Woo Hoo!! We’re in Michigan!!! We entered the UP about 3 p.m. on Saturday. What a great feeling!
As expected, the Porcupine Mountains don’t even come close to the purple mountain majesties of the Rockies or the glacier-capped mountain ranges in Alaska. That’s not to say that the Porkies are not beautiful in their own right. Indeed, they are uniquely beautiful, and I’m glad I finally got to see Michigan’s very own “mountains”.
We camped in the Union Bay Campground of the Porcupine Mountains State Park. It is one of two campgrounds in this state park; Presque Isle is the other campground. Union Bay is a modern campground (camping lingo for “every site has an electrical outlet”), and it sits right on the Lake Superior shoreline. But, the sites are too close together, in my opinion. If I go back there, I would opt for the Presque Isle campground, which has half the number of camping sites that Union Bay does, but the sites are considerably more spacious. Presque Isle is a rustic campground, meaning there is no electricity, but you can use generators. It sits high on a bluff overlooking Lake Superior.
There are miles and miles of hiking trails in the Porkies. We hiked the East and West River Trails, the Summit Peak Tower Trail, and we went for a short walk to the viewing deck overlooking the Lake of the Clouds. It’s the first hike in the woods we’ve taken since we left Alaska and Canada where I haven’t turned around mid-hike and said to Len, “Did you remember the bear mace?” Yes, I know the UP has a bear population, but there’s something safe and secure about being within the confines of one’s own home state.
Attached are pics of Presque Isle Falls, Presque Isle River, and Lake of the Clouds. The UP certainly has its gems!
Happy Birthday Brady-boy!! Can’t wait to see you! And, to my gorgeous nieces, too: Chelsea and Charissa!
As expected, the Porcupine Mountains don’t even come close to the purple mountain majesties of the Rockies or the glacier-capped mountain ranges in Alaska. That’s not to say that the Porkies are not beautiful in their own right. Indeed, they are uniquely beautiful, and I’m glad I finally got to see Michigan’s very own “mountains”.
We camped in the Union Bay Campground of the Porcupine Mountains State Park. It is one of two campgrounds in this state park; Presque Isle is the other campground. Union Bay is a modern campground (camping lingo for “every site has an electrical outlet”), and it sits right on the Lake Superior shoreline. But, the sites are too close together, in my opinion. If I go back there, I would opt for the Presque Isle campground, which has half the number of camping sites that Union Bay does, but the sites are considerably more spacious. Presque Isle is a rustic campground, meaning there is no electricity, but you can use generators. It sits high on a bluff overlooking Lake Superior.
There are miles and miles of hiking trails in the Porkies. We hiked the East and West River Trails, the Summit Peak Tower Trail, and we went for a short walk to the viewing deck overlooking the Lake of the Clouds. It’s the first hike in the woods we’ve taken since we left Alaska and Canada where I haven’t turned around mid-hike and said to Len, “Did you remember the bear mace?” Yes, I know the UP has a bear population, but there’s something safe and secure about being within the confines of one’s own home state.
Attached are pics of Presque Isle Falls, Presque Isle River, and Lake of the Clouds. The UP certainly has its gems!
Happy Birthday Brady-boy!! Can’t wait to see you! And, to my gorgeous nieces, too: Chelsea and Charissa!
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