Welcome to Ontonagon and the Porcupine Mountains

The Ontonagon / Porcupine Mountains Area offers all the elements for a great outdoor vacation experience: Rugged, Scenic Mountains with Grand Vistas – Lake Superior – Old Growth Forests – Splendid Waterfalls – Numerous Rivers and Inland Lakes – A Vibrant History of Mining and Adventure – And much more.

Want to add some outdoor adventure to your next vacation? Try the rugged, scenic beauty of the Porcupine Mountains area of the western part of the Upper Peninsula. You’ll find some of the highest — and most spectacular — terrain in Michigan along with grand, scenic vistas of Lake Superior — the greatest lake of all the Great Lakes.

There are many ways to explore the region. Take short hikes through old growth forest to see the splash and spray of the many splendid waterfalls in the region or plan a long trek into the backcountry of the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park.

Fall Color Chair Lift Rides – Porcupine Mountain Ski Area

Water enthusiasts have rivers and inland lakes to enjoy as well as the clear, crisp waters of Lake Superior with miles of accessible beaches and shoreline. If you are “going fishing”, you can fly fish the rivers, cast your line in an inland lake or try your luck for one of the big ones lurking in the waters of Lake Superior.

The history of the Porcupine Mountains and the Ontonagon area any visit to the area and the wilderness landscape is still touched by the activities of the early settlers with abandoned copper mines and old mining settlements. The historic Ontonagon Lighthouse at the mouth of the Ontonagon River welcomed early settlers to a safe harbor in this land of adventure and it still welcomes visitors today.

Lake Superior & Western U.P. Lakefront Lodging

Stay On The Lake – Western U.P. – Our new lakefront lodging guide to help you find the perfect spot on the shores of the lakes in the Western U.P.

Lake Superior – Ontonagon / Porkies – Mountain View Lodges – Scott’s Superior Inn – Peterson’s Chalet Cottages – Superior Shores – A Cabin & A Cottage Up North – AmericInn of Silver City – A Beach Retreat Cottage

Cisco Chain of Lakes – Jay’s Resort, Thousand Island Lake

Lake Gogebic – The Timbers Resort – Bear’s Nine Pines Resort

Winter in the Ontonagon Area

Downhill Skiing at Porcupine Mountains Ski Area

Come Ski The Porkies! You’ll experience the second highest vertical drop in Michigan or Wisconsin and you’ll see spectacular, panoramic views of Lake Superior. In addition to being home to one of the first alpine ski areas in the Midwest the Porkies has some of the most scenic Nordic ski trails in the entire Great Lakes region.

Cross-country Skiing and Snowshoeing

The 92 square miles that make up the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park are a cross-country skiing paradise. Explore more than 87 miles of designated cross-country ski trails. Enjoy sweeping hilltop vistas of Lake Superior. Glide quietly through glades of thick hemlocks. See waterfalls transformed by the cold of winter.

Snowshoers looking for a true back-country experience will love the Porcupine Mountains. The 60,000-acre State Park combines with hundreds of thousands of acres of national forest lands to form one of the Midwest’s largest true wilderness areas.

Snowmobiling in Ontonagon and the Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan

Snowmobilers can explore the vast network of snowmobile trails throughout the Western U.P. Many use Ontonagon as a southern base for trip into the Keweenaw Peninsula. The trip to the overlook at Lake of the Clouds in the Porcupine Mountains, with its views of a pristine winter wilderness, is on the bucket list of many adventure-seeking Midwest snowmobilers.

Become a Fan of our Ontonagon Page or our Porcupine Mountains Page on Facebook to Keep Up to Date with the Latest Happenings