Marquette Michigan, located on the southern shore of Lake Superior, is the largest city in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Home to 20,000+ residents, the city is historically known for the shipping of iron ore through the Marquette Iron Range. This historic city on Lake Superior’s southern shore is a must visit!
Kettle Moraine State Forest | 3 Beautiful Spring Wildflower Hikes
Explore 3 top spring wildflower hikes in the Kettle Moraine State Forest in southeastern Wisconsin. Locations, trailheads, and tips for finding spring ephemerals. Get out and enjoy the spring weather, exercise, and wildflowers!
Lake Michigan’s Hidden Treasures | Southern Wisconsin’s Best Beaches
Do you love to search for beach glass? Are you looking for great beaches along the southern Lake Michigan shore to search for glass, marbles, pottery, and other treasures? Discover my favorite southern Wisconsin beaches to comb for treasures – beach glass, pottery, fossils, and unique rocks!
Located 30 miles north of Madison, Wisconsin, in the town of Baraboo, you’ll find a true geologic gem. Parfrey’s Glen was the first state natural area ever to be established in Wisconsin, a scenic glen that is part of Wisconsin’s 1.6 million year old Baraboo Range. Read more about this beautiful hike!
Wisconsin’s Kettle Moraine State Forest is home to the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, one of only 11 National scenic trails in the United States. You will be fascinated by the geology of the Ice Age Trail on these 6 top winter hikes.
Experience the beauty of the southern shore of Lake Superior in MIchigan’s Upper Peninsula. Check out my adventure guide – from trails, to beaches, to scenic views along the vast Lake Superior shoreline, you won’t be disappointed! #michigan, #travelmarquette, #upperpeninsula, #upmichigan, #picturedrocks, #munising
Subscribe to my monthly newsletter filled with new adventures throughout the Great Lakes region, from beach-combing to hiking, biking, festivals and food. I hope you’ll join me!
View of the pines, Ice Age Trail
Miner’s Castle, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
View of the pines, Stoney Ridge segment of the Ice Age Trail
A Region Rich in Scenic Beauty and Culture
From a remote stretch of Lake Superior beach to a wooded segment of the Ice Age Trail, you’ll find peace in this region. Gliding along a snowy cross country ski trail or enjoying the bustle of a capitol city, you’ll meet wonderful people, learn about the history and culture of the region, and enjoy great food!
One of my favorite parts of the Great Lakes Region is the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. For over 40 years, I have enjoyed the scenic and vast beauty of Lake Superior’s southern shore. Check out myMarquette Michigan 2026 Adventure Guide: Recreation, Culture, and Food in the Upper Peninsulaarticle in which I highlight adventure, food, and culture in one of my favorite cities in the region!
Lake SuperiorFacts
By surface area, Lake Superior is the largest lake in the world! It is the third deepest lake in the world, second only to Lakes Baikal and Tanganyika. It is the largest, coldest, and deepest of all five Great Lakes at 1,333 feet in depth. Additionally, Lake Superior holds over 3 quadrillion gallons of water – this is equal to 50% of all water in the Great Lakes, and 10% of the WORLD’s surface fresh water!
Picnic Rocks Beach, Marquette, MI
Serpentinized Peridotite, Blackrocks Beach, Presque Isle
Trail to Miners Beach, Munising, Michigan
Great Lakes Facts
The Great Lakes basin is home to a population of 35-40 million people, which is roughly 10% of the U.S. population. The lakes are bordered by eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces, encompassing a wide variety of terrain and land use. For more information and interesting Great Lakes facts, check out the Pure Michigan website for 10 Great Lakes Fun Facts You May Not Know. To learn more about current research in the Great Lakes, check out NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab.
Explore Beautiful Biking Trails in the Upper Peninsula | Marquette, Michigan
One of the main draws of Marquette is outdoor recreation. Forested hiking and biking trails, waterfalls, boat cruises, kayaking tours, remote beaches abound. You can even explore the 1.7 billion year rock along the Lake Superior shore. There is something for every outdoor enthusiast!
Bike the Beautiful Military Ridge State Trail – Blue Mounds, Wisconsin
The scenic Military Ridge State Trail is a 40-mile crushed gravel trail located in Wisconsin’s Dane and Iowa Counties. This trail passes through nine communities from Dodgeville, at the western end, to Fitchburg, south of Madison, Wisconsin.
Illinois is home to a wide diversity of landscapes, from savannas and oak woodlands and wetlands and remnant prairies. The Des Plaines River Trail provides a 50+ mile stretch for bikers and hikers to observe the varied beauty of Illinois landscapes.
Wisconsin’s scenic Sugar River State Trail is an excellent way to observe the geologic history of Wisconsin and experience the picturesque Driftless Region by bike, providing a look at detail not fully appreciated traveling by car.
Wisconsin is home to several picturesque rail trails constructed from abandoned railroad corridors. One of my favorite rail trails in southern Wisconsin is the Glacial Drumlin State Trail. A ride along this scenic trail allows an up close look at these unique landscapes in detail.
Home to rolling hills, remnant prairies, sparkling lakes, cathedral pines, agricultural land, bluffs and rugged terrain, and shorelines of two of our beautiful Great Lakes, Wisconsin has scenic views in every corner of the state. One of the best ways to enjoy Wisconsin’s scenic landscapes is through biking one of the state’s 1,700 miles of bike trails. One of my favorite trails in the state is the Ozaukee Interurban Trail along Wisconsin’s Southern Lake Michigan shore.
Vilas County, Wisconsin is in the heart of the Northwoods of Wisconsin. This beautiful region of the state is filled with clean lakes, quiet stands of pine trees, calling loons, native wildflowers, and Northwoods peace. There are over 1,300 lakes in Vilas County – one of the largest concentrations of freshwater lakes in the world! One of the best ways to enjoy the beauty of Vilas County is on The Heart of Vilas Trail.
The bustling capitol city of Madison, Wisconsin offers visitors scenic beauty, cultural events, great food, and numerous opportunities for outdoor recreation. Home to the University of Madison, Bucky the Badger, squeaky cheese, and the Monona Lake Loop, Madison is one of the most bike-friendly cities I have visited in the United States!
One of my favorite ways to explore the state of Wisconsin is by bike – along one of the state’s many picturesque rail trails. One of my favorite rail trails in southern Wisconsin is the White River State Trail, a 19-mile trail from Elkhorn, WI to Dover, WI.
If you’re in search of an addition to your hiking wardrobe, or need help choosing a hiking pack for a day hike or a trail ride, I’ve shared my personal recommendations for clothing and gear. I only recommend clothing and gear that I personally wear or use, sustainably made, durable, and functional.
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