside, they are are an essential part of the U.P. experience.

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Photo of Canyon Gorge via Instagram user tcbeerguy

Canyon Gorge

Known as "the Grand Canyon of Michigan," Canyon Gorge is a stunning spot along the Sturgeon River near L’Anse, where the waters have carved out a veritable canyon that’s a mile across at its widest spot. There’s a waterfall here, too, and both are accessible via boardwalks and trails off US-41.

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Photo via U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Soo Locks

An average of 10,000 ships pass through this historic set of parallel locks every year as they make their way around the Great Lakes. A must-see for maritime history buffs, boat nerds, and anyone who enjoys seeing Michigan man-made wonders.

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MLive file photo

Whitefish Point

Home to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum (where you can see the bell from the Edmund Fitzgerald) and the Whitefish Point Bird Observatory, this beautiful peninsula between Whitefish Bay and Lake Superior is loaded with history, lore, wildlife and natural beauty.

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File photo | Courtney Kotewa

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is truly a national treasure, stretching 40 miles along Lake Superior with stunning views and colorful sandstone cliffs that have to be seen to be believed.

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MLive file photo

Isle Royale

Rugged Isle Royale in Lake Superior is one of the country’s most remote national parks; the only way to get there is by boat or seaplane. Forget about Instagramming your trip, too — cell phone service is practically non-existent. Study up before you go, this is a true wilderness experience.

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Photo via Instagram user alessajill

Grand Sable Banks

On the far eastern edge of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, five miles of mind-boggling white-sand dunes sit perched atop the Grand Sable Banks, creating a stunning shoreline view that rivals those other dunes downstate.

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Sugarloaf Mountain

The short but steep (15 to 30 minutes) hike to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain provides one of the best views in Marquette: a gorgeous panorama of Lake Superior and the surrounding forest from 470 feet over the lake. Find the trailhead about seven miles from downtown Marquette via county road 550.

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