Ontonagon to Ironwood

From Ontonagon [1] to Ironwood [2], once thriving mining communities, stretches some of the most untamed wilderness in all of Michigan. This western edge of the Upper Peninsula [3] is definitely a recreationist’s dream, favored for fishing, canoeing, hunting, hiking, and snowmobiling.

Come November, Lake Superior snows inundate the region, marketed to downhill skiers [4] throughout the Midwest as “Big Snow Country.” Many visitors never get past the area’s well-known downhill resorts and the homely stretch of U.S. 2 that links them.

Their loss, because when the snow melts, a beautiful landscape emerges of inland lakes and rivers for fishing and paddling [5], and hundreds of miles of national forest trails for hiking and biking [6].

After all, even in Big Snow Country, it stops snowing eventually—at least for a few months, anyway.

Getting There

Although the western U.P. has a couple of small airports, in places like Houghton [7] and Escanaba [8] (both of which offer commuter service via Northwest Airlines), and Greyhound (800/231-2222, www.greyhound.com [9]) offers limited bus service to Ironwood, you’ll find it easier to traverse this area via car.

From the eastern half of the U.P., take U.S. 2 or M-28 to Ironwood [2]. To reach Ontonagon [1], head north on U.S. 45 from M-28.