Attractions and Recreation
Near the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park.

Ontonagon County includes the towns of Greenland, Mass City, Ontonagon, White Pine, Silver City, Rockland, and Victoria in the Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan

Things to See and Do while you are visiting the Ontonagon Area

Click Here for Lodging and Businesses near the "Porkies" in the
Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan

BOWLING: BLACK BEAR LANES at Konteka in White Pine, MI, just 6 miles south of Silver City. 8 lanes with open bowling. The Black Bear Bar is open from 11 am to midnight serving your favorite beverages.

CAMPING and CAMPGROUNDS

• River Road RV Park, Campground, and Bunkhouse. 600 River Road, Ontonagon, MI  49953. Phone: 906-884-4600. 3 Season (April - November) camping by the Ontonagon River.  30 full hookups, pull through sites, and tent sites. Wi-Fi. Shower Room (handicap accessible) with hot showers and heated floor, Dump station, Laundry Room, Playground, and a Bunk House that sleeps up to 8 guests “dorm style”. Lake Superior water access. Located only 15 minutes from the Porcupine Mountains State Park. Many ATV, ORV, Snowmobile, Multiuse and Equestrian trails in the County. Pets Welcome (Horses can be accommodated.)

CANOE, KAYAK, and MOUNTAIN BIKE RENTALS at the Concession Store in the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park from May 15th through October 15th. Phone 906-885-5612. Located at the entrance to the Union Bay campground area on M-107 on the east side of the Park, and they also provide shuttle service to all areas in the park and canoe livery to rivers and streams suitable for canoeing. Firewood and ice for sale.

GOLFING: Ontonagon Golf Course, 19906 Firesteel Road, Onyonagon. 9 holes. Club rental, showers, and Pro Shop. Phone: 906-884-4130

HUNTING: Lots of public land in the Porkies and the Ottawa National Forest for great hunting opportunities for deer, bear, small game, and birds.

MOUNTAIN BIKING. Bike the back roads in Ontonagon County, trails in the Ottawa National Forest, or there are 5 trails in the Porcupine Mountains State Park. Bring your own bike or rentals available at the Concession Stand in the Park. Phone: 906-885-5612 for information.

Old Victoria Restoration, Victoria Dam Road, 4 miles southwest of Rockland. Take a guided tour through the restored hand-hewn log cabins that were built about 1899 to house the miners at the Victoria Copper Mine. Open Memorial Day through October 8th from 10:30 to 5:30 daily. Small admission charge. Enjoy coffee and cinnamon rolls cooked on the old wood stove at the Arts and Crafts show, the third Sunday in August and storytelling and music on Log Cabin Day. Phone: 906-884-4941.

ONTONAGON COUNTY HISTORICAL MUSEUM & GIFT SHOP, 422 River Street, Ontonagon. (906) 884-6165. Open Year Round from 10 am to 5 pm. Sunday from 12 noon to 4 pm from July 1 through Labor Day Weekend. The purple museum building houses collections of mining, logging, farming, marine, and social memorabilia, displayed in room settings and cases. 5th Order Fresnel Lens from the Ontonagon Lighthouse is on display at the Museum. The Gift Shop features a nice selection of nautical and lighthouse gifts, books, apparel, plus a variety of other items. Stop here to arrange your tour of the Ontonagon Lighthouse

Ontonagon Lighthouse. Open for tours Monday through Saturday at 11am, 2pm, & 4pm and at 2 pm on Sunday during the summer or by appointment. Stop by the Ontonagon Historical Museum to start your tour. The 39' lighthouse tower is open for climbing and offers a wonderful view of the area. The first lighthouse was built in 1851-52 and replaced by this cream brick building in 1866. Replaced in 1963 by the West Pier Light that is visible from the Lighthouse Tower.

ONTONAGON MARINA Ontonagon has a full service marina with transient slips. Phone: 906-884-4225. Water, electricity (30 am), restrooms, showers, gas, pump-out service, ice, boat launch, fish cleaning station, hoist, long-term parking, and a public phone.

Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, 60,000 acres of wilderness on the shores of Lake Superior. Hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, fishing, hunting, canoeing, photography, downhill skiing, cross country skiing, wildlife viewing, and outstanding scenery. Rustic and modern campgrounds. Map of the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park

• Summer in the Porkies
• Backpacking Tips
• Bears in the Park
• Camping and Rustic Cabins
• Hiking Trails in the Porcupine Mountains
• Wilderness Tips
• Winter in the Porkies

Red Metal Minerals, located at Gitche Gumee Landing, carries a large variety of copper, datolite, and local specimens, as well as minerals from around the world. Included are many unusual gift items such as agate slabs and bookends of all sorts. Spectacular mineral specimens for the serious collector and anyone who enjoys the beauty of Mother Nature. Variety of books written on the history and geology of copper mining in the Keweenaw Peninsula. 202 Ontonagon Street, Ontonagon, MI 49553. Phone 906-884-6618.

