4-Day Family Adventure in the Upper Peninsula’s Porcupine Mountains

If your family is traveling to the Upper Peninsula in Michigan, add the Porcupine Mountains to your list of destinations. Whether you like impressive waterfalls, breathtaking hikes, or picturesque lakes, the Porcupine Mountains checks all the boxes for any family who loves the outdoors. This summer, we had the opportunity to spend three nights in the Union Bay campground in the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. We’ll give you our family’s itinerary. From our experience, we’ll tell you what we think you should include on your itinerary. We’ll include what we loved so much, we’d do it again if given the chance. Plus, we’ll tell you what we missed but wish we would’ve gotten the chance to do. Here is our 4-Day Itinerary for the Porcupine Mountains for Families.

Day 1: We expected to have time to explore on the day we arrived in the Porcupine Mountains. Our drive from Grand Marais to the campground was right around 5 hours. We planned to set up the camper, and jump right into checking out the area. Unfortunately, our campsite proved to be unlevel. We spent three hours trying to level it before we gave up and decided just to set up without being level.

Tired and disappointed, we drove a few miles down the road to get dinner at the Porkies Outpost. We ordered pizzas and burgers. Honestly, I’m not sure if it was out of pure hunger and frustration, but we devoured our food! The Outpost also has a bar, store and ice cream bar. We ended up making a few stops here over the course of the few days we spent in the area. After eating, we just went back to our RV, did some laundry, and relaxed after a really long day.

If we had not ran into the issues we did with our site, we definitely would have been able to accomplish quite a bit of our Day 2 on the first day there. Alternatively, we could have checked off some of the sites we didn’t make it to. There are certainly things you can add to your Porcupine Mountains itinerary on Day 1 from our later days to shorten your trip. It just didn’t work out that way for us.

Day 2: We accomplished a LOT more on our second day in the Porkies. But, it wasn’t without its obstacles either! We started out somewhat early, though now sunrise early, with the Lake of the Clouds. This is a MUST DO. If you do nothing else in your time in the Porcupine Mountains, go to the Lake of the Clouds and walk the looped overlook trail. Eric is one of the most on-the-go people I know. He literally never sits still. But, even he wanted to just sit and take in the surreal beauty of the lake and its surroundings. You can fully access the overlook on a short, paved in-and-out trail.

Once you reach the overlook, you can start down the Escarpment Trail. Follow this 4.3 mile one-way trail through lush forests and onto rocky ridges. It is often described as challenging but also one of the best hikes in the Porcupine Mountains. We hiked maybe a half mile of the trail, but then turned and went back. With it being the start of the day, I didn’t want to push the younger kids too far too early. I had hoped to come back and hike it with one or both of the older kids before we moved to our next destination, but we didn’t get the chance.

After getting back to the parking lot, we found that our Jeep’s battery had died. Unbelievably, the first family I asked had jumper cables and graciously helped us. Pro Tip: If you need a jump while traveling, look for people in trucks as we have found that they seem to be more likely to have jumper cables! After getting the Jeep jumped, we headed to the Visitor Center.

We were concerned about the Jeep’s battery, so Eric stayed in the car while the girls and me quickly explored the Visitor Center. It’s not a large Visitor Center, but it does have some really helpful information related to the trails in the park. Also, it has some interesting exhibits about the geology of and wildlife living in the park. We always recommend checking out the visitor centers in the parks. I would definitely add this to your itinerary for the Porcupine Mountains.

While in the Visitor Center, I asked a store clerk where we might be able to buy a new car battery. He was incredibly helpful and gave me directions to the closest NAPA. So, the next stop of our day was an unplanned trip to the auto store to buy a new battery. Again, the gentlemen at NAPA were super friendly and went out of their way to help us with our battery.

After our unexpected detour from exploring the park, we were able to get back to our day! Next, we headed to the Union Mine Trail parking lot. We packed lunch and had hoped to eat it in a picnic area. But, because of our car troubles, we were a bit off schedule. There weren’t any tables at the Union Mine trailhead, so quickly ate our lunch in the Jeep before we embarked on our next hike.

The Union Mine Trail is a 1.1 mile loop. It is rated as moderately challenging, but our 4-year-old did it with no problems or complaints. So, I’d tend to veer toward the easy end of the moderate spectrum. The Union Mine Trail is super interesting because it includes 10 interpretive placards that describe the history of copper mining in the Porcupine Mountains. This fairly short trail seems to have it all: waterfalls, lush woodlands, old mine remnants, and my kids’ favorite – thimbleberries. We found this trail to be incredibly unique and would highly recommend it to anyone visiting the area.

