Lake Superior great circle tour

[two_travelers]

Planning to go around Lake Superior this summer. Was thinking of late August into early September. Other option would be early July to early August. Which would be better? How are bugs, weather and crowds at those times?

[LowRyter]

+1 Duluth and Grand Marais

[travelnutz]

We personally have watched the big ships come in and go out here for 74 years now and it's never boring and brings crowds also watching every time!

[travelnutz]

Full speed ahead or full speed astern, heard full ahead or full astern also. Most people do not realize how huge many of the lake freighters are. Like 1,000 feet long or as long as the big cruise ships and the loaded with Taconite (enriched iron ore) large lake freighters weigh a lot more than a cruise ship loaded with passengers. We get lots of lake freighters coming and going from where with live every year. Many boggle the mind watching them maneuver the curves staying in the deep channel in the harbor and river. At times they look almost close enough to touch going by but I know my arms aren't that long! The river has currents that push the ship and then there's the wind blowing the on the ship's long side surface. Not like driving a vehicle down a road and easily staying in your lane. Bow thrusters in the more modern ships have made controlling so much more precise.

[GordonThree]

Mvpmich wrote:
Any reason you are skipping the Soo Locks?

Seem 'em before. Although not quite as narrow (almost), huge freighters are in and out of the channel here at home. Seen 'em stuck in turns, stuck in ice, stuck on sand, belching black smoke into the air as the ramp the diesel to full speed or whatever it's called.

[travelnutz]

Mvpmich,

NO! It's the starting point in my example and not an in-transit stopping off point during the circle tour. Also there are 2 Soo's, one in Canada and the other is in the USA and the original "not much in Canada to see" was in regards to when in Canada.

Of course, the Soo Locks (the world's busiest) are a must to see or even take the tour boat thru the locks if a person has never experienced boating thru a lock system and/or is a land lubber.

[pawatt]

Most of the Provincial parks are great!!!

[pawatt]

Mid Aug to mid Sept, took nearly a month going around last fall, wonderful trip and GREAT scenery.

[mvpmich]

GordonThree wrote:
Every time I visit the UP during the green months, there's been lots of mosquitoes, and they're on you fast... not much you can do but bath in bug spray and enjoy the beauty of the area.

Near as all this is to me, I don't have much other information... take it for granted I suppose. I'm considering a circle tour of the UP, something like this:



Subscribed to hear from folks more knowledgeable 🙂

Any reason you are skipping the Soo Locks?

[travelnutz]

There are so many that I couldn't list begin to them all and it certainly depends on what amenities you want in a CG. Batchawanna Bay/Pancake Bay CG is about the first one going north after leaving the Soo area. CG's at Wawa. Several Provincial park CG's on the Canadian side on Hwy 17 and gobs of private CG's. So many and so variable in what they have. You aren't buying the site and only renting the CG site for a day usually. You have to do your own research to find the ones you like. As a general rule, there's not a lot of difference in CG's when staying only a day or two because you have your own little home on wheels right with you! Not many people want the real high class CG site in a exclusive resort when they see the daily cost charged. Suddenly, money does talk and fights leaving your wallet when it's a 1 or 2 night stay only. Make your own decisions!

[Pirate1]

GordonThree wrote:
Every time I visit the UP during the green months, there's been lots of mosquitoes, and they're on you fast... not much you can do but bath in bug spray and enjoy the beauty of the area.

Near as all this is to me, I don't have much other information... take it for granted I suppose. I'm considering a circle tour of the UP, something like this:



Subscribed to hear from folks more knowledgeable 🙂

Munising to Grand Marais should be along H-58. It is paved. I took my 37' motorhome on that drive.

[The_Kroc]

can you recommend any specific campgrounds/and or campsites on the Canadian side? We'll be there in August after a week in Green Bay attending the Packer training camp and will be traveling from the West to the East. We're in a 24 ft TT and need only electricity. Thanks In advance.

[fj12ryder]

Yeah, I've done the circle drive twice, and wondered why I bothered the second time.

[travelnutz]

True, you don't see Lake Superior on the Canadian side vary often when staying on Hwy 17. Have to drive off 17 and it's there! The Hwy is mostly inland from the lake due to the steep rock banks along the shore. The U.S. side is very different as many roads are right along the lakeshore with countless turnouts, parks, and public beaches and quaint little towns too and CG's galore.

