Autumn in The Porkies
One of my favorite day trips in the Upper Peninsula (which could easily turn into a weekend or a week-long trip with how much there is to do)… is in the Porcupine Mountains! I’ve made this trip every year I’ve lived in the UP now, and in autumns before that as well. I love visiting any time of year, but autumn is just… pure magic here. 🍂 Especially at Summit Peak and Lake of the Clouds. It’ll take your breath away! But read on for what I did during a day in the Porkies with my friend Kate who was visiting! It was so fun to show her some of these spots for the first time, she was just as blown away as I was the first time, and we were blessed with gorgeous autumn weather and sunshine.
ONTONAGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Our first stop into town… we headed to the Ontonagon Historical Society! It’s donation-based, so you can just walk in and walk around, check out the exhibits they have available. It mostly showcases artifacts of local history, so it’s a great way to learn about the surrounding area. We were walking around and I overheard some ladies talking about touring the lighthouse… but I thought we were too late to tour it in the season, but it turns out, we weren’t! So we snagged a couple of tickets to tour the Ontonagon Lighthouse here as well!
ONTONAGON LIGHTHOUSE
It’s been… 7 years since I’ve been to the Ontonagon Lighthouse! I first visited in 2015, and I was so happy to be back. I always always love revisiting lighthouses, especially when you can go inside and climb to the top of the tower for the view. We had two wonderful tour guides who walked us through the house, gave us a lot of detail on the history, what each room was used for, etc., and let us take in the views from the top. I wanted to try and walk out to the Ontonagon West Pierhead Light (one I haven’t officially seen yet) but we didn’t save enough time to do that. So I’ll have to remember that for next time! But yeah, if you’re in the area, check out the lighthouse! Pick up tickets at the historical society (it’s seasonal) and it’s well worth it for the tour! I literally want to decorate my future house like the Ontonagon Lighthouse. 😆
STUBB’S BAR
After the lighthouse tour, Kate and I headed back into town to grab a drink at Stubb’s Bar! This place is so fun, even during the middle of a day on a weekday. The locals are just so lively and inviting! But the decor is eclectic, and there’s so much to look at, drinks are affordable, and I’d honestly want to come back and visit this bar on a weekend night just to see what the vibe is like. But definitely worth a stop if you’re in Ontonagon. One of the best dive bars in the UP, for sure.
SUMMIT PEAK
Next up, we drove into the Porcupine Mountains! I’ve been to Summit Peak before, but wanted to bring Kate for her first experience. It’s a really easy walk, plenty of parking, restrooms, etc. And the weather was literally gorgeous… the autumn forest, sunlight, the views. We were a touch past peak, but it was still very autumnal. We got to the end, climbed the observation tower, got some pictures. I spotted a “K+T” etched into the tower, which was so cute! We got a photo, and then headed back to make sure we had enough time to get to our next destination. Once you’re in the Porkies, you can spend quite a bit of time driving honestly!
LAKE OF THE CLOUDS
But our last destination was Lake of the Clouds, which I always want to hit during golden hour. It was incredible, as always. This is definitely one of my top 5 favorite spots in the Upper Peninsula. We walked around, took in several of the views, but waited until golden hour light to snap some pictures together. Kate was taken with this place, which was so fun to see. And it’s nice that it’s an easy fully-accessible walk to an overlook. There are other walks out here too that I need to do someday… via the Escarpment Trail or the Big Carp River Trail. Someday!
