The Complete Travel Guide: Houghton, Michigan
The city of Houghton is situated in the Keweenaw Peninsula, in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It’s a beautiful little college town surrounded by lakes, streams, hiking trails, ski hills, snowmobile trails, paved bike trails, mountain bike trails, and so much more. It’s the perfect mix of city life and remote living! The town and surrounding area are popular for tourists looking for outdoor activities, a little shopping, a wide variety of cultural and educational experiences. Because the nearest cities are four hours away by car, Houghton has managed to avoid an overflow of tourists and retain its small-town charm and authenticity.
A Brief History
Houghton is actually the 5th most populous city in Upper Michigan with a population of just over 7,700 and is the largest city in the Copper Country region. The city of Houghton and the county were named after Douglass Houghton, an American genealogist and physician. He was primarily known for his exploration of the Keweenaw Peninsula.
Thousands of years before European settlement, Keweenaw’s Native peoples mined copper in and around what would later be known as Houghton. As early as the seventeenth century, French explorers had noted of the area while prospecting for copper on the Ontonagon River near Victoria.
Within a few years, the Houghton area saw a boom in immigrants with the word of copper. The copper mining boom brought many Cornish and Finnish immigrants and both groups have had a great influence on the culture and cuisine of the local area. A smaller number of French-Canadian immigrants also moved to Houghton, while more of them settled elsewhere in Houghton County.
The last nearby mines closed in the late 1960s, but in 1885 a school was founded to teach metallurgy and mining engineering, the Michigan College of Mines, can still be found today. Although, this school now continues under another name: Michigan Technological University.
Houghton considers itself the birthplace of professional ice hockey in the United States. In December of 1902, it hosted the first professional ice hockey game in the US. The Dee Stadium is Houghton’s most famous ice rink and can be visited by tourists. The building is close to one hundred years old and was declared a historic site in 2006.
Today Houghton is a popular tourist summer destination, great tourist spot, and people come from all over the world for their winter carnival in February.
How to Get There
If you are flying in, Houghton’s closest airport is a 12 minute drive away in Calumet, Houghton County Memorial Airport (CMX). It does offer a limited selection of regional flights, so you may have to fly into the next closest: Sawyer International Airport, Marquette. If you are coming by a mobile vehicle, then you can take M-26 or U.S. 41. The closest larger towns near Houghton are Copper Harbor, Marquette, and Mass City. Driving might be the easiest mode of transportation, as you’ll be able to get around easily once you arrive. However, the city of Houghton also has an operating bus system that operates in it’s main downtown area. You could also travel by Greyhound bus, which has multiple connecting routes to Houghton. So if you are traveling on a budget, this could be a great option!
When to Visit
Houghton is a four seasons town, so there is no wrong time to visit! Summer is the most popular visiting time, making accommodation prices higher than usual. But with summer festivals, hiking trails, local events, beaches, and more, summer is the perfect time to take in all the sights! The city is also known for its lake within a lake, so spending time out on the water is a must in the summer! Fall offers its beautiful colors, slightly cooler temperatures, fewer tourist crowds, and cheaper prices. If you want to be involved in all the fall festivities, late September to early October are your best bet at catching events in the town.
Winter doesn’t stop this little town though! Michigan Technological University has a ski lodge across the water in Hancock. You can enjoy skiing, snowboarding, skating, snowmobiling, and snowshoeing! Not to mention the amazing winter events and activities they host too. If you come for winter, be sure to watch the CopperDog 150, where mushers make their way to Copper Harbor and back in a 3-day, 132- mile sled dog race or head to Marquette for The UP 200 or The Midnight Run sled dog race. Although spring doesn’t start until May here, that doesn’t mean that there is any shortage of blooms. I would just pack extra hiking shoes and socks because the trails might be on the muddier side.
What to Do
Attend an event
Winter Carnival
February 9-12, 2022
Michigan Technological University hosts Winter Carnival, an annual celebration, that takes place every winter in Houghton! They use this time to celebrate the large amounts of snowfall Michigan’s Upper Peninsula receives each winter. At Winter Carnival, you can find snow statues, outdoor games, photo/art competition, broomball, comedy skits, sleigh rides, queen coronation, and lots of other winter fun!
