U.P. Winter Adventures Await

Three ways to embrace the outdoors above the bridge

By Ren Brabenec | Dec. 16, 2023

How do we know that a significant part of our state is an undiscovered gem? A running joke (and statement of pride amongst Yoopers) is that, occasionally, a cable news segment, weather forecast, textbook, or even the History Channel will display a map of the United States…without the Upper Peninsula.

The U.P. contains 29 percent of the land area of Michigan but only 3 percent of its total population. While snowy roads make the trip feel a bit longer, we northern Lower Peninsula trolls may just be surprised at how easy it is to take a winter weekend, cross the mighty Mackinac Bridge, and immediately immerse ourselves in the hushed, snow-blanketed paradise of the U.P. Here are our three must-try winter adventures in the eastern part of the upper Mitten.

OUT House Consortium and the New Ashmun Creek Trail

Up in Sault Ste. Marie, Canada is only a snowball’s throw away, giving you the benefit of exploring two unique cities of the same name set against the rugged backdrop of the Michigan-Canada border.

When you live in a part of the world covered in snow (at least) five months out of the year, you learn to communicate through a hearty sense of humor. That sense of joviality met in the middle with a mission to create accessible, multi-use trails when Sault Ste. Marie business owners Wilda and Ken Hopper formed OUT. House Consortium in 2018. Outdoor Use of Trails (OUT) House Consortium was created to support trails in and around Sault Ste. Marie.

“We wanted the nonprofit to focus on trail development, maintenance, and promotion, whether it be hiking, biking, or water trails,” says Wilda. “We work with government agencies, nonprofits, private citizens, and business owners to establish a network of trails for non-motorized recreational transit in the Eastern Upper Peninsula.”

Currently, one of the group’s big projects has been the designing trails in Ashmun Creek, an area of over 400 acres of land between Three Mile Road and the Sault Ste. Marie Municipal Airport. So far, volunteers (in partnership with local donors, the Little Traverse Conservancy, and a trail contracting group called Rock Solid) have formed a trailhead and blazed approximately one mile of hiking trails. The trails can be accessed via the Kevin and Pam Cooper Bridge, which was also funded and built by volunteers.

With the trailhead (conveniently located behind Buffalo Wild Wings), the bridge, and the first mile of trail done, the group envisions a rapid expansion of trails in the nature area. “We already have another 15 miles of hiking and biking trails conceptualized and in the works with the help of Rock Solid,” says Wilda. “One-and-a-half to two years from now, these trails will be available for use.”

While they’re happy to serve the hikers and bikers, OUT House Consortium sees its mission as serving a purpose beyond recreation. “The Ashmun Creek Area is now a permanently protected nature area, and it will connect the community as an alternative transit hub,” says Ken. “People will use this trail system not just for recreation but for transit too, to get from one area of town to another without having to walk or bike on the road.”

To raise awareness for the nonprofit’s campaign to expand the existing system trails, Wilda, Ken, and other OUT House volunteers frequently host free lantern-lit night treks at Ashmun Creek and other eastern U.P. nature sites at or near Hessel, Cedarville, the Sault Tribe, Kinross, McNearney Lake, and the North Country Trail. (Should visitors prefer solitude and a lone hike or snowshoe, the trail at Ashmun Creek is conveniently located within the city limits of Sault Ste. Marie and is open 24 hours per day, seven days per week.)

For local events and the group's hiking and snowshoeing schedule, visitors to Sault Ste. Marie can check out OUT House Consortium’s calendar online at outhouseconsortium.org/calendar.

Camping at the U.P.’s Only Year-Round State Park Campground

Just under two hours from the Mackinac Bridge, Tahquamenon Falls State Park is not only open year-round, but it also maintains 20 campsites throughout the winter season, making it the only state park in the U.P. that does not close its campground during winter.

Currently considered “semi-modern,” the campsites temporarily do not have shower buildings or flush toilets, but there is electricity to each site, vault toilets nearby, and a water source for campers to fill up jugs. Park rangers frequently clear the campground of snow, and if campers reserve their sites in advance, rangers will roll out the welcome mat by plowing reserved sites before campers arrive.

“Winter camping will look a little different this year, as we’re currently building a new shower building and bathroom,” says Tahquamenon Falls State Park Manager Kevin Dennis. “Thanks to funding from the American Rescue Plan, we’ve been able to implement numerous improvements and new construction projects in the park. The new shower building and bathroom at the campground is just the latest of these projects, and it will be completed in early- to mid-summer 2024.”

