Wetmore Landing beach, along the North Country Trail, just off Big Bay Road/County Rd 550.Wetmore Landing, on the North Country Hiking Trail is a local favorite in the Marquette area. A popular hiking route is from Little Presque Isle Point to Wetmore Landing (approximately 1.6 miles), with parking at both locations. It hugs the shoreline of Lake Superior through trails surrounded by huge pines and sweeping views of Lake Superior in all its glory. It’s also a starting point for a hike to Rum Runner’s Cove, an abandoned dock for bootleggers during Prohibition (you can still see the metal docking loops and cement landing.)
This short path through the woods leads to the beach at Wetmoor Landing.You’ll need a Michigan Recreation Pass to park in the Wetmore Landing parking lot, which is a very short hike to the beach. Country Road 550 is a gold mine for other local hotspots such as Hidden Beach, Little Presque Isle, Hogback Mountain, Echo Lake and Wetmore Pond. It’s gorgeous if you love lichen or mushrooms, in fact it’s where NMU takes their biology students for their lichen and mushroom labs. The paths have soft pine needles and are easy to walk on. Once you hit the beach there’s lots of rocky structures to hike on and it’s a great place to take your dog.
Tips from Rhianna:
During winter, paths can be slippery; wear good winter boots with lots of grip.
The wider paths are farther from the beach and make for an easier trek.
The paths closer to the beach are narrower and more rugged (but entirely doable).
If you don’t have a Michigan recreation pass, you can park along the side of the road on Country Road 550 for free.
This little cove is at Presque Isle Park in Marquette.Every time I take a trip to Michigan’s upper peninsula, I’m mesmerized by its beauty and unique atmosphere. I know, “unique atmosphere” is an odd descriptor of one of my favorite places on earth, but it’s true. It’s a place of extremes. Extreme snow, extreme sky, extreme weather changes, extreme water, extreme terrain variations, and, it’s a place where time stands still. Here are some of the things that make the Marquette area a formidable vacation choice that’s hard to beat:
Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake in the world.
Long summer days, just 5 hours of total darkness near the summer solstice.
A good chance of seeing the Northern Lights if you stay up there long enough.
The Milky Way, on a clear night, it’s visible and unforgettable… if you’re willing to stay up late for it.
The old mines in the Keeweenaw peninsula.
The Pictured Rocks.
Waterfalls, abundant waterfalls.
Constantly changing weather, if it’s rainy when you wake up, who cares, it will probably be sunny later in the day.
Limitless sights to see, places to go and things to do that are unique and unusual.
Wonderful places to camp and hike.
Crossing the mighty Mackinac bridge to get to the Upper Peninsula.
Walking along the paths along the shoreline.
The iron ore shipping docks.
Presque Isle park.
The sky is constantly changing in Michigan’s upper peninsula, I saw this on the way to Marquette.I just got back from a wonderful vacation in Marquette, so of course, I took photos to share with you all. Here are some of my favorites and I’ll be adding to them this summer. My vacation, was courtesy of the kind and wonderful owners, Pat and Wendy Dudley, of the Funky Beach House, which is literally on Lake Superior with a fantastic, private beach. They let me stay there for a few days while I was doing my blogging vacation thing. If you’re looking for a place to stay near Marquette, I highly recommend the Funky Beach House, it’s available for rent most of the year and a delightful gem in the woods. If you’re the artsy type, like me, you will especially love it. Here’s a link to the Funky Beach House reservations if you’re lucky, you’ll be able to get some time up there. This is the Funk Beach house “backyard.”
This is the awesome Lake Superior beach at the Funky Beach House, the sunset lasts forever.I’ll be adding more posts about the Marquette, MI area over the summer with some of my favorite places and finds so you’ll have an easier time discovering local favorites. Here’s more information about Marquette from my visit in the fall.
The Pictured Rocks are located in the Upper Peninsula (UP) in Munising, Michigan and are quite spectacular. It seems like everything in the UP is a little over the top and the Pictured Rocks are no exception. If you go there, you’ll probably want to take a boat tour.
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