A weekend in Ironwood
I recently… kicked off a three-week road trip with a weekend in Ironwood! I knew I wanted to come back. I visited early in my time living in the Upper Peninsula, during late autumn, and wanted to experience some summer vibes along the west coast. I had quite a few waterfalls on my list (only caught two this time, another reason to come back again!) along with some good places to eat, a really fun stay at a cabin, and a trip to the Black River Harbor Pavilion where I wanted to check out the very picturesque suspension bridge! Read on for what I did during my time in Ironwood… I’ll definitely be back. There’s so much more to explore yet!
GABBRO FALLS
My first stop into town was to Gabbro Falls! It’s very easy to get to, you basically loop around a paved road, by the Blackjack Mountain Big Snow Resort. Keep going past the parking lot, and you’ll see a little turn off on the left side of the road. If you park there, it’s a very short and easy walk to the waterfall. It’s gorgeous! You can sort of climb on the rocks for a really cool view, and you can also go around to the top of the waterfall to snap some pictures up there as well. The falls consists of three separate drops that fall approximately 40 feet total. I can only imagine how pretty this spot would be in autumn too.
MT. ZION SCENIC OVERLOOK
For my first golden hour in town, I went to the Mt. Zion Scenic Overlook. Google Maps will take you right here, with a drive right up to the scenic overlook with plenty of parking. You can see views from the top of the ski hill, and there’s a wood observation deck as well. This is a perfect place to catch the sunset! There were quite a few people out there enjoying it when I was.
INTERSTATE FALLS
The second waterfall I caught on this trip was to Interstate Falls! I got a little lost on this one… Google Maps has two different markers for this waterfall. Pro tip: Don’t take the Michigan entrance! You’ll hit a road, and a sign that says, “No entrance to the falls”. So I plugged the other location in… and it took me into Wisconsin, but then I saw a sign for Interstate Falls… followed that, and it led to a parking area, a very easy flat trail, along with restrooms, platforms, etc. That’s the way to go! And you can walk down the steps, onto a few rocks, to get right up close to the waterfall. Loved this spot!
BLACK RIVER HARBOR PAVILION
My second night in town, I decided to venture out and golden hour at Black River Harbor Pavilion. I hadn’t heard of this place before, but saw a post on Ironwood’s Instagram… and was like, that looks neat! And there’s a suspension bridge you can cross (which I crossed like 10x, so fun!) This is a great place to catch the sunset, picnic, launch a boat or kayaks, etc. I saw several kayakers out in the river when I was here. But yeah, a great spot to spend a lot of time… you can catch a bunch of waterfalls along the road here. You can read more about the different waterfalls and things to do here on Ironwood’s website.
WHERE I STAYED
I ended up finding this listing on Airbnb… and it’s so so so cool. I absolutely loved my stay here. I was a little nervous about staying at a cabin by myself, but it was very quiet, my cabin was close to the restrooms and main lodge, and the entire stay was just cozy and beautiful. Plus the location is very central to exploring Ironwood, only a few minutes from downtown… and easy to get out to Black River Harbor area, waterfalls, etc. I believe this spot was originally called Wolverine Village, now owned by a mother/daughter who host it as an Airbnb. But yeah, I would 10/10 recommend staying here if you’re looking for a unique stay in a cabin setting. I’d love to come back again in autumn or winter. The lodge would be a wonderful place to cozy up, the cabins themselves are so comfy, the bed you just sink into, and everything was so clean and well managed. Check out the listing here on Airbnb!
Elk & Hound
PLACES TO EAT/DRINK
I got two of these food recommendations from my Airbnb host… but here are some places I ate during my trip! The first night I went out to Elk & Hound for Friday fish fry. I sat at the bar, the locals were incredibly sweet, I ordered the panko-crusted fish, it was delicious, and I thoroughly enjoyed my experience in this historic restaurant on the grounds of the Gogebic Country Club. Cold Iron Brewing is a great spot downtown to grab a beer… loved their grapefruit shandy offering. Contrast Coffee is a favorite coffee shop in Marquette, glad to have other locations in the UP… I always go for the honey rose latte or chaider (when it’s available). And dinner at Iron Nugget (in Wisconsin but very close to downtown Ironwood) was delicious! I got a steak salad that was massive. And The Pines Cafe for breakfast is very good… the Pines Skillet is my favorite.
Cold Iron Brewing
The Pines Cafe
Iron Nugget
DOWNTOWN EXPLORATION
One of my favorite ways to explore a city is just to walk around downtown! After I had a coffee and worked for a bit, I just took a walk through downtown Ironwood. You can stop into Ben Franklin, for lots of UP-themed items, gifts, jewelry, fabric, etc. Scope out the Miners Mural located on the corner of McLeod Ave. and Suffolk St. The men in the mural represent the thousands of men who worked in the mines of Michigan and Wisconsin. I also popped into Dan’s Antique Mall which was really fun to stroll through. I wanted all the glassware and unique dishes they had available! I also strolled through the outside of the Old Depot Museum. Built in 1892, the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad Depot was designed in the Richardson Romanesque style. Lots of history to read here! Well I hope you enjoyed my post on Ironwood! If I missed anything else, let me know in the comments… I always plan to come back and explore more in different seasons!