CopperDog 150
March 4-6, 2022
The CopperDog is an annual sled dog race usually running the first weekend in March. You can find over 350 dogs racing through Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula! But this event is more than just dog sleds, it’s also about community & history.
Bridgefest
June 16-19, 2022
Bridgefest is a celebration dedicated to the Portage Lake Lift Bridge, which officially opened in 1959. The Bridge is a vital link between the communities of Houghton and Hancock, and to the rest of the historic Keweenaw Peninsula. The weekend celebration includes a range of events from outdoor concerts, sporting events, the annual Bridgefest parade, and fireworks.
Copper Country Strawberry Festival
July 9-10, 2021
If you want to celebrate something that has been an important part of the economy since the 1920s, the Strawberry festival is a wonderful tradition! You can enjoy strawberry themed treats, arts & crafts in the park, children’s games, parades, a queen coronation, live music, a fish boil, berry judging, and an auction!
Parade Of Nations
September 18, 2021
Michigan Tech hosts the regions oldest, and largest, multicultural festival! Flying the flags of more than 50 countries represented on campus, thousands participate in this special celebration. You can find cultural foods, entertainment, family activities, global peace and unity.
Treat Street
October 16th 2021
Treat Street is an annual Halloween festivity where Shelden Avenue gets closed off for safe trick-or-treating. You can usually find goodie bags at the City Center, a haunted house or haunted walk through outside the police station, music, games, and more!
Christmas Walk
November 26th
The city of Hancock hosts an annual Christmas Walk, where you can find Santa, The Grinch, giveaways, cookie decorating, dog sleds, book reading, Holiday Parade, Tree lighting, and other fun festivities!
Go Shopping or Watch a Film
Copper Country Community Art Center
Rhythm Skate Shop
North Wind Books of Finlandia University
Michigan Tech Bookstore and University Images
Downwind Sports
Cross Country Sports
The Bike Shop
Copper Country Mall
Rogers Cinema 5
The Rogers Cinema 5 theater, which is located in the Copper Country Mall, has 5 screens
Portage Lake District Library
Learn About the History
A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum
Michigan Tech University
Quincy Mine
Finlandia University
Carnegie Museum of the Keweenaw
Houghton County Historical Museum
Coppertown USA Mining Museum
Lore of the Lake Maritime Museum
Mine Shaft Mega Center
Head Out to the Parks and Recreation
Keweenaw Underwater Preserve
Lying adjacent to Michigan’s “Copper Country”, the Keweenaw Underwater Preserve Stretches along the Keweenaw Peninsula’s shore on Lake Superior. Due to its location on the Lake’s south shore, it has often been a “catcher’s mitt” for lost ships. Shipwrecks and artifacts are scattered along the cost with Eagle River, Eagle Harbor, and Copper Harbor all host a variety of shipwrecks dating to the 1800s. Many of the wrecks are in fairly shallow water where they have been broken up by ice and storms. What is left has been popular among the beginner to intermediate divers who can explore boilers, machinery, and broken hulls.
Keweenaw National Historic Park
The Keweenaw National Historical Park is a unit of the U.S. National Park Service. Established in 1992, the park celebrates the life and history of the Keweenaw Peninsula. As of 2009, it is a partly privatized park made up of two primary units: The Calumet Unit and the Quincy Mine Unit, and 21 cooperating “Heritage Sites” located on federal, state, and privately owned lands around the surrounding area.
Isle Royal National Park
Isle Royale National Park was established in 1940 to preserve the second largest island in the Great Lakes. The island is 45 miles long, 9 miles wide, and located 55 miles northwest of Copper Harbor across Lake Superior. With more than 150 miles of beautiful hiking trails and dozens of wilderness campgrounds, Isle Royale has become a treat for hikers, backpackers, kayakers, canoeists, and fishing. If you want to visit, but experience the wilderness in comfort, you can stay at the Rock Harbor Lodge - the one and only facility on the island.
