For our August camping trip we decided to head back up over the bridge for the second time of the summer. Most of the week was spent up at the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula in Copper Harbor. We we spent a few days here back in 2008 and we were ready to make the long drive again to see more. On the way home from Copper Harbor we also stopped to camp at Pete's Lake Campground just south of Munising and Cheboygan State Park.
After having a fair amount of rain when we camped in the Eastern Upper Peninsula in July, this time we were blessed with plenty of sunshine and not a single drop of rain for the entire 10 days.
Trip Highlights - Click to jump to that section
Camping at Fort Wilkins Historic State Park in Copper Harbor, MI
Copper Harbor Mountain Biking - Epic Ride
Mary Macdonald Preserve at Horseshoe Harbor
Brockway Mountain Drive
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We left again on Thursday night after work and made it over the bridge just as the sun was setting. We made our usual stop at the Straits State Park in St Ignace for the night.
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| Camping at Fort Wilkins Historic State Park: |
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| In the morning we still had about another 6 hours of driving to make it up to Copper Harbor. We finally pulled into campsite 172 at Fort Wilkins State Park by late afternoon. We chose to make our reservation in the West Campground. Most of the sites in both the East and West Campground loops are close together. There are a few more trees in the West Campground that give you just a little more privacy.
Each Campground loop has a single bathhouse. The West bathhouse by us was older and only had 2 showers for the entire loop which meant that there was occasionally a line. One afternoon while our bathhouse was being cleaned I biked over to use the East bathhouse and found that the shower building here was remodeled on the inside and had more showers that were really nice. If the bathhouse facilities are important to you I would staying in this loop. There is also free WiFi internet at each bathhouse building. We could sometimes get the signal at our campsite depending on the number and size of the campers in between us and the transmitter. |
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| The view of Lake Fanny Hooe right across the road from our campsite. Both Campgrounds are on the lake, but the sites are all on the oposite side of the road as the water. |
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| The girls were disappointed that we did not stay at the site with the big rock. They were at least able to visit and play on the rock on a few different times when the site was open.
The campground was almost full on the weekend, but only at about 50% capacity during the rest of the week. |
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| After getting settled into our campsite and eating dinner we rode our bikes over to see the Historic Fort. The Fort restoration is really well done and it is worth planning to spend at least an hour going through it if you are up here. We had to take turns chasing our 2 year old around so we each only got to read about half of the displays.
Click here to see the larger version of this photo >> |
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| The inside of the post hospital building. |
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| Regan happy to be out of the truck. |
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| The barracks. |
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| Someone will not look at the camera. |
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| The bakery was a favorite. |
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| Just outside of the wall is a row of cabins that housed married enlisted men.
Just up the walk from here there is a park store that has souvenirs, packaged ice cream, camping supplies and ice.
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| This is the Fort Wilkins informational video that was playing inside one of the cabins. |
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| The map of the Fort Wilkins area. |
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After visiting the Fort we walked across the road to the viewing area for the Copper Harbor Lighthouse. The only way to reach this lighthouse is by boat. We paddled our kayaks out to it on our last visit, but did not make it this time. There is also a tour boat that leaves from the Copper Harbor marina. For more information on this visit: copperharbor.org/recreat/tour-char.html
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| One of the many treats that we have when we are camping are breakfast sausages or as the kids call them "breakfast hotdogs." |
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| In the morning I was ready to ride the mountain bike trails. Before heading off on the bike I helped mom and the kids launch the kayaks in Lake Fanny Hooe right across from our campsite. |
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| Paddling past the Fort. |
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| Copper Harbor Mountain Biking - Epic Ride: |
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| In October 2009 the trails in Copper Harbor were recognized as an Epic Ride by the International Mountain Biking Association. There are several other really good trails that have been added since this time and the Epic Ride loop is not as popular as it ounce was. Some of the trails have also been renamed. However, this ride has been on my to do list for a long time so it naturally it was the first thing I chose to ride. The video above is of me dropping back down into town on the Stairway to Heaven trail at the end of the ride.
To complete this ride you link several different trails together on both sides of US 41. Trail maps can be purchased for $5 at many of the retailers in town and at the Fort Wilkins Store. $5 may seem like a lot, but there is no fee to ride the trails and all of the money collected goes right to the Copper Harbor Trails Club to help them maintain and develop this awesome trail system.
From what I could figure out from the maps the Epic Ride now consists of the following trails in order: Copper Harbor Loop, Garden Brook - Sec 1, Garden Brook, Woopidy Woo - East, Woopidy Woo - West, Garden Brook - Sec3, Blue Trail, Dza Beet - Sec 1, Here We Go - Sec 1, Ma Maki - Sec 1, Ma Maki - Sec 2, Say Hello, Dza Beet - Sec 3, Dza Beet - Sec 4, De Deet - Sec 2, Red Trail, Mango, Ma Maki - Sec 3, Ma Maki - Sec 2, Der We Went, Stairway To Heaven, Copper Harbor Loop.
This ride is still "epic" and I would recomend it as good introduction the the Copper Harbor Trail System.
I didn't want to always stop and look at the map so I printed a trail list and rubber banded it to the top tube of my bike.
If you would like to print a copy of the list click here >>
For more information visit the IMBA Epic Ride Page and the Copper Harbor Trails Club.
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| Mary Macdonald Preserve at Horseshoe Harbor: |
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| In the afternoon we drove out towards the end of the Keweenaw Peninsula and visited the Mary Mcdonald Preserve at Horseshoe Harbor. After turning off the main road it is just over a mile down the narrow dirt road to the trailhead. A few spots were at little rough but you should be able to make it even in a small car. Although, a couple groups parked their cars by the turnoff and walked down to the trailhead. |
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| There are a few pull off parking spots on the right side of the road and the beginning of the trail to Horseshoe Harbor is marked with the post shown above. |
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| A rough and rocky trail heads slightly down hill toward Lake Superior. |
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| After about 0.35 miles you break out of the woods and on to the red rock shore of Horseshoe Harbor. |
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In my Hiking Michigan's Upper Peninsula Book it has you continuing along the base of the rock wall for another 0.5 mile until it turns back into a small string of islands. Just a little ways up the path the trail was flooded right up to the wall. We tried going further inland, but it was too thick so we just went back to the rocky beach. |
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| Reid learned that the bigger the rock...the bigger the splash. |
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| While the kids were busy throwing rocks I climbed up to the top of the rock wall for a couple photos. |
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| Brockway Mountain Drive: |
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| We wanted Reid to get a little nap so before heading back to the campsite we drove to the top of Brockway Mountain. |
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| Looking west for the end of the Brockway Mountain Scenic Drive. |
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| Looking back towards Copper Harbor. Somewhere under the trees is part of the trail that I rode in the morning. |
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| The Copper Harbor overlook from Brockway Mountain Drive.
After all of the day's activities we were all pretty beat, so we spent the rest of the night relaxing by the campfire. Make sure to click the link below to see the rest of our stay in Copper Harbor.
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Copper Harbor - Page 2 >>
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