OT: Upper Peninsula recommendations

I’m surprised no one has mentioned Oswald’s Bear Ranch.

Definitely hit the porcupines if you can make it over that way. Canyon falls is pretty cool if you want to do some cliff jumping but don’t want to deal with crowds of people doing it too. I’d highly suggest you hit up Black Rocks Brewery.

A lot of the cool stuff is going to be tough with a young one. Most is best seen as part of a backpacking trip. Have you been to Traverse City, Charlevoix, and Petoskey? It's a nice drive from there to Mackinaw Island through the tunnel of trees. Pictured Rocks is amazing, but you gotta see it by foot. The boat tour isn't worth the drive by itself, IMO.

Black Flies and Mosquitoes

Is most excellent

Of course

My family has been taking summer vacations in the UP the last several years and we agree Marquette is great.   A great little college town but you can still do "UP-stuff" like hiking and swimming.   Houghton is similar but on a smaller scale.   

For those who are runners, The Marquette Marathon and Half Marathon are run Labor Day weekend.  They feature net downhill runs that make it feel like you are practically flying.....until you get to the last mile which is all uphill.  A great chance to PR or BQ though.

Porcupine Mountains are great and Lake in the Clouds.  

 

I do have one question for any Yoopers here:  Why does it seem like there are more Subways that McD's in the UP and Wisconsin?  I've never seen so many Subways.

 

A lot of this has been said but we love Marquette (great bike rides, restaurants and scenery) and Copper Harbor.  Not sure how much you can do with the young one but there are great hikes around Copper.  Houghton and Munising are also great towns. 

The Seney nature preserve can be done from the car (perhaps good with the baby) and Grand Marais is pretty town

Mackinac Island would be great for the kid, wife, and you. There are even hotels with pools/water parks (I know u said 11 month old but u could stick to the kiddie pools).
Last year we did paradise, Tahquamenon, Munising, and Marquette. Make sure to stop at the beaches along superior on the way up to Marquette (specifically around Au Train where the river dumps into the lake).
I loved Marquette. Lots of nice restaurants and breweries. Love the history there too. All the old ore docks and giant freighters.
It probably depends on how busy you want to be quite honestly. How much driving you want to do. It can get tiresome with a little one....
Good luck!!

One More!! Our families favorite of all was the shipwreck museum at whitefish point. It only takes a few hours but is really interesting!!

is great if you know someone

I love the UP. All the suggestions so far are great. One note of caution, early June is definitely rolling the dice weather wise. I've been in picture rocks in early july when it was in the low 40s. That being said, it could be beautiful so might as well go for it. There is a beautiful stretch of beach along Superior a few miles west of Munising. It gets fairly crowded where the Au Train river empties into Superior, but if you go a 1/2 mile East you can have a stretch of beach to yourself that is as beautiful as anywhere else in the world. Don't tell anyone though, cause I'll be pissed if it's crowded next time I go.

Ig-nes

If you don't spend at least a night in Escanaba, don't bother going to the UP

Stay in the Landmark Inn. Every room is unique and classic. The lobby bar serves great whitefish and wine. The roof top bar has a great happy hour.

Great little town with character and with everything you'll need.  One summer in the 70s, breathtaking views of sunsets on the Lakes, of grand ships crossing and cars being pulled over at the checkpoint...  Hopefully things have not changed a whole lot since then.  Are the Locks still as awesome as they were back in the day?

1. Tahquamenon Falls: Upper Falls: great brew pub on site, great view of the second largest falls east of Mississippi after Niagra with a small walk. Red water running over the falls from the tannis in the soil. Unique to NA. Yes, the Falls run Red. Lower Falls: Rental row boats, perfect for families. Row out to the small island in the middle of the river, watch the naturally occuring foam, again from the Tannis, swirl in amazing paterns around your boat. Perfect for a family with little ones. Camping and several small inns nearby. ( use the google)

2. Pictured Rocks, Munising. Stay a night at any of the hotels in town. Take the Sunset Pictured Rocks Boat Cruise, take your camera, and relish one of the most amazing natural scenes in the World. Also, two great brew pubs in town.

3. Porcupine Mountains. Along the shore of Lake Superior. Some of the most beautiful coast line in the US. Easy camping, but also several small inns great for families.

Hit those three and you will have an amazing week.

Porcupine Mountains

Lake Gogebic

A li'l more west into Wisconsin..... the Apostle Islands.  Pretty sweet.