McClain State Park
McLain State Park offers two miles of sand beach on Lake Superior and is a popular camping spot! Visitors can also enjoy a variety of activities in the park: fishing, windsurfing, berry picking, beachcombing, sight-seeing, and hunting.
Bike the Michigan Tech and Nara trail systems
Houghton’s varied elevation creates the perfect system for unique hiking and biking trails. The Michigan Tech and Nara trail systems provide over 26 miles of trails for bikers and 35 miles for hikers and runners. While out on the trials, be sure to keep an eye out for chattering brooks, large boulders left from glacial movements, and several man-made trail features!
Paddle or bike the Portage Canal
The Portage Lake Ship Canal bisect Houghton and Hancock. Running along Portage Lake and the canal is a rails-to-trails pathway which caters to bikes, rollerblades, runners/walkers, as well as snowmobilers. The canal itself resembles an arctic fjord, with steep slopes on either side. The Portage Lake Lift Bridge is a unique bridge acting as the gateway to the Keweenaw Peninsula to the north.
If walking, running, or rollerblading is more your style, be sure to look out for the wonderful art pieces along the waterfront walkway!
You can rent water & other sports equipment at these locations:
Portage Paddle Sports
Upper Peninsula Tours
Portage Wake
Gitche Gumee Outfitters
Hit the Green
Portage Lake Golf Course
Calumet Golf Club
Find the Water
The Breakers and McLain State Park are the closest access sites to Lake Superior. Swimming anywhere on Portage Lake can be refreshing in the summer, as is canoeing or kayaking. Fishing is a popular activity both on Portage Lake and the many nearby lakes.
Houghton is also the home port for the Ranger III, a 125 passenger National Park Service ferry ship that takes passengers to and from Isle Royal during the summer months.
Winter Fun
Go Skiing
Mt. Ripley is open to downhill skiers and snowboarders and is owned by Michigan Tech. If cross-country is more your style, Houghton-Hancock is mostly known for its cross country skiing with 4 local cross country trail systems groomed for both skating and striding. If you need equipment, you can rent them at the Downwind Sports or Cross Country Sports, and be sure to ask about the trails and waterways while you're there!
Mt. Bohemia is a popular attraction for the experienced skier. The trails are unlike any other ski area in the Midwest with much of their terrain being very advanced or expert only, even by “Rocky Mountain” standards. The terrain includes steep slopes, cliff bands, tree covered glades, exposed rock formation, off-piste terrain, and variable snow conditions.
Snowmobile Trails
Where to Stay
Houghton is a smaller town with a few hotels - so if you want to stay right in the downtown area, then those are for you! Downtown is also strict about AirB&B rentals, so you would have to look outside of downtown. Though, there are quite some cozy cabins in the area! And of course, you can always camp at the local reactional areas.
A few places you can stay in the area:
Best Western
Country Inn & Suites
Copper Crown Motel (Hancock)
Franklin Square Inn
Holiday Inn Express
Ramada (Hancock)
Super 8 Motel
The Vault Hotel Houghton
Travelodge
Where to Eat
Although the selections are limited, most of the restaurants are locally owned and operated, offering unique and high quality food! If you are headed to Copper Country, then you must swing in and try a pasty! A pasty is a baked pastry, particularly associated with Cornwall, U.K., but it’s exact origin is unclear. Traditionally they are filled with beef, potatoes, onions, and swede, or a yellow turnip. However, you can get a variety at almost any U.P. Pasty shop. As the mining in Cornwall slowly started to decline, some families emigrated and found themselves in the Upper Peninsula during the Copper boom. Mining declined after World War II, but the pasty stayed and eventually became the adopted, unofficial state dish.
Here are some of our favorites:
Ambassador Restaurant
Armando’s Restaurant
Baby E’s BBQ
Copper Range Depot Family Restaurant (our personal favorite for meals made from scratch)
Four Season’s Tea Room
Joey’s Seafood & Grill
Library Brew Pub
Rodeo Mexican Kitchen
Roy’s Pasties and Bakery
Sky Sushi Houghton
Studio Pizza and Ice Cream (Hancock)
Suomi Restaurant
The Den Restaurant
Victoria’s Kitchen
Waterfront Restaurant (Hancock)
