ON THE WAY TO BIG BAY

Region: Marquette Range

The Marquette area's best-loved natural places - including Sugar Loaf mountain and the beaches near Little Presque Isle - are along County Road 550, which goes for some 27 miles from Northern Michigan University and Marquette Tourist Park to Big Bay, an old Lake Superior sawmill town and getaway spot at the end of the road.
Though 550 is often close to Lake Superior, it's too far inland to offer lake views in this heavily forested area. In winter, the road is famous for whiteouts from snow blown in from the lake. Much of the land is open to the public because it's within the Escanaba River State Forest or owned by Mead Paper. The state of Michigan has acquired 3,000 acres of prime shoreline land in a land swap with Cleveland Cliffs Iron, which wanted 8,000 acres of state land, far less desirable for public recreation, for disposing of tailings from its Tilden Mine near Palmer.

Both Mead and the Michigan DNR have finished a number of projects around Little Presque Isle, Wetmore Pond, and Harlow Lake, building trails, creating observation platforms, and installing interpretive signs. An especially scenic section of the North Country Trail already connects these beautiful spots with Marquette (at Tourist Park). It looks as if some day a bikeway will join them with Big Bay.

Return to Marquette Range

PLACES AROUND ON THE WAY TO BIG BAY TO

Eat Sleep Camp