Day Trips

Make Marquette County your basecamp for exploring the epic scenery in the U.P.! From lonely lighthouses to towering cliffs, experience these day trips within hours of Marquette, MI. 

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore 

America’s first National Lakeshore, Pictured Rocks, is located less than an hour east of Marquette. Explore pristine beaches, 100 miles of trails, flowing waterfalls, and towering sandstone cliffs. Serene woodlands and emerald water creates a peaceful escape. The park offers a range of accessible trails and campsites. 

Canyon Falls

Often referred to as The Grand Canyon of the U.P., Canyon Falls is about an hour's drive from Marquette. Fed by the Sturgeon River, the falls are impressive, and the hike to access them is about 1-mile over level terrain. The trail is part of the 4,800 mile North Country National Scenic Trail (and is very well maintained to the falls and beyond by volunteers from the Peter Wolfe Chapter of the NCTA.) Hikers can hike west to North Dakota from the Canyon Falls trail or they can hike east to Marquette and on to Vermont from the Canyon Falls trail.

Kitch-iti-kipi 

Fill up your tank and check out Michigan’s largest freshwater spring in Manistique—an 88-mile drive worth the trip. Though the legends surrounding Kitch-iti-kipi are many, one thing is for certain, you’ll find peaceful surroundings here. Hop aboard the self-operated observation raft to access vantage points. Look for clouds of sand kept in constant motion by the bubbling spring and fat trout swimming through the crystal waters below.