Copper Falls State Park (Copper Falls and Brownstone Falls)

• • 2 miles north of Mellen, WI on WI 169.  In 2023, a Wisconsin State Park day pass (required for your vehicle) was $11.  Purchase at the Visitor Center via cash or check.  The pictures below are from April 2023, and are of Copper Falls (top) and Brownstone Falls (bottom), both from the west side of the Doughboy Trail.

  • WI 169 is truly a dreadful road to drive if you're trying to make good time.  Lots of sharp turns and less-than-optimal pavement conditions.  If you're not going to see Potato Falls (below), your best bet is to return to Mellen, WI and continue your journey (to Houghton or the Twin Cities) from Mellen.

    • Map to Copper Falls State Park 

    • WI DNR page

Mount Zion Scenic Overlook (Ironwood, MI)

• • 1 mile north of US-2 in Ironwood, MI.  Free to enter.  From US-2, turn north on Greenbush Street (that's where Kwik Trip is!).  Follow Greenbush until you see the sign for Mount Zion Overlook - follow it!

  • Mount Zion is also a ski hill in the winter.  I don't ski, so I can't give you a review.

    • Ironwood Chamber of Commerce Mt. Zion page 

Presque Isle River - Waterfalls Loop and river mouth

• • From Wakefield, drive east on M-28.  1/3 mile from the lake, turn north (left) on Thomaston Road/CR 519.  Drive 15.5 miles to the southern trailhead (just east of the intersection of CR 519 & South Boundary Road).  If you'd rather start at Lake Superior, drive an additional mile north on CR 519 to the Presque Isle River Area Parking Lot.

  • Our loop hike - including time at the mouth of the river on Lake Superior - totaled 3.27 miles round trip.  In order (south to north), we saw Nawadaha Falls, Manido Falls, and Manabezho Falls.

  • If you start at the southern end of the hiking loop, park on either side of the South Boundary Road bridge over the Presque Isle River.  The loop trail goes down both sides of the river, so pick one side to go down, and the other to return.  We started on the west bank.  The trail is easy to follow, though tree roots are everywhere, so watch your step.  At the north end of the trail, you can cross a suspension bridge to an island.  In the summer, water isn't generally flowing around the west side of the island, so you walk to the south side of the island & simply walk across the riverbed to the trail on the eastern river bank.

Black River National Scenic Byway

• • The mouth of the Black River is only about 4.5 miles from the mouth of the Presque Isle River, but you need to return all the way to US-2 in Bessemer to get from one to the other (a one-way trip of 39 miles).

    • Route A: Between Ironwood and Bessemer, Powerderhorn Road north from US-2.  Follow to ski hill, turning north at base of ski hill.  In 1/4 mile, turn left onto Black River Road.  Total of 12 miles to Conglomerate Falls.

    • Route B: In Bessemer (at the Kwik Trip), head north on N Moore Street.  In about 3/4 mile, turn left on Black River Drive.13 miles

  • Once you arrive at the first waterfall (Conglomerate Falls), the road continues 2.5 miles north to the harbor.

  • Each waterfall has its own parking area.  You can choose to drive between them, or walk down to one of them and follow the trail to the others.  (I don't recommend walking back to your car on Black River Road.)

  • The Black River Harbor beach is fantastic.  From the harbor parking lot, head north and east towards Lake Superior.  Cross the suspension bridge, and turn left (north).  Walk past the eastern breakwall & enjoy a huge, sandy beach.

Upper and Lower Potato Falls

• • 16 miles north of Mellen, WI on WI 169 OR 6 miles south of US-2.  No fee to enter.

    • The 16 miles of WI 169 from Mellen to Potato Falls are difficult - and slow - driving.

    • The 6 miles of WI 169 from Potato Falls to US-2 are easy driving.

  • Both sets of falls are only 100-200 yards from the parkling lot.

  • The Upper Falls is accessible from a trail at the south side of the parking lot (left side as you enter).  There are 130 stairs to go down (then up) to see the Upper Falls.

  • The Lower Falls  is accessible from a trail at the north side of the parking lot (right side as you enter).  There are 206 stairs to go down (then up) to see the Lower Falls.  Unlike the Upper Falls, the stairs to the Lower Falls have a couple of sections of flat trail in the middle, so you don't do all 206 stairs in a row.

  • Pictures are from April 2023.

    • Map to Potato Falls 

    • Go Waterfalling page on Upper Potato Falls

    • Go Waterfalling page on Lower Potato Falls

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.)

Penokee Mountain Trail Overlook

• • 3 miles west of Mellen, WI on County Road GG.  You'll see the turn off - there's a sign - though it comes quickly.

  • Stairs at south/west end of the parking lot lead to an overlook - very pretty in the fall!

  • Seasonal vault toilet.  Also a good place to let your favorite Labrador Retriever stretch her legs.

    • Map to Penokee Mountain Trail 

    • Wisconsin Explorer blog with good pictures 

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.