We live and have lived on the Lake Michigan Shoreline in West Michigan for over 74 years and see the huge pure clean lake and pure golden quartz sand everyday so we don't get bothered by not being able to see the lakes constantly. We just take seeing the lake daily being normal! Maybe we are just spoiled brats!Michigan has 4 of the 5 Great Lakes shores on it and over 3,200 miles of Great Lake Shoreline. No way would we ever move away from where we live as it's like living is the finest resort 24/7/365 and it's simply gorgeous+! Doesn't hurt that we are RV nutz and boating maniacs all over our area and the little puddle called Lake Michigan.

[travelnutz]

We have done the Lake Superior Circle Tour 4 times now and had very few mosquitos etc and there is a lot to see on the Canadian side if you want to. Starting at Sault Ste Marie (The Soo) and going north for instance. Same name for the cities across from each other in the USA and Canada. Need a passport to enter Canada and also to get back in the USA. We always go in August as the skeeters and black flies are way down then.

Just some of the things to see:

Batchawanna Bay area

Montreal and Agawa Bays

Wawa area

White River area and the Provincial Park

Before Nipigon go north about 30 miles or so on 11 to near Macdiarmid (fishing village) and see the very eerie exposed tall pinnacles of some of the oldest exposed rock formations on the planet Earth, a few billion years old and exposed by the last Ice Age only about 10,000 years ago

Continuing SW on 17 to Quimet and go to the big deep canyon which was carved by the glaciers and the later erosion. The bolted to the side of the canyon wall near the top and hanging out over the deep canyon bottom below will give you a real thrill

further on 17 and turn south into Sleeping Giant Provincial Park and go all the south end and you can drive on the smooth bare glacier scrubbed rock for miles over looking the water below. Watch carefully for the moose in the park as hitting one will ruin your day and really mess up your vehicle or RV not to mention your body

BTW, there's over a hundred waterfalls on 17 or just off it

Kakabeka Falls is west of Thunder Bay and is big unless the power dam is closed. 3 time going there it was closed once and it depends on how much rain has fallen and the runoff

At Grand Portage, you can take a fairly short ferry ride to Isle Royal National Park. I can't remember their schedule or cost

Now back in the USA and very scenic going SW to Duluth

East to Bayfield and the Apostle Islands

Then to The Porcupine Mtns (The Porkies) in Michigan, the huge state park, the Lake of the Clouds Overlook on the top of the mountain, and a lot more

On to Keweenaw Peninsula and Copper Harbor and the area taking The Brockway Mountain Drive (beautiful)

Copper museum at Calumet is neat and gobs of history as this is where most of our nation's copper was mined for over a hundred years. Yes, there are copper mine shafts on the peninsula that give public tours and you'll find out what being in the "dark" is really like when they turn off the lights for about a minute or so. Mind boggling! One was in the Atlantic Mine at Hancock

The U.P. of Michigan is simply beautiful and so varied with waterfalls everywhere, mtns, valleys, lakes, rivers and streams, swamps, gorgeous forests, and hundreds of campgrounds too.

Not done yet!

On east to the Ishpeming (The Yoopers) and the Marquette area

Then past Munising and the Pictured Rocks National Park or take the boat cruise to see them. One of a kind!

Next, take H-58 to Grand Marais (so neat and pretty drive. and on to Deer Park (short section of gravel if paving is not done yet) and back on paved beyond it. Or south to Seney and the National Wildlife Refuge

East to Newberry and north to the 50,000 acre Tahquamenon Fall and the big Upper Falls and then the Lower Falls and the 2 paved and with 30/50 amp electric great CG's and relax and enjoy

East to Paradise and north along the lake to Whitefish Point and the Shipwreck Museum

South of Tahquamenon Rivermouth outlet in to Lake Superior there's a paved road going left only named L Curley Lewis Hwy and goes all the way to Brimley, west of Sault Ste Marie, MI. Also called "Lake Superior Shoreline Rd"

These are just some/a small tasting) of what is on the circle tour. It is incredibly beautiful all around on the tour when the leaves have changed to their brilliant colors especially in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota usually peaking very early in October. However, the traffic in the MN stretch can be insane with backups and CG's booked full every day.

Michigan alone has over 11,000 inland lakes and about 40,000 miles of rivers and streams and the state is still 53% forested. As does northern MN and WS have gobs of the same.

We've been married for almost 55 years now (52 years with our RV's) and every year have gone to the U.P. (almost 400 miles away) at least once for a few days to 3 weeks and always for Fall Leaf Peeping and we won't be quitting until they plant us. Many times in the winter also with our TC RV's (always had at least on TC since 1965) as I don't want to pull our 5th wheels or drive the MH's we had on snow or icy roads. Tahquamenon Falls upper CG at the lower falls is open and kept plowed all winter and the electric is on. It's that gorgeous 12 months a year!