Photo: Upper Peninsula Travel & Recreation Association
	The Upper Tahquamenon Falls is one of the Upper Peninsula’s scenic wonders.

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula offers natural vastness

Northeastern Article,
January 25, 2012

When describing Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the word vast is often used.

Few words better describe the northern reaches of the Mitten State, with no words adequate to describe its beauty in full. 

The Upper Peninsula, called the U.P. by Michiganders, is blessed with an abundance of natural resources including more than 200 waterfalls, 4,300 inland lakes, 12,000 miles of rivers and streams and more than 1,700 miles of shoreline on three of the Great Lakes — Superior, Huron and Michigan. 

When you add to that a rich and colorful history with a heritage of mining, forestry and shipping, you have a destination without equal.

Fred Huffman, the group tours coordinator for the Upper Peninsula Travel & Recreation Association (UPTRA), knows this land well. He’s eager to share advice about where to go. 

UPTRA celebrated its 100th anniversary last October, making it one of the oldest destination marketing organizations in existence.  

As a tour planner himself, to boot, Huffman is an expert with a knowledge that can best described as vast. 

“Groups are always welcome in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and most of our finest attractions are group friendly,” he said. “For groups from the Midwest and Ontario, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is particularly appealing. We are conveniently located within a day or two’s drive from all of the major cities of the Midwest and Ontario and offer some of the finest attractions and unique experiences in the area.”

	Photo: Upper Peninsula Travel & Recreation Association
	Boat tours are a popular way to enjoy the views of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

The groups visiting the Upper Peninsula range from active and looking for adventure, to those perfectly content to experience the scenery from the comfort of a motorocoach. Others are comprised of folks, often students, venturing off in search of history.

It would be a shame if an Upper Peninsula tour didn’t spend some time in the great outdoors, much of it found in national and Michigan state parks.

The Upper Tahquamenon Falls are the second largest waterfall east of the Mississippi River. They’re protected as part of a state park, where many other waterfalls and natural features are waiting to be discovered. 

Michigan’s largest state park, the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, is also located in the U.P.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, the first national lakeshore in the U.S., is another top U.P. attraction. Singer and Michigan native Kid Rock filmed the video for “Born Free” here. Huffman was there and remembered it was a chilly autumn day when the sun was just right.  

In the past, many groups experienced the Lake Superior scenery on a boat tour. Thanks to the long-promised completion of a paved road, much more of the park is accessible to motorcoaches and vans, opening up your options. 

Mother Nature wasn’t the only artist at work in the Upper Peninsula, which boasts plenty of manmade wonders as well. The list includes the Mackinac Bridge, one of the world’s largest suspension bridges, Mackinac Island’s Grand Hotel and the Soo Locks, which host more waterway and shipping traffic than anywhere else in the world. 

Groups also have the option to tour Fort Wilkins, one of the oldest remaining wooden forts in the region, ski resorts and the old Quincy Copper Mine. 

More details are available in UPTRA’s 88-page travel planner and the group travel planning packet, both available for download at their website, www.uptravel.com.

Upper Peninsula Travel & Recreation Association 
(800) 562-7134
www.uptravel.com