Michigan’s Upper Peninsula — the UP, as the locals call it — is one of those destinations that sounds interesting on paper and then absolutely floors you in person.
We drove from Bentonville, Arkansas to Ironwood, Michigan in August of 2024 with our three kids — ages 8, 11, and 14 — and spent a week exploring a corner of this country that felt completely unlike anywhere we’d ever been. I also don’t think that it’s talked about enough, it’s beautiful!
Waterfalls tumbling into Lake Superior. Cliffs so colorful they look painted. Water so crystal clear you can see 60 feet down. And at the top of the only ski flying hill in the Western Hemisphere, a view that made my stomach drop in the best and worst way possible.
Here’s everything we did — and everything we we’ll make time for if we ever get to go back.
🏠 Where We Stayed — Our Ironwood Airbnb
We found our cabin on Airbnb last minute — and for what we paid, it was an absolute steal. We only paid $920 in 2024. I have it linked HERE in case you’re interested. It had four bedrooms, two stories, a basement, and everything a family of five needs to feel at home for a week. We cooked dinner every single night at the cabin (the kitchen is seriously stocked!) which I’d highly recommend for a UP trip. The Ironwood area is remote and wonderfully outdoorsy — it doesn’t have much of a food scene, and honestly, after full days of hiking, exploring state parks, and adventuring, coming home to a home-cooked meal around a table felt exactly right.
Ironwood itself is a great base for everything in the western UP. The Ottawa National Forest surrounds you, Lake Superior is close, and Copper Peak is practically in your backyard. Multiple state parks, waterfall hikes, & bays that give you access to Lake Superior (perfect for driftwood campfires & s’more roasts.)
⛰️ Copper Peak — The Only Ski Flying Hill in the Western Hemisphere
Copper Peak is the only ski flying hill in the entire Western Hemisphere. What I knew was going to terrify me: the grated metal stairs to make the climb to the top.
Here’s how it works. You ride an 800-foot chairlift to the base of the jump, then take an 18-story elevator to the main observation deck — and from there, you can climb further up the jump tower itself. The view from the top is 1,000 feet above Lake Superior. On a clear day you can see parts of three states and across the lake into Canada. 2,500 square miles of Northwoods and water spread out in every direction.
The grated stairs — the ones where you can see straight through to the ground far below — are a different story. I was terrified. I genuinely did not think I was going to make it to the top. My legs did not want to cooperate and my brain was absolutely not on board. But I did it!
The kids were incredible. Ages 8, 11, and 14 — all three of them climbed those stairs without hesitation and stood at the top grinning while I white-knuckled the railing & thought I was going to pass out. Ha! The view from the summit is genuinely one of the most spectacular things I have ever seen. Every terrifying step was worth it.
Good to know:
Copper Peak is open Memorial Day weekend through mid-October, 9:30am–4:30pm daily. As of 2024, admission was $28 for adults and $15 for students 14 and under. The structure is a Michigan State Historic Site and on the National Register of Historic Places — built in 1969, it remains the largest ski jump on the American continent.
🌊 Black Rocks at Presque Isle Park — Jump Into Lake Superior
Presque Isle Park sits on a rocky peninsula jutting into Lake Superior on the edge of Marquette, and the Black Rocks are its crown jewel. Ancient Precambrian basalt formations jut out over the crystal-clear water — and people jump off them. Into Lake Superior. Which, in August, is cold.
We were there on a slightly chilly day and the kids were nervous. But they weren’t the only ones in the water — other families were jumping, laughing, and doing it again. And once they saw how clear the water was, the nervousness gave way to awe.
The water at Black Rocks is so clear you can see 60 feet down. Sixty feet. It’s otherworldly. You stand on the rocks and look down into water so transparent it barely registers as water until you’re in it. One of our absolute favorite stops of the entire trip.
We also walked all the way out to the lighthouse at the park — a beautiful, peaceful walk along the rocky Superior shoreline that gave us a completely different perspective on the lake. Worth every step.
🚢 Pictured Rocks Cruises — The Spray Falls Tour
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore stretches for 40+ miles along the Lake Superior shoreline between Munising and Grand Marais — and the only way to truly see it is from the water. The sandstone cliffs range from 50 to 200 feet high, stained with minerals into swirls of red, orange, green, and white. From the shore they’re beautiful. From a boat looking up at them, they are extraordinary.
