The Keweenaw Peninsula (pronounced Kee-wa-nah) is the northern most portion of Michigan’s upper peninsula. And it is the U.P. in a nutshell. There are cute shops, rugged roads, pristine wilderness and Lake Superior shoreline views. And the best part is you can explore it all in a day on the Copper County National Byway. In this one day scenic roadtrip, you can see all of the Keweenaw Peninsula. Keep reading for our full weekend itinerary, which includes time exploring Houghton, Michigan as well as all of the Keweenaw Peninsula.
When To Visit The Keweenaw
The absolute best time to visit the Keweenaw Peninsula is in the fall when the colors are changing on all the towering trees (end of September through mid-October). And with the extreme hills you’ll find here, you’ll get colorful views around every corner. However, this is also the most popular time to visit. You’ll see tour buses at every popular stop during the color change. However, if you visit any other time of year, you can go miles without seeing another car. So if you want to visit with fewer people, summer is another great time to visit. You’ll get warmer weather to enjoy the Lake Superior views and you may even be able to enjoy a quick swim – maybe…
Where To Stay
When you are exploring the Keweenaw, you could stay in one of the small towns in a charming cottage. However, with that charm comes a lack of amenities. And as lovers of good restaurants, we choose to stay in Houghton, Michigan. If you are visiting during those few short weeks of the year where the colors are vibrant, make sure to book your accommodations far in advance as the hotels book up months in advance.
- Check out the cabin and home rental near Houghton here.
- These cabins have a great view!
- If you’re more interested in hotels, click here for options.
- We’ve stayed at this Ramada before and it has great views.
Keweenaw Peninsula Road Trip
Day 1 – Copper Country National Byway
Morning – Small Towns
If you get an early enough start to your day, start with a trip to Hungarian Falls. It is a little off the main drive but it’s a beautiful waterfall in a wooded area. It’s very U.P.!
Next, make your way straight to Eagle River. Stop at the small roadside park for views of Eagle River Falls.
Next, make a stop at the Eagle River Lighthouse. This is a private residence that you can actually rent to spend the night in. However, you can also take photos of it, or just spot it, from the street. Honestly, it isn’t that impressive as lighthouses go but it is neat that it’s been converted to a rental.
Stop for a morning snack at The Jampot. This bakery is run by monks that live across the street and is a famous stop along the Copper Country National Byway. When you stop for a baked treat at the Jampot, walk just a few more steps along the road to see Jacob’s Falls up close as well.
Pro tip: This Keweenaw Peninsula road trip does align very well with being at a restaurant for lunch. First, because we’re packing a lot into this day. And second, because restaurants are spread out. So when we’ve driven this loop, we stock up on Jampot treats and snack on them throughout the day.
Next, take in the now scenic drive along Lake Superior. Between Eagle River and Eagle Harbor, there are several scenic stops for views of Lake Superior. Keep in mind this is a scenic drive with lots of twists and turns and drive slow and safe.
Afternoon – Scenic Drives
Next, stop at the Eagle Harbor Lighthouse. Entrance into the lighthouse grounds and building is $8/adult. This historical lighthouse gives you lots of extra information on the nautical history of the Keweenaw Peninsula.
After Eagle Harbor, keep your eye out for Brockway Mountain Drive. This is a rougher (still paved), narrower road that takes you on the scenic tour up into the mountains. If you are visiting in the fall, this is the best part of this Keweenaw Peninsula road trip. You’ll get some nice elevation so you can get gloriously expansive views of the trees, hopefully when they are a rainbow of colors. There are several scenic stops along Brockway Mountain Drive – stop at them all.
Next, head into Copper Harbor. There are a few shops and restaurants here if you’ve been looking forward to civilization. However, there are two other noteworthy stops. First, is the very touristy “Beginning of U.S. Highway 41” sign and the second in the Copper Harbor Lighthouse. The Copper Harbor Lighthouse is not open to the public so the best way to see it is by taking pictures of it from across the bay. I know we’ve also hiked to it in the past but I’m not sure that was allowed…
Next, you can head south to your accommodations. You have two options for the return journey. You can take the more scenic M-26 back; the same road that you took north, though this does require a bit of backtracking. Or you can take M-41 back; while this isn’t a scenic road, we think the portion from Copper Harbor to Delaware is one of the prettiest stretches of road in the fall.
Since we recommended that you stay overnight in Houghton, we also are recommending that you eat at Joey’s in Houghton. It is one of the best places in the U.P. for fresh lake fish.
Day 2 – Houghton, Michigan
Morning – Downtown & Michigan Tech
Houghton holds a special place in our hearts as it is home to Scott’s alma mater, Michigan Tech. So when we say we know what to see and do in Houghton, we are not exaggerating.
First, start your day in Houghton at Suomi’s Restaurant. This downtown breakfast spot is great for Finnish-style morning treats.
Next, wander around campus and enjoy the big brick buildings and fun husky statue before making your way to the water. There is a great scenic path along the river with beautiful views of the lift-bridge. This functioning lift bridge raises and lowers to allow large ships to pass through this canal rather than travel around the Keweenaw Peninsula.
Next, head to the A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum. This is one of the largest mineral collections in the world. You can spend hours wandering to see all of the unique mineral specimens.
For lunch, grab a pasty (pa-stee, not pA-stee). These are best described as hand pies stuffed with meat and root veggies. They are a traditional U.P. food.
Afternoon – Mining History
After lunch, take a tour of the Quincy Mine. Houghton was founded on copper mining. And the Quincy Mine still provides daily tours of the underground copper tunnels. This is a super fun thing for families. You get to ride around underground with fun miner-like helmets!
If you have extra time after your tour, head to the Keweenaw National Historical park to learn more about mining in the Keweenaw Peninsula, including mining going back to native people thousands of years ago.
For dinner, stop at the Ambassador for their popular pizza and lasagna! Don’t forget to get a fishbowl – a favorite drink among the students. After dinner, stop by the Keweenaw Brewing Company for drinks and board games.
Want To Adjust The Itinerary?
If you have less time, you can do the Keweenaw Peninsula road trip in one day. However, it is one full day so you will need to arrive in the area the night before and stay overnight afterward.
If you have extra time, consider taking an overnight trip to Isle Royale National Park. The ferry leaves from Copper Harbor. Day trips are possible but with the time the ferry takes, you’ll only be left with a few hours on the island. So if you’re interested in staying a few days on Isle Royale, check out our guide here.
If you have extra time but a really long boat ride isn’t for you, check out our longer Upper Peninsula road trip. Again, we’ve been to the U.P. so many times over the years so we’ve put together all of the best stops in the U.P. into one unbelievable road trip.
We hope this has helped you to plan your very own Keweenaw Peninsula road trip. We’ve both been trekking through this area for years and it is one of the absolute best places in the USA for a fall road trip! If you have any questions or need suggestions, please leave questions below and we’d be happy to help.