Next, we made our way to the Summit Peak Trail. This is a short but somewhat steep hike. In less than a half mile, you gain nearly 250 feet in elevation. Having said that, we paced ourselves with the little one. She did amazing. There are places to rest along the way if needed. Plus, the hike itself is pretty. You start with a fairly sharp incline through the woods. Then, you reach a boardwalk. After walking up some steps initially, the elevation gain lessens a bit as you complete your walk to the 1,958 foot peak. Finish up by climbing the 54 step tower to witness a breathtaking overview. From here, you can see miles and miles of the forests that cover the Porcupine Mountains, Lake Superior, and on a clear day, even the Apostle Islands. It really is worth the climb!

But we weren’t done yet! After hiking the Summit, we made our way to the East and West River Trail Loop. The 2.3-mile loop follows along the Presque Isle River. We absolutely LOVED this hike. We started on the west side and then looped around to the east trail. Along the west trail, you pass several waterfalls, which have viewing platforms. There were so many thimbleberries along the trail, so the kids were in heaven. At least, there were in late July. We also enjoyed listening to the river for essentially the entire hike.

On the east side, there are gorgeous pine trees. Then, we ended with a super fun, impressive suspension bridge to complete the loop. The only downside to going the west-then-east route is that after crossing the suspension bridge, you have to climb a fair amount of stairs to get back to the parking lot. But, I truly think if we did this hike again, we would go the same route. Make sure to take bug spray as the mosquitos were pretty vicious. Bugs or not, we thought this hike was spectacular.

All in all, we didn’t find a bad trail in the entire day. There is not a single one that I wouldn’t recommend to someone. You should strongly consider adding all of these hikes to your Porcupine Mountains itinerary. It took us all day to hike about five miles. But, between the car trouble, the nearly 30 miles of driving between Lake of the Clouds and Presque Isle, and the slow pace of a four-year-old, we felt we really packed it in. Honestly, there was only one stop we had hoped to do that we missed, and that was Nonesuch Falls. We could’ve done it if we hadn’t missed the turn early on in the day. By the time, we made it back around to it, we were pretty tired and decided to skip it.

Day 3: For our last full day, we decided to do a waterfall tour. We had already witnessed so many gorgeous waterfalls in Michigan, but we read about so many more in this area. So we made a day of it. Again, we packed a lunch and set out for the day. Due to the lack of cell service, I had taken a picture of a map of nearby waterfalls posted at the campground. From this, I mapped out a course for the day. There are so many waterfalls to choose from in driving distance from Union Bay Campground. I chose four that sort of made a loop – a pretty wide loop, but a loop nonetheless!

We quickly realized that the map at the campground only depicted main roads. And that most of the waterfalls were not on main roads. We drove nearly 33 miles to our first waterfall was the Victoria Dam Falls. We followed the map to the general proximity of the waterfall. Signage from the main road toward the falls was not great. But we were able to find Old Victoria, a ghost town in the process of being restored. On it sits cabins built over 100 years ago. They were used by the Victoria Copper Mine miners. We stopped at here and asked for directions to Victoria Dam Falls while perusing the grounds for a few minutes.

We completed our journey to Victoria Dam Falls to find that you only see the falls when the overflow channel is flowing. It was not the day we were there. You can still see the dam and the basin below. Other than that, there is not anything else here. Taking advantage of being a ways off any paved roads, we let our oldest take a bit of a quick driving lesson. Other than that, our first waterfall was a bust! So, if you have this one on your list, make sure to check first to see if the overflow channel is flowing.

Next, we drove about 13 miles to O-Kun-de-kun Falls. The description on the map described it as a one-mile hike and spectacular waterfalls. I read that as being a total of a one-mile hike. In fact, it actually about is more like 1.35 miles EACH way, for a total of 2.7 miles roundtrip. While we have definitely hiked longer trails, we weren’t prepared at all for it. We didn’t bring enough water or enough snacks. Plus, mentally, I had not prepared the kids for that distance. By the time we reached the falls, they were a bit cranky. They did enjoy playing in the pools of water at the bottom of the falls. But, to be honest, we weren’t incredibly impressed with the falls themselves. Obviously, it could have just been the flow that day, but they didn’t seem to be worth the hike. At least not for us.