We booked through Pictured Rocks Cruises and did the Spray Falls tour — and it was absolutely the right call. The boat takes you along the full face of the cliffs, past sea caves, arches, and formations with names that tell their stories: Miner’s Castle, Indian Head, Battleship Row, Lovers Leap.
If I could go back and add one thing to this trip, it would be a kayak tour of Pictured Rocks. Seeing those cliffs from a boat is spectacular — seeing them from a kayak at water level, paddling into the sea caves, would be in a completely different category. The kayak tours are pricey for a family (around $1000 for our family of 5 at the time), but if you have older kids who are comfortable paddlers, it is worth every penny to look into. Paddling Michigan offers guided tours ranging from two to eight hours.
🏔️ Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park
The Porcupine Mountains — the ‘Porkies’ as locals call them — sit about an hour east of Ironwood and they absolutely lived up to every expectation. We did two hikes, visited both Lake of the Clouds and Summit Peak, and climbed to the top of the lookout tower. It was one of the most beautiful days of the entire trip.
Lake of the Clouds is the crown jewel of the park — an elevated overlook looking down over a forested valley and a pristine lake that stretches out below you. It’s consistently ranked among the most beautiful views in the entire Midwest and every bit of that reputation is earned. We stood up there and just let the quiet wash over us.
Summit Peak is the lookout tower — climb it and you’re standing at one of the highest points in Michigan with a 360-degree view of the Northwoods. Our kids climbed it without hesitation. After Copper Peak’s grated stairs, a tower felt easy.
Plan your day:
Give the Porcupine Mountains a full day — Lake of the Clouds, Summit Peak, and at least one trail is a perfect day. Arrive early on summer weekends as the Lake of the Clouds parking fills up. Download the AllTrails map before you go since cell service is limited inside the park.
💧 Tahquamenon Falls State Park
Tahquamenon Falls is one of the largest waterfalls east of the Mississippi and one of the most unique-looking natural wonders in America. The tea-colored, amber water — caused by tannins leaching from the surrounding cedar swamps — creates a look unlike any waterfall you’ve ever seen. It’s warm, rich, and completely unexpected. We saw the falls and the kids were genuinely wowed.
The state park covers 46,000 acres and is the second largest in Michigan. Beyond the falls themselves, the park has miles of hiking trails, camping, and a rowboat rental to paddle between the Upper and Lower Falls — one of the most unique ways to experience any waterfall in the country.
🪨 Little Girls Point — Rock Hunting on Lake Superior
Little Girls Point is a county park on the shores of Lake Superior just west of Ironwood — and it is one of those stops that sounds simple and ends up being one of the highlights of the whole trip. The beach is covered in rocks, and Lake Superior is famous for washing up agates — semi-precious stones in swirls of red, orange, and yellow — along with gorgeous banded stones, jasper, and other Lake Superior treasures.
The kids went absolutely wild finding all the cool rocks. They waded into the lake — which, yes, is freezing even in August — and hunted for cool rocks for what felt like hours. They found some genuinely beautiful specimens and came away with bags full of Lake Superior keepsakes. It’s the kind of stop where you plan to spend 30 minutes and look up two hours later.
👨👩👧👦 Great for kids:
Rock hunting at Little Girls Point is one of the best free family activities in the entire UP. Kids of all ages love it — the combination of hunting, wading in the lake, and finding beautiful rocks to take home makes it endlessly engaging. Bring a bag for collecting and download a Great Lakes rock identification app before you go.
Rock hunting tip:
The best rock hunting is after storms when fresh material gets churned up and deposited on the beach. Wet rocks show their true colors — dip any promising finds in the lake to see what you’ve got. Look for smooth, banded stones and anything with orange or red coloring for agates.
🗺️ What We Wished We Had Time For
A week in the UP sounds like a lot. It is not enough. Here’s what was still on our list when we had to head home — and what I’d prioritize on our next trip:
Kayaking Pictured Rocks
I mentioned this above and I’ll say it again — if your kids are old enough and you have room in the budget, the kayak tour of Pictured Rocks is the experience I most wish we’d done. Paddling into the sea caves, getting right up under those 200-foot cliffs from water level — that’s the version of Pictured Rocks I want to see on our next visit. Paddling Michigan offers guided tours for all skill levels ranging from two to eight hours.
