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Marquette, Michigan
Traveling the South Shore Lake Superior Circle Tour

lake superior sunset - Grand Marais Upper Peninsula
Historic Lighthouse - Marquette, Michigan

Marquette Dining - Restaurant Reviews

Portside Inn Marquette MI

Marquette Area Festivals and Events

Pioneer Days - July
- Negaunee, MI
Hiawatha Traditional Music Fest
- July
- July 4th Food Festival & Fireworks
Blueberry Festival - July
Ishpeming Italian Fest - July

Classic Cars on Third Street - August
Harbor Fest - August
Marquette Blues Fest - labor day
UP Fall Beer Festival - September

Marquette is the Upper Peninsula's largest city with more than 20,000 residents. It is located on the western edge of Marquette Bay of Lake Superior. Marquette General Hospital is UP's largest health care complex and its largest employer. The city is also home to Northern Michigan University and 10,000 students. It is the gateway to Big Bay and the Huron Mountains, a recreational mecca for hiking, mountain biking, ATV trails, boating and fishing.

A must-see stop for visitors to Marquette is Presque Isle Park, a rocky peninsula with several miles of walking trails, scenic drives, picnic areas, a band shell with summer concerts, and a nature center. Wintertime offers cross-country ski trails. Marquette also offers a variety of golfing experiences, offering four 18 hole courses from the scenic and challenging Greywalls course to the newly renovated Northern Michigan University course.

Downtown Marquette offers a nice mix of gift shops, restaurants, pubs, hotels, and convenient access to waterfront walking paths and activities. On the north side of town, the city operates an RV and tent camping park (Tourist Park) with 110 sites on 40 acres along the Dead River.


blue bar

Downtown Marquette and Historic Buildings

Marquette's early settlement was due to the discovery of large masses of iron ore nearby in the 1840s. It was officially incorporated as a village in 1859 and a city in 1871. The city and its residents have done a great job preserving the old historic brownstone buildings.

Marquette City Hall

 

Marquette City Hall, built in 1894-5, is constructed of sandstone and red brick and served the city until the structure was sold and converted to a professional office building in the 1970s.

Marquette County Courthouse

The Marquette County Courthouse, built in 1902-4, is still in use today. In 1959 it was used as the setting for the movie Anatomy of a Murder directed by Otto Preminger.

marquette michigan
Downtown is well elevated over the lake with trees, benches, and old-fashioned street lamps.

marquette michigan

While mining remains part of the economic picture, the city is clean, with lots of big trees, well maintained residentail neighborhoods, and nice wooded parks.

marquette michigan
< < < The city is full of classic, well maintained brownstone buildings like St. Peter Cathedral built in 1891-2.

marquette michigan

The Marquette Harbor and park is just a few blocks walk from downtown.

 


Marquette Lakefront

Marquette Fire Bell Tower


The Fire Bell Tower anchors the Mattson Lower Harbor Park. The Fire Bell has served the Marquette community since being installed in the Spring Street Firehouse in the 1990's. After it was retired it was placed here at the entrance to the park.

Marquette Harbor

The protected harbor provides ample room for sailing. Most of the ships docked at the Marina were sailing vessels with a few commercial fishing ships and power yachts here and there.


marquette michiganIn the Harbor Park parking lot we found this great example of "Yooper Ingenuity" in this Bulk Milk Hauling truck turned into a muscular Motor Home-RV Camper.

Go Here
to see more examples of Yooper Creativity - The Yooper Tourist Trap.

Camping & Parks & Golfing

Presque Isle Park

Presque Isle Park is a 323 acre forested oval shaped headland/peninsula which juts into Lake Superior in the northern tip of the City. While the park has every other amenity you'd expect, it has no camping.

Presque Isle Park
It is a nice place for some walking exercise, scenic views, or a picnic. If you are staying in the area there are summer concerts at the Band Shell, a municipal pool with a water slide, and a Lake Superior beach swimming area.

The Tourist Park Campground is open from mid-May to mid-October with 100 sites for either RV or tent camping and 10 rustic sites for tent-only camping. Amenities include a playground, ball diamond, picnic areas, swimming beach, full service restrooms, limited Wi-Fi, and RV dumpwater station. Marquette Tourist Park Campground

 

Marquette Tourist Park Campground Map > > >

Golfing & Golf Courses

There are several excellent golf courses in the Marquette area including the exceptional Greywalls (below left) and Northern Michigan University's Chocolay Downs Course (below right).

Northern Michigan University Golf CourseGreywalls Golf Course Marquette Michigan

 

 

Travel, Visitor Links & Events Schedule

red triangle Visitor Information - Downtown Marquette Events
red triangle Visitor Information - Marquette Country Convention & Visitors Bureau

red triangleDa Yooper Tourist Trap - An entertaining and educational visit in nearby Ishpeming

yooper tourist trap

marquette michigan up 200 sled dog racered triangleUP 200 Dog Sled Race - Marquette's most famous and popular winter festival

arrowGoing east towards Munising and Pictured Rocks . . . More waterfalls, hiking pages, and scenic attractions from Munising through Tahquemenon Falls to Sault Ste. Marie.

  Michigan UP Copper Harbor & Keweenaw Peninsula

arrowOntonagon & Porcupine Mountains State Park

Marquette Area Winter & Holiday events

Holiday Parade & Tree Lighting Ceremony - November
New Year's Eve Ball Drop - Dec 31st
Marquette Noquemanon Ski Marathon - January 21-22
Marquette - Munising UP 200 Sled Dog Race February 17 - 21
Trenary Outhouse Classic - Last Saturday in February
Over the River . . Snowshoe Benefit Race TBA

Winter Events Links - Upper Peninsula Superior Towns




SuperiorTrails.com - Reinhold Development - 2023

 

SuperiorTrails.com Mobile-Friendly Lake Superior Circle Tour Travel Planner

gooseberry falls park
Winter - Michigan UP
Winter - Wisconsin Winter - Minnesota
Winter - Sault Ste Marie.

Little Girls Point Campground
Best Upper Peninsula Campgrounds

bay furnace campground upper peninsula
Lake Superior Camping
& Campground Directory

Best Camping along Lake Superior.

Upper Tahquamenon FallsTahquamenon Falls State Park and Waterfalls.

Da Yooper Museum
da Yooper Tourist Trap & Museum

wagner falls - munising michigan
Munising and Pictured Rocks National Park

Old Victoria
Old Victoria Heritage Site Museum

summit peak fall color
Fall Color at Porcupine Mountains State Park

miners castle on the pictured rocks cruise
Pictured Rocks Cruises

Upper Tahquamenon Falls
Michigan Upper Peninsula Waterfalls

red bar

Travel Information



lake superior road map of the circle tour
Lake Superior Circle Tour Road Map & Guide to Travel Attractions around Lake Superior.


keith aliUP200 Sled Dog Race & Festival

Identifying Lake Superior Agates and Beach Rocks.Lake Superior Agate?

rainbow falls fall color black river harborBlack River Harbor
Scenic Byway - Fall Color.



Best Rock Picking and Agate Hunting Beaches in the Upper Peninsula. grand marais beach and grand sable dunes


miners castle on the pictured rocks cruise
Pictured Rocks National Park
- unique scenery, hiking, camping, waterfalls

Upper Tahquamenon Falls
Tahquamenon Falls State Park and Waterfalls

Porcupine Mountains Lake of the CloudsPorcupine Mountains State Park was voted #2 Best State Park in the U.S.

WEATHER REPORT WEATHER REPORTS

Lake Superior Golf Course Reviews
See our Reviews of Michigan Upper Peninsula Golf Courses around Lake Superior.