[Mesabi]

Hey everyone, my girlfriend, myself and our two dogs are going to be heading up to the UP the last week in May, coming home the Friday before memorial day. We plan on leaving early in the morning from the northern Minneapolis suburbs so we should be able to make it to our first place of interest within one day.

Now here is where I need some help! We are coming up there for both an outdoors vacation as well as wanting to see the cities and small towns etc. We will be camping in a regular tent. So where should we go? We are really into the outdoors....fishing, swiming, lakes, rivers, hiking etc. Also should we work our way from the west to east, or drive all the way to the eastern part of the up and work our way back? How far east should we go? Not sure I care to go beyone Escanaba or Marquette very far unless you think there is something we really need to see!

Also do you need to make a reservation for campgrounds at state parks etc? Would be better for us if we could find someplace to camp and just camp isntead of camping at a camp site. Also which parks, state parks, forests etc would you recomend we see?

Any input is extremely helpfull and I really appreciate it!

[Michigansnowflake]

Stop at Porcupine Mountains, there is a state park there, very nice. Youll want to go to Munising and see Pictured Rocks....all the way to the east is Whitefish Point, great shipwreck museum there and Taqamennon Falls is not to be missed...........I am sure others will chime in with lots more info. Have a great trip!

[michmoldman]

You need to go as far East as Tahquamenon falls and Whitefish point at least. These are must sees. I think you will be able to find any campground you come across, open for tents without needing reservations especially in May.

[Driller1]

Iron Mountain Iron Mine (http://www.tm-arts.com/ironmine/ironmine.htm - broken link)

I just LOVED the mine rides.

http://www.quincymine.com/

[QuestionThis]

AuTrain Lake has resorts right on Autrain lake but I heard Northwoods Resort (I think) is one of the nicer ones. It is run by a MI Fish & Game Ranger and his family and is very nice with a few individual cottages for rentals and the main building. It is about 10 miles west of Munising which has a nice golf course.

Lake Superior is within a 1/2 hour walk for the adventurous (its damn COLD) or 15 minute bike ride. It is isolated, yet 10 miles to a hospital, shopping, ect.

[YAZ]

Soldier Lake State Park is very cool.....

It's near Strong's corner in da eastern U.P.

Great camping and fishing......

P.S.

Perch are yummy.

[prairietraveler]

The keewanaw peninsula.
my favorite part of the UP

[Mesabi]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. Has anyone been to Craig Lake State Park?

[SpaceGhost79]

Hitting all these spots sounds like my usual fall colors adventuring around the U.P. The Porcupine Mountains for sure. Lots of great hiking there. Drive up to the top of Brockway Mountain up in Copper Harbor. Pictured Rocks (more great hiking and scenery) to Tahquamenon Falls.

Though I haven't been there yet, I have heard nice things about the Garden Peninsula east of Escanaba. I'm sure someone here can add more details to that area.

[Argie498]

I'll copy the post I sent to another question about camping in the U.P.: "there are tons of places to camp and visit in the U.P. The ones I am most familiar with are Bewabic State Park, 4 miles west of Crystal Falls, 906-875-3324; Fort Wilkins State Park (one of my favorite places to visit) way up north by Copper Harbor, 906-289-4215; Tahquamenon Falls State Park, which has the splendid orange-tinted waterfalls, and you can make a day of riding down the river on an old paddleboat steamer, 906-492-3415; and Hiawatha National Forest, a huge area with coastline on 3 of the 5 Great Lakes, 906-786-4062. Pictured Rocks is a beautiful boat tour but I've never been camping in that area. And there is a whole lot more." I would also add that you can stop at any visitor center and get lots of information about other places to visit. May is not a real popular month for camping and visiting here - we have had blizzard conditions some years well into May - but this has been a strange spring so no telling what May will be like. Best to come prepared for any weather from freezing to summery temps.