Michigan's Upper Peninsula Travel Blog

Munising Falls, a 50-foot waterfall minutes from Munising

With the arrival of an early spring, the snow is pretty much gone (snow banks remain) and the ice on Munising Bay is on the verge of exiting the Bay. In a typical year, many folks are still ice fishing and snowmobiling this time of the year; but there’s not much you can if Mother Nature decides to give winter da boot. With the quick exit of snow, the waterfalls are really flowing and it’s a great time to visit Munising! The abundance of waterfalls in our area makes Munising unique and a great spring destination. What’s also great is how many waterfalls are located within only a few miles of downtown. These include Wagner Falls, Alger Falls, Munising Falls, Tannery Falls and Memorial Falls. The spring melt also creates numerous other waterfalls that are only flowing this time of the year. Besides these local waterfalls, there’s also a vast amount of falls for those looking to do a little hiking in the north woods. Check out our waterfalls page for a complete list of Munising waterfalls and don’t forget your camera.

As for the fishing, the steelheads (Great Lakes rainbow trout) have started to swim upstream in some rivers in the northern Upper Peninsula. This week’s forecast of warmer temperatures should really push them. The opener for the trout season is still a few weeks away so the main run will likely be done before that date comes, although there’s some great brook trout fishing to still be done.

Come up to the great north and enjoy the spring weather!

In a blink of an eye, WINTER HAS ENDED! In the last couple weeks the temperatures went from being around freezing to now daytime highs in the 50s! It feels like winter has ended in a flash. We still have snow on the ground but it’s melting pretty fast. With the later start of winter, it was a relatively short season for most of the Upper Peninsula. The long term forecast is showing snow showers but now it becomes sort of nuisance. This comes from someone who loves winter and snow. Since we lost a lot of our base snow, any new snow can’t really be enjoyed for winter activities.

For the die-hard cross-country skiers, the trails Valley Spur are reported to still be in fair condition. The expert trails are closed but the beginner and intermediate trails are said to have a good snow base. On Munising Bay, almost everyone has pulled their ice shacks from the Bay. There’s still ice fishermen fishing from Sand Point to the Sunset Motel and down to the mouth of the Anna River. As you can guess, the ice conditions are deteriorating fast and extreme caution is urged.

Get outside and enjoy the spring-like weather! Have a good weekend and start making your plans to visit Munising!

Last weekend’s snowmobile race (the Munising 300) and the Trenary Outhouse Classic were a huge success. The turnout of competitors and spectators was tremendous. At the outhouse races, the race had a team competing all the way from Japan! The two gentlemen were part of a Japanese reality show and are trying to compete in a variety of competitions around the world. Another big news item from the outhouse races was the event being sponsored by Charmin® toilet paper! The Charmin company also participated in the event by entering their own outhouse. Pretty cool! Here’s a couple articles about the two events. They include Charmin competing in the outhouse race and the results of the snowmobile race. You can also visit the Munising 300 Facebook Fan Page for photos and video from the event.

Munising Bay Ice Drags

This weekend, there are two more events happening in the Munising area. For the snowmobile enthusiasts, head down to the Munising Bay Boat Launch for ice drags (sanctioned by the Masters Circuit)! The event is open to any snowmobiler and there will be a variety of classes – stock thru modified. Come down and see how fast your sled will go on a 3-lane, 660-foot drag strip! Registration will take place from 8:00am to 11:00am and races will start at noon. There will also be concessions and a warming tent on-site. Kids can also compete in 120 races and there will be free snowmobile rides for the youngsters, too. Following the event, awards and a live band will be at Foggy’s Restaurant. Visit our event postings page to view the flyer.

For the silent sport folks, head to Valley Spur ski trails for the annual Taste & Glide. Participants pay a fee and then cross-country ski or snowshoe from one trailside buffet table to the next. Multiple tables will be set-up along the trail so you can enjoy a variety of delicious foods made by Sydney’s Restaurant Catering. At the Valley Spur lodge, Chris Valenti will be entertaining guests with his music from noon to 3:00pm. The Taste & Glide runs from 11:00am-3:00pm and the cost is $18 for adults and $10 for children under $12. Additional information can be found on the Valley Spur website.

The weather forecast looks great for the rest of the week and this weekend. They’re saying temperatures could reach close to 40 degrees! This will definitely feel like a heat wave. Winter is far from over here in the U.P. and we’re bound to get a few more snowstorms this year. As you can see on the Munising weather page, we have a substantial amount of snow on the ground. It won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. Have a good weekend and we hope to see you around!