A li'l more more west.... Duluth MN.  Neat town in spite of their damn hockey team. I'll give them the nod for beating Notre Dame, but PFAUGH otherwise.

Over east of Saint Ignace....the Les Cheneaux Islands are awesome in the summer.  Hessel and Cedarville...tiny towns but awesome.  Great little ice cream place in Cedarville next to the public docks.

A li'l more east into Canada... Manatoulin Island.  Cross at the Locks, head east.  Can take a car ferry off Manatoulin to Tobermory and make the loop around the east side of Lake Huron back to Michigan.    

I spent a week in the UP with my family last summer.  My mom and step dad were up from Florida (I live in the Grand Rapids area) and brought their camper, so we stayed at Tahqaumenon Falls State Park.  My two kids (8 and 3 at the time) stayed in the camper with them and my wife and I slept in our tent.  This is what we saw on our trip (which was one of my most favorite summer vacations ever):

 

Upper and Lower Tahquamenon Falls - the lower is awesome because you can walk into the falls and really feel their power.  Rent the row boat to go over to the island.  The boat across the small lake is worth it!  While your in this area, and if you dont mind driving down a bumpy, dirty and possibily muddy single lane road for over an hour each way, do yourself a favor and visit Crisp Point Lighthouse.  What an amazing place!!

 

Sault St. Marie - we drove over to the Soo Locks.  We just spent a couple hours there, enough time for dinner and to watch a couple huge barges go up and down the locks.  It was really cool and worth the drive (take the scenic route, which hugs Whitefish Bay the entire way.  There are a couple of Lighthouses along the way that are worth stopping at as well as a bunch of scenic turn offs to get great views of the Bay and the sand dunes

 

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore - You can't go to the UP without going here! You have to see it from the water to appreciate it.  I actually rented a pontoon boat so we could go at our own pace.  DONT DO THIS WITH AN 11 MONTH OLD!! It will be too rough.  Take the tour boats!  There is a lot to do around this area (parks, waterfalls, lighthouses, etc).  Our next UP trip I want to stay in the Munising area and do more exploring over that way.

 

Kitch-iti-kipi spring - look it up if you've never heard of it.  It's quite the site!! 

 

Fayette Historic State Park - Lot's of history in a beautiful setting! Check it out!

 

Whitefish Point and the Shipwreck Museum - Learn more about the Edmund Fitzgerald and other shipwrecks.  Bring a change of clothes so you can scour the Lake Superior shoreline for rocks!

 

Mystery Spot - corny and touristy, but if you've never been there (or even if you have been there), it's worth a look.  Kids love it.

 

The above took every bit of a week to see.  We didn't even make it over to Mackinac Island (we are doing that this summer and staying at Mission Point Resort, which I can't wait for).

No matter where you go, you'll see some of the most beautiful country there is in Michigan, if not in the United States.  It truly is like another country!! Man, now I'm ready to go back!!

 

did a week with the kids last July.  Stayed five nights in Sault St Marie, but made the drive to Tahquamenon Falls, as well as Pictured Rocks for the tour.  Quite a bit of driving, but I enjoy it and driving up there is nothing like driving in metro Detroit.  Our youngest was almost 3 at the time, tho.  Your driving experience may differ with an 11 month old!!  Anyway, those two locations, along with the Soo Locks are musts in my opinion.  I suppose Mackinac Island is as well, although I could do without it.  We spent the last two nights in Mackinaw City, which has quite a bit to do, as well as awesome views of the bridge both day and night.

One other thing I haven't seen mentioned, but may not be feasible with an 11 month old, is Headlands International Dark Sky Park:

http://www.midarkskypark.org/

It's just over 3 miles directly west of Mackinaw City.  If you get an ideal night for star gazing, its spectacular.  Jupiter was so bright, it was reflecting off the lake.  The night we were there somebody showed up with the largest portable telescope I've ever seen.  Thing looked like a cannon.  Viewing Saturn through it was unreal, as well as some other cool stuff that people much smarter than me spoke about.  Anyway, that's enough nerdiness from me.  Whatever you do, enjoy!!!

Hessel, Cedarville. I spent many memorable vacations there, camping, fishing, sailing, hiking.

Mackinaw - Ft. Michilimackinac / Historic Mill Creek State Park (Stay 1 nite in Mackinaw)

Forget Mackinaw Island - Too touristy.  The fort is the only cool place. Not worth a nights stay. I spent a weekend once and biked every inch of the island. Bored out of my mind and I was with a group. Cannot see anyone going there more than once.

