Overview

What's the best way to get to Houghton?  Gone are the ancient days of the 1990s (ahem) when you'd try to plot a new "this has to be faster" route via a 10-year-old gas station map.  (Finding the southern entrance to County Road GG took several trips, as there was no sign back then!)  There are three basic ways: through Hayward, through Wausau, or through Duluth.  If travel time is important to you, the #1 cause of slow trips is breaks - gas, lunch, or bathroom.  Fill up the car before you go, pack a lunch (or snacks, or caffeine), and start driving.  If you'd rather enjoy the scenery and use less gas, go up through Hayward.  Highway 77 is very pretty in the fall (and winter).

Winter driving can be a chore.  Usually the 57 miles between Bruce Crossing, MI and Houghton, MI are the most difficult ones, because you're in the heart of the lake effect snow belt.  Coming home in winter storms, conditions will almost always significantly improve south or west of Bruce Crossing.  If you're inexperienced with driving in heavy lake effect snow (Twin Cities snow does not count!), plan on driving the Bruce Crossing-Houghton stretch in daylight.

• My preferred route is through Hayward, for speed and scenery reasons.   It's faster, prettier, fewer miles, consumes less gas, and produces ~55lbs less CO2 emissions, helping our planet.

• My student originally preferred going through Wausau, for easy driving (freeway) reasons.  However, he has changed to going through Hayward, for fuel economy, speed, and scenery reasons.

• Generally avoid going through Duluth (I-35/US-2) or through Taylor's Falls (US-8).  Crossing over into Wisconsin on MN/WI-70 near Grantsburg, WI, or MN-36/WI-64 near Stillwater, MN or I-94 near Hudson, WI are all better alternatives.

• Gas stations are located in most towns along the way.  I tend to use Holiday Circle K (Hayward, WI, Ironwood, MI, or Eagle River, WI) or Kwik Trip (Cumberland, WI, Hayward, WI, Eagle River, WI, and Bessemer, MI have newer Kwik Trips).

  • Circle K has purchased Holiday and is updating stores.  So far I've seen the Hayward WI, Ironwood MI, and Wakefield MI stores updated.

• Fast food is located in several towns along the way (Hayward, Ironwood, Eagle River), but generally not in da U.P.  I prefer to pack my own lunch, or stop at a grocery store in a town to pick up a premade sandwich and some fruit.  On the way home, grab a pasty from Roy's Bakery in Houghton and eat it as finger food (you know, like the miners used to!).

  • Another good lunch stop is Rigoni's Bakery in Ironwood, MI.  Fabulous pasties, conveniently available hot & in a "to-go" sleeve.  https://www.rigonibakery.com/

• If you're not afraid of vault toilets, the Wisconsin and Michigan Wayside Rests are faster to get in & out of than a gas station.  They also make excellent places for pet exercise if you're traveling with your favorite Labrador Retriever.

• Cell service is spotty from Clam Lake, WI to Ironwood, MI, or from Eagle River, WI to Watersmeet, MI (depending upon route and cell carrier).  Be prepared for 15-45 minute stretches of the dreaded "No service."

• In winter storms (remember, it can be calm and sunny in Minnesota while da U.P. has whiteout lake-effect snow), leave early and try to maximize daylight driving.  If it's a major storm, strongly consider making the trip a day early or a day later.

  • How bad can the snow be?  I've experienced the hood ornament on a car disappearing for seconds at a time - visibility was that low (zero).  Atypical, but not fun at all.

• You do not need 4-wheel drive, even in snow storms.  In fact, 4-wheel drive, especially for a young driver, will encourage them to drive faster than is safe for conditions because they won't feel as much slippage while accelerating.  4WD vehicles have no inherent advantage on cornering and braking, where the danger really lies.  Vehicles don't go into the ditch because they didn't accelerate adequately.  They go into the ditch because they lost side-to-side traction - something that 4WD does nothing to help.

• Snow tires are not necessary, but are a GREAT upgrade to any vehicle for the winter months for trips to Da U. P.  Unlike 4-wheel drive, snow tires greatly improve cornering & braking performance on snow and ice, significantly improving safety.

