Upper Peninsula Day Trips

One of the beauties of Mackinac Island is its short drive from Michigan’s beautiful wooded Upper Peninsula. After you’re done exploring Mackinac Island, jump on a ferry back to St. Ignace and embark on an exciting journey through Michigan’s Northwoods. 

Here are the best places to day trip to in the Upper Peninsula. And at the end of the day, after you’re done sightseeing and adventuring, you’ll know you have our home to stay at. 

Tahquamenon Falls 

Roughly 55 miles from the Mackinac Bridge this hiker's paradise offers 25 miles of forest trails that wind through 40,000 acres of wilderness. Tahquamenon Falls is home to two sets of amazing waterfalls for you to explore. If you’re looking for a shorter 45-minute excursion, visit the Lower Falls. The Lower Falls is a series of smaller waterfalls that cascade around an island. If you’re looking for a bit longer exploration, a visit to the Upper Falls takes about 1 ½ to 2 hours to complete. The Upper Falls is one of the largest waterfalls East of the Mississippi and has a 50-foot drop and is 200 feet wide. 

TahQuamenon Upper Waterfall

Sault Ste. Marie 

Another great day trip is to historic Sault Ste. Marie. Only an hour's drive from St. Ignace, Sault Ste. Marie is home to the Soo Locks—one of the great wonders of the world. The Soo Locks are the largest and busiest waterway traffic systems on earth! Here you can watch ships lock through the canal linking Lake Superior and Lake Huron, an experience that cannot be seen anywhere else in the United States! Sault Ste. Marie offers unique ways to view this one-of-a-kind experience. Hop on a boat ride through the Locks, onto Lake Superior, and under the international bridge, before crossing into Canadian waters with Soo Locks Boat Tours. If you’d prefer to keep your land legs, visit the Tower of History. The tower soars 210 feet above Sault Ste. Marie and the Soo Locks and provides the most spectacular view and photo opportunity of the impressive channel. 

Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie

Whitefish Point

This hauntingly beautiful destination is only 1 ½ hours from St. Ignace and offers an insight into the deep history of the waters of Lake Superior. Located just outside of Paradise, Michigan, Whitefish Point Light-Station is home to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. With more than 200 shipwrecks lying in the immediate vicinity, the museum retells the gripping tales of sailors and their ships braving the most dangerous waters in the world—Lake Superior. 

WhiteFish Point on Lake Superior