Marquette (Michigan)

Marquette is a city in the Upper Peninsula (U.P.) of the state of Michigan.

Understand
Whenever talking to a Marquette resident, you'll eventually hear reference to "the Lake". This nearly always means Lake Superior. Other, smaller lakes nearby and elsewhere in the U.P. are referred to by their names, e.g., Silver Lake, Teal Lake.

Marquette is a university town, and shares some sensibilities with other college towns around the country. This also means that many, although by no means all, of the young adults are university students.

By bus
It is possible to take the Greyhound into Marquette.

By car
If you drive up from the Lower Peninsula, take US-2 along the southern shore of the U.P. for a scenic drive. With a few local exceptions, all highways in the U.P. are 2-lane. Passing lanes have been added along US-2 and M-28, to help traffic flow.

Driving in the Upper Peninsula during winter can be treacherous, but the county crews do a good job of clearing, salting, and sanding the major roadways, as do the crews in Marquette. Side streets can be very slippery if snow-covered.

By car
For the most part, you would want to take a car, especially in winter when snow or ice covers everything.

By bicycle
In the summer you can rent bicycles from some of the local bike shops. Marquette has several bike paths, one of which runs alongside the lake from Presque Isle Park to the intersection of M-28 and US-41. Biking on M-28. Additionally, the back roads around town are rather pleasant and the traffic isn't too harsh.

By bus
There is also county-wide bus service, which runs a few fixed routes and also offers door to door service.

See

 * Iron ore boats in the Upper Harbor are a sight to behold; you can see them docked at the Upper Harbor ore dock, next to Presque Isle Park during the upper Great Lakes shipping season.
 * Fall colors: In September and October, the forests are filled with a variety of reds, yellows and oranges as the maple, birch, aspen, and other leafed trees get ready for winter.
 * Iron ore boats in the Upper Harbor are a sight to behold; you can see them docked at the Upper Harbor ore dock, next to Presque Isle Park during the upper Great Lakes shipping season.
 * Fall colors: In September and October, the forests are filled with a variety of reds, yellows and oranges as the maple, birch, aspen, and other leafed trees get ready for winter.
 * Iron ore boats in the Upper Harbor are a sight to behold; you can see them docked at the Upper Harbor ore dock, next to Presque Isle Park during the upper Great Lakes shipping season.
 * Fall colors: In September and October, the forests are filled with a variety of reds, yellows and oranges as the maple, birch, aspen, and other leafed trees get ready for winter.
 * Fall colors: In September and October, the forests are filled with a variety of reds, yellows and oranges as the maple, birch, aspen, and other leafed trees get ready for winter.

Hiking
Hiking opportunities are abundant, with many hikes heading up the big hills in the area that overlook the lake. One can hike up Sugarloaf Mountain or Hogback Mountain and then hike back down to the Lake for a relaxing lounge on the beach. For additional trails, not yet listed here, see City of Marquette's list public trails on its website.
 * Little Presque Isle The Little Presque Isle tract is often called the crown jewel of Lake Superior, with its beautiful sand beaches, rugged shoreline cliffs, heavily timbered forests, and unmatched public views. The proposed natural area occurs north and south of Little Presque Point, around the mouth of Harlow Creek. The area is a combination of a wooded dune and swale community and bedrock lakeshore and cliff. The wooded dunes and swales formed as post-glacial lake levels receded, depositing a series of low sandy beach ridges. Since then, the ridges have become forested with hemlock, red pine, white pine, cedar, and balsam fir, while the wet swales that developed between them are now either forested or open wetlands.
 * Little Presque Isle The Little Presque Isle tract is often called the crown jewel of Lake Superior, with its beautiful sand beaches, rugged shoreline cliffs, heavily timbered forests, and unmatched public views. The proposed natural area occurs north and south of Little Presque Point, around the mouth of Harlow Creek. The area is a combination of a wooded dune and swale community and bedrock lakeshore and cliff. The wooded dunes and swales formed as post-glacial lake levels receded, depositing a series of low sandy beach ridges. Since then, the ridges have become forested with hemlock, red pine, white pine, cedar, and balsam fir, while the wet swales that developed between them are now either forested or open wetlands.
 * Little Presque Isle The Little Presque Isle tract is often called the crown jewel of Lake Superior, with its beautiful sand beaches, rugged shoreline cliffs, heavily timbered forests, and unmatched public views. The proposed natural area occurs north and south of Little Presque Point, around the mouth of Harlow Creek. The area is a combination of a wooded dune and swale community and bedrock lakeshore and cliff. The wooded dunes and swales formed as post-glacial lake levels receded, depositing a series of low sandy beach ridges. Since then, the ridges have become forested with hemlock, red pine, white pine, cedar, and balsam fir, while the wet swales that developed between them are now either forested or open wetlands.

Biking
Marquette has challenging trails for freeride mountain biking.

For good riding advice, stop by Lakeshore Bikes or the Quick Stop Bike Shop. Guys at both shops are avid riders and will be happy to point you in the right direction.
 * Follow the bike path from Presque Isle Park, all the way to south Marquette. This path was added within the last 10 years or so, and has become very popular. Just be prepared to share it with pedestrians and the occasional rollerblader.

Fishing
You can fish Lake Superior, the inland lakes, and many creeks and streams. Licensing, minimum length of caught fish, and fish limits are regulated by the Michigan DNR, which publishes a fishing guide.

Festivals

 * Annual Fourth of July fest at Ellwood Mattson Lower Harbor Park, just steps from downtown. Also the site for fireworks.
 * Annual Fourth of July fest at Ellwood Mattson Lower Harbor Park, just steps from downtown. Also the site for fireworks.
 * Annual Fourth of July fest at Ellwood Mattson Lower Harbor Park, just steps from downtown. Also the site for fireworks.

Indoors
Bad weather? Had enough of the outdoors? Check out these alternatives.

Buy
Marquette's downtown offers plenty of shopping, with many one of a kind shops and local offerings. Regional and national chain stores can be found at the Marquette Mall and the Westwood Mall, along US-41 west.



Eat
A local specialty is Cudighi Sausage. It is a hard to find (in the U.S.) northern Italian sausage. Many restaurants in Michigan's Upper Peninsula serve this sausage and it's definitely worth trying.



Drink

 * Ore Dock Brewing Company is a craft brewery that opened in May 2012. Great beers and often concerts, 114 W Spring St.
 * Ore Dock Brewing Company is a craft brewery that opened in May 2012. Great beers and often concerts, 114 W Spring St.
 * Ore Dock Brewing Company is a craft brewery that opened in May 2012. Great beers and often concerts, 114 W Spring St.
 * Ore Dock Brewing Company is a craft brewery that opened in May 2012. Great beers and often concerts, 114 W Spring St.

Go next
Every surrounding town has some sort of tourist attraction. Ishpeming has the Yooper Tourist Trap, a gift shop, museum, RV park and campground.