• It can be fun to explore areas just off the road - waterfalls, hiking trails, lakes, parks - there's a lot of good scenery.

• Times quoted are from Bloomington, MN.

The Routes

1) Via Stillwater & Hayward, WI

Pros:

• Fast.  You can make this trip in under 6 hours without excessive speeding.  It averages 12 minutes faster than the other ways, even accounting for road conditions.

  • In 2020-2024 (25 trips on this route), my average time for this route from Bloomington, MN has been 5:52, with a range of 5:39-6:15.  My average speed on this route is 56.8MPH.  My average gas mileage (minivan) is 27.3MPG on this route (I once hit 30.5MPG in the minivan on this route.)

• It's dang pretty in the fall.  The colors start peeking through on Highway 77 in August!

• It's a shorter distance & consumes less gas.  (Even Google agrees on that one.)  I can confidently drive this route in a compact car (small gas tank) without stopping to fill up.  My minivan can make it easily on a single tank.  In March 2023, I got 42MPG in a non-hybrid small sedan on this route.  In my minivan, I average 27.3MPG on this route.

• The various towns & turns on the route help keep the driver awake.  (The small towns & turns in the route are also a con.)

• There's a chance of spotting elk along Highway 77 near Clam Lake, WI.  You'll see the signs.

• Did I mention it's fast?  I know a driver who's made the trip from the east side of the Twin Cities in 4 hours, 30 minutes... with lots of excessive speeding.

Cons:

• County Road GG.   It's an essential part of this route (it cuts significant time off the trip), but it's narrow, curvy, bumpy, has poor sightlines, often covered with snow and ice (much worse than Highway 77), and has little traffic on it to aid you if you decide to run off the road.  In the last couple of years, they've cut the trees way back from the side of the road & have repaved large segments of the road, making it much better.  For those who enjoy driving, it's also a bit of fun.  :)

• Multiple small towns with 35MPH speed limits - gets annoying at times.  (They used to be 25MPH speed limits, but have been raised to 35MPH.)

• Frequently, there is a speed trap on County Road GG on the south side of Mellen, WI, between the railroad tracks (south) and the stop sign (north) on GG.  You have been warned.

• The 30 miles between Mellen, WI and Hurley, WI are pretty boring.  And the road is a bit rough for the first ~5 miles east of Mellen, WI.

• The roads are generally in good condition, but during major winter storms you may want to consider a route with higher traffic for safety reasons.  It can get pretty lonely between Hayward, WI and Ironwood, MI at night or during storms.

• Navigation isn't difficult, but you use multiple highways on the route.

Route audibles:

If you're heading north, nearing Hayward, WI, and the road conditions are not great, you can count on County Road GG being worse.  If you don't like the conditions on Highway 63 or 77, now's the time to call an audible to avoid CR GG.

• Option #1: Don't use CR GG at all.  Stay on Highway 77 from Clam Lake, WI to Mellen, WI.  Adds 7 miles to the trip, but Highway 77 is always in better condition than GG.

• Option #2: Stay on Highway 63 from Hayward, WI to Ashland, WI.  In Ashland, take U.S. 2 to Ironwood, MI.  Adds 15 miles to the trip, but deletes a lot of small towns.  I used to take this route a lot in the 1990s, but have only taken it twice since (5:58 in good weather, and 6:02 with lesser road conditions).  If the snow is coming off Lake Superior, option #1 is definitely better, as option #1 stays away from the lake longer. 

This route has a few options, depending upon where you start in the Twin Cities and the road conditions around Hayward, WI.

2) Via Wausau, WI

Pros:

• Easy.  Drive to Wausau & hang a left.  (The navigation requires a little bit more than that around Rhinelander and Eagle River, but not much.)

• 3.5 hours of 4-lane freeway driving.  Lots of time to use the cruise control.  (Much better than the 1990s when Highway 29 was one lane each direction.)

• Well-traveled (at least south of Tomahawk, WI) adds safety margin during major winter storms.  Also maximizes the time away from Lake Superior, keeping you out of the winter lake effect snow the longest. 