Kitch-iti-kipi — The Big Spring
Kitch-iti-kipi in Palms Book State Park is the largest freshwater spring in Michigan — 200 feet wide and 40 feet deep, with 10,000 gallons of crystal-clear 45-degree water bubbling up from the limestone bed every single minute. You cross it on a self-propelled raft and peer through the glass-clear water at the springs below. It looks completely unreal. This is at the top of our list for next time.
👨👩👧👦 Great for kids:
The self-propelled raft is a huge hit with kids — they get to pull the rope and control the whole crossing. The spring water is so clear it looks like glass. A completely unique experience you won’t find anywhere else.
Quincy Mine — Hancock
For families with kids who love history, the Quincy Mine in Hancock is one of the most remarkable sites in the UP. The mine operated from 1846 to 1945 as part of the great Copper Rush that shaped this entire region. Underground tours take you through the mine shafts, and the site includes a cogwheel tram ride and one of the largest steam hoists in the world. A fascinating few hours of living history.
🏝️ Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island deserves its own trip entirely — and that’s exactly the problem. You can’t just pop over to Mackinac Island for an hour. You take a ferry from either Mackinaw City or St. Ignace at the tip of the Lower Peninsula, step off the boat, and enter a place where automobiles have been banned since 1901 — replaced entirely by bicycles, horse-drawn carriages, and people actually walking and talking to each other. It is immediately, completely magical.
Bike the 8-mile loop around the entire island on M-185 — the only state highway in Michigan closed to cars, stopping at Arch Rock and British Landing along the way. Tour historic Fort Mackinac, which dates to the Colonial era when the British, French, and Americans fought for control of the Great Lakes — the daily cannon blast reenactments are a huge hit with kids. And whatever you do, follow the smell of sugar to the nearest fudge shop. Mackinac Island is known as the Fudge Capital of America and every shop on Main Street will try to prove it. This one is high on our list for a dedicated trip — it is too special to rush.
🏔️ Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
One important note on Sleeping Bear Dunes — it’s actually in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, about 4–5 hours south of the UP, so it would be a separate Michigan trip rather than an add-on to an Ironwood basecamp. That said, it absolutely belongs on your Michigan bucket list and is worth calling out.
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore sits along the northwest shore of Lake Michigan with sand bluffs towering 450 feet above the water — I’ve read views are genuinely extraordinary. The Dune Climb is the signature experience — a giant sandbox of a dune you climb up and race back down, which kids absolutely lose their minds over. Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive is a 7-mile route with spectacular overlooks of Lake Michigan, Glen Lake, and the dunes — plan 2–3 hours with stops. The Platte River runs through the lakeshore and is perfect for canoeing and kayaking — gentle enough for families and gorgeous from the water. Hike the Empire Bluff Trail for panoramic views from a windswept boardwalk towering over Lake Michigan. This one needs its own dedicated trip — 2 days minimum to do it justice.
What a Week in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula Actually Costs — Our Real Numbers
We drove from Bentonville, Arkansas to Ironwood, Michigan and back — a full week trip for a family of five — and here is exactly what we spent:
| Category | Our Cost |
|---|---|
| Gas (round trip from Bentonville, AR) | ~$600 |
| Lodging (7 nights Airbnb cabin) | ~$920 |
| Food (groceries + a few meals out) | ~$500–600 |
| Activities (Copper Peak, Pictured Rocks cruise, etc.) | ~$400 |
| Souvenirs & misc. | ~$150 |
| Total | ~$2,600 |
A few things that kept our costs down — cooking dinner at the cabin every single night was the single biggest money saver on this trip. The Ironwood area doesn’t have much of a restaurant scene, which sounds like a limitation but actually works in your favor budget-wise. Groceries for a family of five for a week cost a fraction of what eating out would have.
For $2,600 we got a full week of some of the most spectacular scenery in America & I hope memories our kids will carry for the rest of their lives (our kids have asked to go back several times!)