Shelbyville Live Cam

One third of the land mass of the great state of Michigan lies within an area larger than the states of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Delaware combined. It is called the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, a place where you will never feel crowded.

U.P. Sunset Yet you are never far from restaurants, motels, resorts, campgrounds, parks, and other travel services. No matter where you are you'll find easy access to a "home away from home" in the Upper Peninsula that fits every taste and budget.

Lakes Superior, Michigan, and Huron border the Upper Peninsula on three sides and serve as benevolent thermostats, protecting the region from extreme temperature changes. We share a common border with Wisconsin, offering opportunities for wonderful long weekends or more to our neighbors to the south while Canadians visit us by way of the International Bridge at Sault Ste Marie.

Michigan's two peninsulas are joined by the Mackinac Bridge, the world's longest suspension bridge, providing still another gateway to the Upper Peninsula's natural wonders, abundant outdoor recreation, and historical landmarks. It connects to a world of sandy beaches, large rock formations, cascading waterfalls, and scenic overlooks.

Up Light HouseFrom the crest of this spectacular structure visitors can view the waters traveled by voyagers and Indians centuries ago and Mackinac Island, with its famous Victorian charm, to the east.

In the Upper Peninsula you can visit colonial forts at Mackinac Island and Copper Harbor, learn about Native Americans, French explorers, copper and iron mines, and loggers who helped build the Midwest. Climb to the top of lighthouses scattered around the Great Lakes and watch ocean-going freighters at the Soo Locks, at Whitefish Point near Paradise, or from the top of Brockway Mountain at Copper Harbor. Across our peninsula you can hike, swim, ski, snowmobile, boat, sail, fish, hunt, and bike.

The beauty of the Upper Peninsula attracts artists of every discipline. Painters, photographers, weavers, woodworkers, and more, perfect their talents in a land more beautiful than brush can paint or loom can weave. Spring, summer and fall find arts and crafts exhibits on almost every weekend.

We have tried to create a verbal picture of the Upper Peninsula for your mind's eye view. The simple pleasures of a walk along a white sand beach, a frosted waterfall in winder, the ever-changing sounds of the forest, or just quiet time with those you love are only a few of the opportunities for vacation memories in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

The awesome power and strength of our environment can be seen in the towering rock formations of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. The waves of Lake Superior either caress the 200-foot sandstone walls or relentlessly pound the formidable shoreline. The National Park stretches for almost 50 miles between Munising and Grand Marais. You can view the rock formations from land or by boat, walk the long sandy beaches, or marvel at the huge dunes that rise out of Lake Superior.

The Upper Peninsula has a wide variety of natural sites that attract visitors from around the world. You are virtually on top of the world at Brockway Mountain near Copper Harbor at the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula. Falcons use the rocky cliffs of Brockway Mountain during their migrations. On a clear day, the Keweenaw Peninsula can be seen from an overlook above Big Bay Lake of the Clouds at Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Parknorth of Marquette. From the top of a rocky cliff in the Porcupine Mountain State Park, you can view the famous Lake of the Clouds nestled in the forest below. Lake Superior looks magnificent after a climb up Sugarloaf Mountain near Marquette or from the Spectacle Lake Overlook near Bay Mills.

To really look around, take the elevator ride to the top of Copper Peak, an international ski flying jump near Ironwood. The man-made structure is the largest ski slide in the world. From the top, you can see Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and even Canada across Lake Superior. Rides are offered daily during the summer and on weekends during the fall color season.

Many of the scenic overlooks are spectacular in the fall when autumn offers a soothing ride through a myriad of reds, yellows, and browns. The vivid colors of autumn blanket the Upper Peninsula from mid-September to early October. Many areas rival the changing colors in the New England states.

Wolves and moose share their home with visitors at Isle Royale National Park. The 45-mile-long rugged wilderness island challenges the true adventurer. Airplane or boat rides are available to the island from Houghton and Copper Harbor.

Moose can occasionally be spotted around Michigamme where the animals were released a few years ago by the Michigan DNR. There are various types of wildlife around the U.P., such as Canadian geese and other waterfowl at the Seney Wildlife Refuge near Germfask. Hundreds of miles of hiking trails are available in the region for day or overnight treks including a songbird trail near Munising.

Seney National Wildlife Refuge The constant roar of over 250 waterfalls delight people in any season. From the famous Tahqamenon Falls to the smaller unnamed falls, people enjoy exploring along the U.P.'s rivers and streams. Some, like Bond and Canyon Falls, are easily accessible while others are more difficult to reach.

Much of the Upper Peninsula is open to public recreation. There are 24 state parks, three state forests, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, and Isle Royale National Park, Hiawatha and Ottawa National Forests, Seney National Wildlife Refuge, and many county and local parks. In addition, there are acres of corporate lands held by forest and mining companies that are open to the public. The U.P. also has several national wilderness areas each with its own characteristics.

With a wealth of minerals and underground natural resources, the Upper Peninsula is a rockhound's paradise. Beautifully colored agates cover the beaches of Lake Superior. Hematite, jasper, jaspilite, and geothite are found in the Gogebic and Marquette iron ranges. Isle Royale is home to the state's gem, the greenstone. Drummond Island has some of the oldest rock formations in the world with coral and shellfish fossils dating back 350 million years.

The natural beauty of Michigan's Upper Peninsula can be experienced while hiking, skiing, snowmobiling, boating, or just driving around. The geography changes from one end of the peninsula to the other, yet the special characteristics and beauty of the land set the U.P. apart from the rest of the Midwest.