• If you drive an electric car, there are chargers (including a Tesla Supercharger) in the Wausau area.

• Bond Falls (near Paulding, MI) is only 3.5 miles out of the way.  It's well worth the diversion.

• You can make this trip in 6 hours, 8 minutes without excessive speeding.

  • In 2020-2024 (12 trips on this route), my average time for this route from Bloomington, MN has been 6:08, with a range of 5:47-6:33.  My average speed on this route is 62.5MPH.  My average gas mileage (minivan) is 25.5MPG.

• Fun navigational oddity: Once in Michigan, keep driving till you hit a T-intersection, forcing you to turn one way or the other.  Turn right.  Now drive to the next T-intersection that forces you to turn.  Turn right again.  Keep driving and you're in Houghton!

Cons:

• It's a longer distance (about 47 miles longer from Bloomington), consuming more time & gas.  The time factor is mostly - but not completely - offset by the higher speed limits on the 4-lane sections.  I cannot confidently drive this route in a compact car (small gas tank) without stopping to fill up.  My minivan can make it easily on a single tank.

• The higher speeds and hurt the gas mileage.  In my minivan, I average 25.5MPG on this route, 2MPG less than through Hayward.  Combined with the longer distance, I average 2.8 gallons more gas on this route in my minivan compared to going through Hayward, for a total of 54.8lbs of additional CO2 emissions.  Think about it, folks.

• BORING.  And I mean really boring.  Drivers can struggle to stay awake on the 3.5 hours of unremarkable freeway.  I-94 across North Dakota is more scenic.

• I-94 in western Wisconsin always seems to have an accident along it somewhere, slowing traffic down (stop-and-go, sometimes) and delaying the drive.

• You'll use more gas because of the increased distance & driving speeds.

• Since the 1990s, a bypass was built around Rhinelander, with a ridiculously low speed limit.  And populated with seven - count them! - stop lights to make a 6 mile segment take 10-15 minutes.  Several of the stop lights are unneeded as well.  The civil engineers who designed it were definitely not MTU grads. 

• In the spring, the route from Highway 51 near Tomahawk, WI to Eagle River, WI can be painfully slow, as everyone is returning to their cabin for the summer, towing a boat.  And they think driving 45 in a 55 zone is relaxing.  For 41 miles.  And their cabin is always on the left side of the road, meaning they come to a stop to wait for traffic before making a left.  Since all the vehicles between you & the turning vehicle are also towing boats, you can count on accelerating like a 1987 Yugo towing a snow plow. 

  • In the winter, same comments as above, but people are towing snowmobiles instead of boats.

3) Via Duluth

Pros:

• Definitely the easiest navigation.  I've suggested this route to people who were not comfortable navigating 2-lane roads in the northwoods of Wisconsin.

• If you live on the north side of the Twin Cities, it may be a decent route.  But driving through Siren & Hayward will still be faster.

• ... maybe you have a relative in Duluth you want to visit on the way???  If your purpose is just to get from the Twin Cities to Houghton, almost any other way is better.

Cons:

• Absolutely slowest way.  I haven't driven this way since 1994 because of the length of the drive.

• The drive to Duluth is boring.  So is the drive from Duluth to Ironwood.

• US 2 across northern Wisconsin is largely 2-lane, and has enough traffic where you often get stuck behind a line of cars driving 50MPH.  (Frustrating.)

• Poor winter storm conditions.  You'd think the higher traffic would make this a good winter route, right?  WRONG!  The lake-effect snow blowing off Superior can make for very poor conditions on US 2.  During a winter storm in 1994, this route took me 10 hours, 30 minutes to travel.  Note that we made Duluth in 2 hours 30 minutes.  From Duluth to Houghton it took us 8 hours, averaging 27MPH.  That was hairy.  It was a struggle to keep the car on the road, and visibility was less that 1/4 mile, frequently less than 100 yards.  A big thank you goes to the MI-DOT plow driver who we met in Bergland, MI.  He advised us to try to drive in the oncoming lane (which he had just plowed), because we were the only people crazy enough to be driving in that storm and the entire road would be ours.