Da Yooper Tourist Trap (Museum) just west on US2 - absolutely hilarious

Taquanemon Falls (camp @ Rivermouth campground) / Whitefish Point Museum 

Munising - Pictured Rocks / Munising falls / Miners Rock and falls / Muldoons Pasties (Camp @ Pete's Lake NFCG S. of Munising)

Laughing Whitefish Falls

Sturgeon River rapids and cascades on M-38 just west of baraga

Jam Pot Bakery outside Copper Harbor run by cool monks (Best bakery in the world!) Not cheap, but worth every penny

Ft Wilkins (Copper harbor)

Porcupine Mountains / Black River Falls / Presque Isle River hike (rocks and rapids) (Camp @ Porcupine Mountain SP)

Bond Falls

Iron Mountain Iron Mine tour (Camp along US 2)

Indian Springs SP - rope-powered floating raft over clear spring

Get a waterfall book. The UP has more than a hundred.

Cannot do it all in 7 days. Need 9 days.

 

 

Mine as well just hike/kayak Isle Royale, I’m sure that’s doable with an 11mo old :)

Mackinaw City is a lot of fun. My wife and our 7 year old camped in St. Ignace last year for the Fourth of July and had a blast! 

Mackinac Island is a must. You take a really cool boat over to the island, and it is just a beautiful place! No cars of any sort on the island. All bikes and horses. Very cool! 

I highly recommend Tahquamenon Falls in Paradise Michigan. That was the highlight of our trip! Beautiful waterfalls and great hiking. 

 

Have fun! The UP is amazing! Heading up there myself again for the Fourth this year. 

i didn't read all the responses, so some of this may be duplicated.  

 

If you're into camping, Straights State Park is right across the bridge just inside of St Ignace.  They have showers etc... so there's that.  not sure how much fun that'd be with an 11 month old, but figured I'd put that out there.  

Take a nice drive up and see Tahquamenon Falls.  The hike isn't rought, so having an 11 month old won't be prohibitive.  http://www.exploringthenorth.com/tahqua/tahqua.html

There's the mystery spot  http://www.mysteryspotstignace.com/

Historical sights like Macknaw. 

Ship Wreck Museum https://www.shipwreckmuseum.com/

Soo Locks  https://www.michigan.org/property/soo-locks

St Ignace has some quaint shopping as well as nearby are great views of the bridge.  

 

Epoufette Michigan. On highway 2. The gas station has awesome smoked whitefish

Brockway mountain at night to watch the stars...

Not a big fan of the eastern UP and Mackinac Island - too many touristas.

My contrarian tour of the UP.

1.  Take one of the ferries across Lake Michigan.  Take one that arrives in Wisconsin late at night.  Get a stateroom on the ferry if you can.  The ride is fun for awhile but how much water can you look at, especially at night.

2. Spend the night in Wisconsin where you get off the ferry.  Head north in the morning to Piers Gorges back in Michigan, it's fabulous!  Watch the kayakers run the whitwater.

3. Head west to the Porkies.  Plan to spend two nights and explore both the eastern and western part of the park.  Take a hike to Lake in the Clouds.  Don't miss the Presque Ille River at the western end of the park.  Look for bears.

4. Head up into the Keewenaw Peninsula and stay at least 1 night in Copper Harbor.  Explore.  Look for bears.

5. Head to Munising and stay at least 1 night. Explore Pictured Rocks.

6. Head to Grand Marais.  DO NOT TAKE THE SHORE ROAD unless you have a big SUV.  Spend 1 night in Grand Marais.  Explore west to the Log Slide - fabulous dune about 300' high.  Go on down the dune,but remember you have to come back up.

There are waterfalls all over the UP which you can reach from just off the highway.  Stop at a few and take a look.  Get a copy of Hunt's Guide to the Upper Peninsula originally published in 1997.  Great book.

Ok,ok - check out Taquamenon Falls, but be prepared for a lot of tourists.

I actuall did this tour with my wife and 3 children.  Everyone loved it.

 

Stay in St Ignace, Macinac City is more touristy. Visit Tahquamenon Falls, and for sure Kitch-iti-kipi. Sault St Marie isn’t too bad and has a decent brewery, and Marquette is pretty nice as well. When you do pictures rocks keep in mind there are multiple spots to see it from, and boat/kayak tours give you by far the best views.