Copper Harbor Lighthouse

Copper Harbor is the northernmost city in Michigan, in the Upper Peninsula. It is an all-season resort town in northeastern Keweenaw County with a permanent population of 110.

Understand

Climate

Summers are warm but rarely hot due to the moderating influence of Lake Superior, while winters are cold and snowy, albeit milder than areas on similar parallels to the west, due to the low-scale maritime moderation. Although winter temperatures are similar to those in Minneapolis, a couple of degrees latitude south-west, the main difference is that April is also a winter month in Copper Harbor, since the marine effects delay spring. The temperature lag effect is so great that March holds the town's record low, and April's record low temperatures are not much warmer than those of December.

Get in

By car

Copper Harbor is just short of the northeastern tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula and the end of US-41 (from Miami). Take either US-41 or M-26 north from Houghton-Hancock; the two routes share roadway part of the way, with the state road taking a couple of detours. When they split at the crossroads of Phoenix (about 8 miles north of Ahmeek), you have your choice of routes: M-26 meanders along the Superior shoreline, US-41 "tunnels" through a lovely canopy of trees, and Brockway Mountain Drive (accessible at Eagle Harbor from M-26) follows a ridgeline and offers some great views (but is not plowed in winter and has some very steep grades).

By boat

The city is on a harbor of course, but the only commercial service is to and from Isle Royale National Park.

Get around

The city is clustered around the harbor, with most places within easy walking distance. Bicycles or cars will get you further afield.

See

Officer Quarters

• 1 Fort Wilkins, 15223 U.S Highway 41, ☏ +1 906-289-4215. It was established by the United States in 1843-44, purportedly, to protect the local Copper Miners from the local Indians. Abandoned around the time of the Mexican War, the post was regarrisoned following the Civil War, though, it was permanently abandoned in about 1870. Much of the fort is intact (with some reconstruction) and forms the centerpiece of the eponymous state park. (updated Oct 2020)
• US-41 Terminus - Ever wonder what a highway looks like when it just ends? Continue on US-41 north through the town, just past the state park, to the cul-du-sac that marks the northern end-point of a highway that begins in far-off Miami. It's underwhelming... which is part of why it's worth spending the few extra minutes it takes to get there.
• 2 Copper Harbor Light, 9879 Woodland Rd. (Grant Township). Historic lighthouse and has a maritime museum which is open in the summer. (updated Jan 2020)
• 3 Copper Harbor Cemetery. This historic cemetery discloses the gravestones of some of the earliest settlers in the Copper Country, with the first recorded interment in 1853 and a number of other tombstones that predate the year 1900.  

Do

There's a series of trails in the hills outside of town, suitable for hiking and some for all-terrain biking.

• Hunter's Point is a non-hilly point, running out from the west into Lake Superior. It is a Grant Township park, hosting a wide variety of flora and fauna. It is also a well-known stop for migratory birds.
• 1 Brockway Mountain Drive. Characterized as "the most beautiful road in Michigan," Brockway Mountain Drive is an 8.89-mile route that follows the spine of a 735-foot-high ridge between the communities of Copper Harbor and Eagle Harbor, and is the highest-paved road between the Rocky Mountains to the west and the Allegheny Mountains in the east. The notoriously-picturesque road was constructed during the 1930s in the midst of the Great Depression by the Works Progress Administration. It offers views of Lake Superior, and the Keweenaw Peninsula, as well the archipelago of Isle Royale on an especially clear, transparent day. There is also a close on the drive called Brockway Mountain Lookout that offers a view of the community of Copper Harbor. The road can be accessed from either Eagle Harbor or Copper Harbor and serves as a scenic loop off M-26. The western end starts at M-26 near Lake Bailey and Agate Harbor. (updated Oct 2020)

Buy

There are many local artisan shops and antique stores on the main drag in Copper Harbor, as well as a general store and several fun souvenir shops.

• The Laughing Loon, 242 1st St, ☏ +1 906 289-4813. (updated Dec 2019)
• North One Gallery, 971 Gratiot Street, ☏ +1 906 6828, margaret@northonegallery.com. (updated Dec 2019)
• Traprock Pottery, 184 Bernard. Open seasonally in the backyard of this address, accessible from 2nd street. May be a little hidden by lilacs and cedars. Checks and cash. (updated Dec 2019)

Eat

• Harbor Haus Restaurant, 77 Brockway Ave, ☏ +1 906 289-4502. American German restaurant. Superior German standards, fish, steaks. Closed in winter. (updated Dec 2019)
• Keweenaw Mountain Lodge, 14252 US Hwy 41, ☏ +1 906 289-4403. (updated Dec 2019)
• Jamsen's Fish Market & Bakery, 4 Waterfront Landing, ☏ +1 906 289-4000. (updated Dec 2019)

Drink

• Ziks' Bar (in The Pines resort). 
• The Mariner North. 
• Brickside Brewery, ☏ +1 906 289-4772. (updated Dec 2019)

Sleep

Camping

• Lake Fanny Hooe Resort and Campground. 
• Fort Wilkins State Park. Two campgrounds suitable for vehicles and tents, on Lake Fanny Hooe. (updated Dec 2019)

Go next

Copper Harbor is one of the main gateways to Isle Royale National Park over the horizon in Lake Superior. The Keweenaw Peninsula is host to a plethora of hiking, biking, fishing, or skiing opportunities.

Routes through Copper Harbor

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