Fun places on the route

Map of fun places on the route 

Agate Beach / Stanton Township Park

• • 10 miles west of Toivola - turn off M-26 onto Misery Bay Road.  Follow the signs to Agate Beach.  If you miss the signs, you'll end up just a few miles down the shoreline at Misery Bay... which also has a fabulous beach, so no real harm done!

  • Quiet Lake Superior park.  Great place to watch the sun set or let your favorite Labrador Retriever get some swimming time.

    • Map to Agate Beach 

    • MTU student's review of Agate Beach 

  • No pictures!  (I'll have to scan my old film.)

Houghton area recommendations

Houghton area restaurant recommendations

• Best breakfast: Suomi in Houghton.  Be prepared for lines out the door.

• Best pasties (and this is a controversial subject!): Rigoni's in Ironwood.  But we're talking about the Houghton area, so I'll go with Roy's Bakery.  But let's face it, you can't really go wrong with any pasty, unless you put gravy on it.  That would be disgusting, and very un-Yooperlike.

• Best  pizza: Milly's in Hancock (it's a Sicilian style).  The Ambassador is also very, very good (it's a Neopolitan style).

• Best southwestern food: Tie between La Cantina in Hancock and Carmelitas in Calumet.  Carmelitas also has a fabulous thimbleberry margarita.

• Best pickled eggs: The Doghouse (Douglas House Saloon), Houghton.  I've stopped in the Doghouse just to get pickled eggs, with no drink!  Sorry, B&B Bar, your pickled eggs are not as good.

• Best dorm food: McNair Hall.  Also has the best view of any dorm cafeteria, especially in the fall.  (The new east dorm building under construction may ruin this view, however.)

• Good seafood: Joey's Seafood in Houghton.  Their service is typically very good.  Once I called in a take-out order while 1 block away on Sheldon Avenue, and it was ready by the time I walked the single block.

• Frozen pasties are available from several places for you to take home.  In a cooler, they readily stay frozen for the 6-hour drive back to the Twin Cities.  Here are the ones I've tried: Suomi in Houghton, Roy's Bakery in Houghton, Amy J's in Hancock,  Krupp's Mini Mart on M-26 near Twin Lakes State Park, Randall's Bakery in Wakefield, Rigoni's Bakery in Ironwood (my personal favorite), and Joe's Pasty Shop in Ironwood.

• WORST SERVICE, and has been bad since the 1990s: The Library, hands down (or, more appropriately, thumbs down).  PAINFULLY SLOW, unless the place is empty.  On multiple occasions it's taken over an hour to get food.  In 2023, we  walked out at the 90 minute mark after we ordered, and have not returned since.

Winter Driving

Tips

Tips:

• 4-wheel drive is unnecessary.  In fact, for inexperienced drivers, it may give them a false sense of security & cause them to drive faster than conditions allow.  4-wheel drive does nothing to help with cornering or stopping, and encourages aggressive driving in bad weather.

• You can safely use a 2-wheel drive small sedan in the winter without winter tires.  I travel to Houghton every winter (at least once, sometimes three times), and usually drive a small sedan with all-season tires.  Be mindful of the actual traction that you have, and pick which hills you go up or down carefully.

• Winter tires are a GREAT upgrade that help safety and performance.  They start, stop, and corner better than all-season tires.  Though I don't use them on my car, I have them installed on my Husky's car during the winter.  I've used his car while visiting in the winter, and can get around the area MUCH easier with the winter tires.

• Avoid going up the major hills in Houghton in the winter.  (Exception: Macinnes Drive almost always has good driving conditions.)  The best plan to get up the hills is either Macinnes Drive or going through downtown, south on M-26 (towards Walmart), and taking Sharon Avenue back towards campus to the appropriate street.  It's long, but it always works.

• Your driving speed can be affected by either available traction OR visibility.  Sometimes both.  Traction and visibility are both generally better south and/or west of Bruce Crossing.

• During snow events, maximize your driving in daylight.  Headlights make the visibility in heavy lake-effect snow quickly go to zero.  It's also harder to tell the difference between a snow-covered road and the snow-covered woods at night.  It's generally advisable to stay on the road.  :)