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Mission
Superior - "Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula harbors sea
stacks, empty singletrack, a total absence of chic and Zik's
Bar. Oh, and you might scare up a mountain lion too."
A quote from National Geographic Adventure Magazine, August
2002, featuring a story about Copper Harbor and the Keweenaw
Adventure Company.
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| The
rugged topography of the Upper Peninsula |
This
headline sums up the Keweenaw today in a nutshell, but only
scratches the surface of this historically significant region.
Michigan's state motto reads, "If you seek a pleasant peninsula,
look about you." According to many folks, the Keweenaw is
in fact the crown jewel of all of the peninsulas in the Great
Lake's State. It's remoteness and small population has allowed
this 60 mile finger of land to remain relatively unchanged
for many years, since the great copperboom of the 1800's.
In fact, it's sort of warp taking visitors back to an earlier
time in history. This "warp" is apparent as soon
as visitors cross the "gateway" bridge in Houghton into Hancock,
connecting the mainland with the "Copper Island". It becomes
more evident the further north one travels until ultimately
reaching Copper Harbor at Land's End!
 Although
it is called a peninsula, it is technically an island. The
Portage Canal divides the peninsula and may only be crossed
by vehicles across one bridge that connects the sister cities
of Houghton & Hancock, about 50 miles south of Copper
Harbor. Keweenaw, in fact, is the Objibwa word that means
"to portage", named for this short cut they used in the early
days while paddling birch bark canoes. Today, this is part
of the Keweenaw Water Trail that ultimately allows paddlers
to circumnavigate the "Copper Island" on a hundred-mile plus
journey.
The
Keweenaw is composed of some of the oldest exposed rock in
the world, outside of the Grand Canyon. It dates back some
1.1 billion years and is mineral rich. The first great mining
boom in the United States began in 1846 with the discovery,
first in Copper Harbor, of the red metal: copper. The late
1800's brought wealth, prosperity and immigrants to the "new
world" looking for work and opportunity. The area's mining
past is evident throughout the entire peninsula and include
the Keweenaw National Historic Park. The Park is one of two
National Historic Parks in the country and is a unique cooperative
effort between historic locations, buildings, mines, ghost
towns, lighthouses and maritime locations that span the entire
Keweenaw and help to tell its story.
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The
Brockway Mountain lookout in Copper Harbor |
Copper
Harbor is one of those great places that all of us are familiar
with, although it's far less known. It's sort of a weird combination
of Isle Royale, Moab, British Columbia, Telluride, Gatlinburg,
Sedona and Key West all blended together with a distinct U.P.
flavor. The village is located in a valley at the base of
a spiney, rocky ridge--Brockway Mountain. Visitors may take
in the stunning view of Lake Superior, Copper Harbor and the
surrounding wilderness from over 300' above. All of the village's
artisans, shops, restaurants and motels are entirely (and
refreshingly) Mom & Pop owned and operated. If you are
looking for strip malls, cell phone reception, Holiday Inns,
and McDonald's, this probably is not the place for you. If
you're looking for a slow pace, quality of life, friendly
folks, good valu and access to uninhabited shorelines, wilderness
trails and great adventure, then Copper Harbor is a place
you need to visit to fully appreciate it's charm and attractiveness.
For more information on the area's activities, attractions
and accommodations, please visit www.copperharbor.org
A
trip to the Keweenaw is a living lesson in history, geology
and ecology. Surrounded by Lake Superior on three sides, the
Keweenaw's rugged landscape, rocky shoreline and mountain
top vistas offer a fantastic location for silent sports recreation.
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