Rockland Historical Museum is located 12 miles south of Ontonagon on US-45 in the village of Rockland, MI. Open 11:30 am to 4:30 pm, Memorial Day through Color Season. Unique collection of artifacts dating fron 3000 B.C. (prehistoric mining hammers) to the early 1900's.

Porcupine Mountains Ski Hill offers downhill skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, and cross-country ski trails. Chalet with rentals and food service.

Downhill skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing at the Porcupine Mountains ski Area. Equipment rentals.

SNOWMOBILING: Hundreds of miles of groomed trails for snowmobilers to enjoy including the Bill Nicholls Trail from Mass City to Houghton through outstanding scenery. Connecting trails lead throughout the entire Upper Peninsula

SNOWMOBILE and ATV RENTALS

Timberline Sports: Rentals, Sales, and Service, 1.5 miles west of Bergland at 35714 W. M-28 Bergland, MI 49910. Phone: 906-575-3397 Sales of new and used machines. Full Service & Parts Department. Rentals of new Ski-doo snowmobiles and Can-Am ATVs. Enjoy riding the groomed trails in the Western Upper Peninsula.

SWIMMING BEACH, PICNIC AREA, AND PLAYGROUND at the Ontonagon Township Park on Lake Superior for day use and camping. 1 mile northeast of Ontonagon on Houghton Street. One mile of sandy public beach for sunning, swimming, or a little rock picking. Take a walk along the beach and enjoy the sunset and the view of the Porkies. Picnic tables, fire

WATERFALLS There are numerous area waterfalls with some in the Porcupine Mountains State Park and others a long or short hike through the woods. Photo of BONANZA FALLS, also called Greenwood Falls. Located on Highway 64 between White Pine and Silver City.

• AGATE FALLS: 7 miles east of Bruce Crossing on Highway M-28. Roadside Park and a short trail to the Falls.
• BOND FALLS: One of the most beautiful waterfalls in the Upper Peninsula located on the Middle Branch of the Ontonagon River. Go 9 miles south of Bruce Crossing to the town of Paulding and turn east for 3.5 miles to the falls. New Overlook Platforms, picnic area, and hiking trails.

Stop at the Ontonagon Museum or the Visitor Center in the Porkies for information on visiting these waterfalls.

Winter in the Porkies. Downhill and Cross-Country Skiing, Snowshoeing, and Snowmobiling. Rental Shop at the Ski Hill in the Porcupine Mountains State Park. Phone: 908-884-5275

 

Parks

Ontonagon Township Park on Lake Superior for day use. 1 mile northeast of Ontonagon on Houghton Street. One mile of sandy public beach for sunning, swimming, or a little rock picking. Take a walk along the beach and enjoy the sunset and the view of the Porkies. Picnic tables, fire pits, and a playground for the kids.

Baraga and L'Anse: 42 miles east of Ontonagon on Highway M-38.

• Ford Historic Sawmill Museum in Alberta. The village of Alberta was built by Hanry Ford as a self-sufficient community in the 1930's to supply wood for his automobiles and trucks. 7 miles south of L'Anse on Highway US-41. Open for tours from Memorial Day through mid-October, 10 am to 4 pm. Phone: 906-524-7900. Now a part of Michigan Tech University Ford Forestry Center.
• Bishop Fredrick Baraga, "The Shrine of the Snowshoe Priest". See some of the old buildings in the Village of Assinins, the last mission of Father Baraga. The Most Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church was built near the site of his first mission church that was built in 1843. Set on the hillside overlooking Keweenaw Bay, this church has a Native American focus and is still an active parish church.
• Baraga Casino, 16449 Michigan avenue, Highway M-38, Baraga, MI 49908. Phone: 800-323-8045 or 906-353-6333.
• Baraga County Historical Museum, Highway 41, Baraga, MI. Open Monday through Saturday, June 1st through October 1st from 11 am to 3 pm.
• Canyon Falls, 8 miles south of L'Anse on Highway US-41. Roadside Park and short trail to the Falls.
• Hanka Homestead, Restored 1880's Finish Homestead open for tours. On the National Register of Historic Places. Take Pelke Road north of M-38 and follow the signs. 906-524-7444

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Photos: Mary Deloria. Bonanza Falls by Donina Grunberg