The Keweenaw Peninsula curves northeasterly into Lake Superior. It is anchored by Houghton and Hancock on the south and Copper Harbor near the tip (at 47ยบ 28′, about as far north as Seattle-Tacoma International). The average annual snowfall in Copper Harbor is 250 inches (the record is 390 inches). It was mostly sunny and cool the day we were there, August 27th.
The Keweenaw Peninsula was the site of the first copper boom in America, beginning in the 1850s. The ore is 97% copper and was extracted by the Ojibwa well before the Finns and others showed up to mine the Keweenaw.
The Copper Harbor Lighthouse, one of the oldest on the Great Lakes, as seen from across the harbor.
Copper Harbor and the lighthouse from Brockway Mountain Drive.
That’s Lake Superior, of course. Isle Royale National Park is out there somewhere (though actually further to the west, as this photo faces mostly north).
We spent the night on the shores of Lake Superior in Eagle River. This photo was taken from the room with my iPhone. The weather turned cold and damp that evening (and it rained much of the next day).
Eagle River has a great courthouse.
The Keweenaw is special and, though out of the way, should be included in any visit to the U.P. Click any image for larger versions.