Camping in the middle of winter in one of the coldest, snowiest places in Michigan may sound extreme, but being able to say, “I pitched a tent at Tahquamenon Falls in February,” is sure to earn any Michigander some bragging rights and perhaps even a title as Honorary Yooper. We were surprised how many Michiganders and out-of-state adventures do just this.

“Winter camping is becoming increasingly popular,” says Dennis. “Sure, most campers still use trailers or RVs, but it’s only a bare majority these days. You’d be surprised how many folks show up, don a few extra layers, pitch a tent, and roll out the insulated pads and sub-zero sleeping bags.”

As for what to do while camping at the falls, park rangers thought of that, too. “Skiing and snowshoeing are very popular,” says Dennis. “We groom the Giant Pines four-mile loop trail for cross-country skiers, and snowshoers can use it too. We just ask that they walk alongside the trail.” Dennis mentions several shorter loop trails reserved just for snowshoeing at the Lower and Upper Falls. These are marked with fiberglass posts and, due to frequent use, are often quite easy to traverse.

Then, of course, there are the falls themselves. “Viewing the falls during winter is an entirely different experience,” says Dennis. “You have to see it to believe it. Pictures don’t do justice to the scale and dimensions of the ice formations and snowpack. Especially in late January and February, the falls are just sublime.”

Importantly, Tahquamenon Falls State Park is known for its commitment to accessibility. The new pedestrian bridge to the Lower Falls Island (completed in 2021), the new bathrooms at the Lower Falls (completed in 2023), and the current bathroom rebuild project at the Lower Falls Modern Campground are all a part of the Lower Falls Island & Visitor Services Improvements Project, a series of construction and maintenance tasks to upgrade scenic viewing platforms, improve accessibility to difficult-to-reach sections of the park, and replace bathrooms and gift shops.

“Accessibility is key,” says Dennis in closing. “No matter the time of year, no matter one’s limitations, we want everyone to be able to enjoy the park.”

When asked what folks should bring or how they should prepare when traveling to the park during winter, Dennis says to bring snowshoes, dress in layers, wear ice cleats (especially on plowed surfaces that may be slippery), and visit during midday when rangers have had a chance to clear the previous evening’s snowfall.

Visitors planning a trip to Tahquamenon can check out the park’s website at michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/Details.aspx?id=428&type=SPRK to make a campsite reservation or call the park headquarters at 906-492-3415 for information and weather updates.

Snowmobiling and the I-500 Race

Held in 2024 between Sunday, Jan. 28, and Saturday, Feb. 3, Sault Ste. Marie’s annual International 500 Snowmobile Endurance Race is the biggest tourist attraction in the Sault, the largest winter sporting event in the Upper Peninsula, and the world’s “oldest, longest, fastest, and toughest snowmobile endurance race.”

In fact, according to race board director Ric Federau, in no uncertain terms, the I-500 is the snowmobile race in the country. “It’s the granddaddy of all snowmobile races,” says Federau when telling the story of the I-500’s 55-year history. “It’s the one that every snowmobile enthusiast wants to win.”

Given that the I-500 is a weeklong event that attracts thousands of snowmobile savants to the Sault (say that five times fast), it has become quite common for folks below the bridge to pack up their sleds, head north, and make a week of it to enjoy the festivities in town or ride the miles of snowpack and groomed trails the U.P. offers. For years, the state has developed its snowmobile-accessible trail infrastructure, currently boasting 360 miles of state-funded and 100 miles of locally-funded snowmobile trails just in Chippewa County alone.

Trail monitors at the Department of Natural Resources expect interest in the trails to continue growing. Last year, DNR Supervisor Eugene Hagy spoke about the spike in trail use during the I-500. “Overall, activity on the trails in Chippewa County was way up from past years,” Hagy stated in a February 2023 DNR press release. “The lack of snow in the Lower Peninsula compared to the recent cold spell with ample snowfall in the Upper Peninsula likely contributed to the large number of snowmobilers in the area.”

Information on the I-500 can be found at the event’s website, i-500.com. Maps and trail conditions for the region are available at upsnowmobiling.com.

Picture courtesy of Tahquamenon Falls State Park