Swoop Around the Southern Coast of Lake Superior on This Road Trip That’s All About Adventure

If there ’s an ideal summertime road trip , this is it : A tri - state soiree from Minnesota to Michigan that is centered around the pristine Lake Superior , one of the world ’s largest freshwater lake . Its vibrant , naughty - greenish waters are always close by , and the umbrageous trails along its banks offer up reprieve from the sunshine ( though with average temperature in the mid-70s , you likely wo n’t need it ) . The lake and its islands have almost 3,000 miles of shoreline and border five national commons . Road trippers will be treated to pretty thrust , wholesale views , sand dunes and sandy beaches , chilly lake dips , sea kayaking , camping , and beautiful trails . What else could well break up a summer drive ?

QUICK FACTSDistance : 683 milesStates : 3Time it would take to drive without stopping : 12 hours and 43 minutes one - way ( return from Munising , Michigan , to Minneapolis is 7.5 hours)Best time to go : leaping and summertime are the expert seasons on Lake Superior , though belated summertime is ideal for avoiding disastrous fly

Day 1: Minneapolis to Duluth

mile : 155Chances are high-pitched that you flew into Minneapolis - St. Paul . fortuitously it ’s only a two - hour drive from the cap up to the port city of Duluth . Just head northward on Interstate 35 until you run into Lake Superior and spend the rest of the day explore around town . tag down the roaming taco truck , Oasis Del Norte , and fire up before progress to your agency to Canal Park , the home of a historic rhytidectomy bridge circuit . If you ’re golden , you ’ll catch a ship coming into haven ( here ’s the ship scheduleif you ’d rather trust on fact ) . Stroll along the Lake Walk , a flat paved path that bosom the piddle . snaffle dinner party atBent Paddle Brewing Companyand get some much - need repose atBeacon Pointe , a hotel properly on Lake Superior .

Day 2: Duluth to Bayfield

Miles : 84Grab an other coffee atDuluth Coffee Companyand make the two - hr drive to Bayfield , Wisconsin , the gateway to theApostle Islands National Lakeshore . The town was cut up out of the forest in 1856 and hit its summit around 1900 when its fishing and timber diligence were booming . The local architecture speaks to the wealth of those boom times , when Queen Anne mansions and Victorians were en vogue . Take the25 - minute ferry(vehicles are welcome ) over to Madeline Island , the spiritual sum of the Lake Superior Chippewa ( Ojibwe ) and Anishinaabe mass , and visitBig Bay State Parkor check out the various shops in town . Back on the mainland , check the schedule atBig Top Chautauqua , a local gem that hosts over 60 concert during the summer season under a openhanded blue collapsible shelter . Eat at the family - ownedPier Plaza Restaurantbefore turning in at the historicPinehurst Inn Bed & Breakfast .

Day 3: Bayfield to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

nautical mile : 133Wake up early on for a half - daylight sea kayak enlistment of the biggest of the 22 sea caves in theApostle Islands . Tours withLost Creek Adventuresstart at $ 70 per person and last about 3.5 time of day . From there , take another two - hour drive toPorcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park — the largest state park in Michigan , which is dearly known as “ the Porkies ” — and verify not to miss the 11 - mi Black River National Forest Scenic Byway on the fashion . halt and match out one of the five easy - to - access waterfalls , like Gorge and Potawatomi Falls , which are the most scenic and only require a 700 - foot walk from the cable car . If you ’ve make more gas in the metaphorical army tank , take a wage hike on some of the 90 miles of trails in the park . The 8.2 - mile Escarpment Trail that bosom the hillside above the tranquil Lake of the Clouds is unbeatable , but there ’s also a shorter 1.8 - mile round trip jaunt to the banks of the lake itself . Refuel by grab dinner atSyl ’s Cafe , before head to your room at one of the area ’s many motel and cabins ( from the Little Union Yurt to theSilver Sands Hotelor thePorcupine Lodge ) . Or , you could always sky a tent for the Nox at one of the dozen of campgrounds , likeUnion River ’s Bear Bear Campground .

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Day 4: Porcupine State Park to Copper Harbor

air mile : 118If you did n’t have time for a tramp yesterday , sneak one in today before drive a minuscule over two hours up to the Keweenaw Peninsula ’s Copper Harbor . Just before hitting townspeople , stop at theEagle Harbor Lighthouse , which was progress on a cliffside in 1851 just as the copper minelaying diligence took off on the peninsula . There ’s a museum ( $ 8 for adults ) and a nearby swimming beach to run your visit . Copper Harbor , a former mining Ithiel Town , is now known for its nearly 40 mile of buttery trail that are a godsend for deal biking aficionados . Rent a full - suspension trailer truck atKeweenaw Adventure Companyand , if you recognise your way of life around a bike , take it for a spin on The Flow track , which boasts one of the area ’s long descents . Refuel atHarbor Haus(try the lake trout ! ) and retire for the night at one of the log cabin of the charmingKeweenaw Mountain Lodge . If you have an surplus day ( and love backpacking and tenting ) , making a trip toIsle Royaleis a must . The 900 - square mil forested island in the midsection of Lake Superior is the least - visited national common in the contiguous U.S. — it ’s only accessible by gravy boat or hydroplane from the midriff of May until September ( 3.5 hours by ferrying ) .

Day 5: Copper Harbor to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Miles:189Cue up a good podcast for the four - minute driveway toPictured Rocks National Lakeshorewhere 40 geographical mile of shoreline await . The options for an good afternoon natural process track down the gamut : take a two - hourglass - bottom wreck tour(runs seven twenty-four hours a week ) , ocean kayak along the lakeside ’s dune and cliffs , or go for a raise . The standout jewel in the area is the10 - mile Chapel Loop , which twine through a fishy forest and past two falls before conjoin the Lakeshore Trail for a four - stat mi subdivision decent along the cliff , which pop the question sensational view of the lake , Chapel Beach , and Chapel Rock . The next million - acreHiawatha National Forestoffers camping and hiking , as well as some higher - octane adventure , likewhitewater rafting on the Menominee River ( two minute away ) , which has both plane piss and rowdy Class IV rapid . Stay at the lakesideSunset Motelin the tiny town of Munising or put up camp at one ofTwelvemile Beach Campground ’s 37 sites located on a four flush above the lake . Grab a fade atPictured Rocks Pizza , which opens for the outpouring and summertime every year .

If you have more time , it ’s easy to expend an superfluous Clarence Day or two in any of these location ( like by impart in some miles on Minnesota’sSuperior Hiking Trailor theNorth Country National Scenic Trail ) . When you ’re done , take a 7.5 - time of day cruise back to Minneapolis and flatten off your trusty adventure mobile before heading home .