To dispel of the hangry attitudes after the O-Kun-de-kun hike, we ate our lunch in the Jeep on our way to Agate Falls, approximately 15 miles away. I promised the kids that the trail was short to get to the falls. While short, there is a bit of a hill. But, as I pointed out to the girls as we started down it, there was an elderly gentleman making his way up it. If he could do it, we certainly could. So, we made short work of walking to the observation deck, listening to the crashing water every step of the way.

Agate Falls were definitely much more impressive than O-Kun-de-kun Falls, but between the angle of the observation deck, the density of the trees in late July, and the piles from the railroad trestle, the viewing wasn’t the best. Eric decided to go even further up the hill to the top of the train trestle. He had a better view, but it would have been better if we could have had a more head-on view.

At this point, my family had lost all faith in my waterfalls tour. The only reason I convinced them to go along to the fourth and final waterfall was because I told them it was only 10 minutes away. It’s more like 15, but I rounded down a bit! Bond Falls Scenic Site is a state park, so you do need a Michigan DNR Parks Vehicle sticker to enter. From the parking lot, it is a very short, paved walk to the falls. Bond Falls redeemed by waterfall tour entirely on its own! They are unbelievably stunning. They fall about 50 feet down and measure about 100 feet wide. There are boardwalks built across, so you can view them from nearly every angle.

Plus, you can walk trails up to the top of the falls and beyond. You can even follow additional trails along the river. If you stay along the boardwalks, there are benches to just sit and enjoy the immense beauty of these falls. Truthfully, we could have spent hours here. I wish we could have explored the trails that surrounded the falls. Unfortunately, we didn’t get much beyond the boardwalk. But we did manage to take our time really relishing this heavenly setting. We took a ton of pictures, including some mini family photo shoots. Given that the waterfall tour had largely been a bust, it was great to end it on such a high note! This is an absolute “must do” on your Porcupine Mountains itinerary.

By the time we left Bond Falls, everyone was ready for dinner. While I had cell service in Bruce Crossing, I found the White Pines Yooper Diner in White Pines. We made our way there. This diner is a total hole-in-the-wall. But, it was fantastic. There was nothing we ordered that we didn’t like. Between the poutine, the pizza, the burgers, the seafood, and especially the blueberry crumble, everything tasted delicious. Owned by an incredibly nice veteran, the restaurant walls are lined with photos he has taken, which you can buy. It was truly a great dinner to end the day.

After dinner, we completed our 120+ mile waterfall tour. I may have had a few misses, but we still had a great day. If nothing else, the landscape in this part of the country is amazing. You can’t win them all, right?! But, Bond Falls and White Pines Yooper Diner were definite wins, so not all was lost!

Day 4: After three crazy days, we slept in on our departure day. After breakfast, we drove back to the Visitor Center along with a few other shops to buy a couple souvenirs. Check-out wasn’t until 1 p.m., and our next campground was only two hours away. So, we cleaned the camper and ate lunch before packing up and heading out to Keweenaw Peninsula and McLane State Park.

Despite being the most challenging portion of our trip, we really did enjoy our time in the Porcupine Mountains. Unlevel sites, dead Jeep battery, and underwhelming waterfalls aside, we also discovered thimbleberries, hiked some of our absolute favorite hikes of the entire trip, and soaked in the beauty of Bond Falls. There is no denying the unmistakable gorgeous scenery this area puts on full display for all to enjoy.

What Should Be on Your Itinerary. Here’s what we would recommend you include in your itinerary when you travel to the Porcupine Mountains:

What Would We Do Again. There are some things we did that if we ever make it back to the Porcupine Mountains, I would definitely want to do them again. Obviously, we would also want to try new things. But we would still put these back in our Porcupine Mountains itinerary for a second time!

What We Wish We Would’ve Done. Because of the obstacles we ran into, and that there is never enough time to do everything, there were things we didn’t get to do. These are the things that we would add to our Porcupine Mountains itinerary and would suggest you add to yours if you have the time:

We loved our time in the Porkies! If you are planning a trip to the Upper Peninsula, you should consider including a stopover to explore these majestic sites. You could easily accomplish what we did over the course of four days in less time. Or you could stretch it out over four days as we did. Or you could do four days but add in the things we wish we would’ve done. No matter what you put on your Porcupine Mountains itinerary, I think you’ll be as mesmerized by its vast beauty as we were. Have you been to the Porkies? Leave a comment below about your trip! If you’d like to read more about our Michigan adventures, click here. Or about any of our other adventures, click here.