Hiking the Upper Peninsula: Wetmore Landing to Little Presque Isle

Wetmore Landing to Little Presque Isle and back

Type of hike: There and back

Total miles: 3.2

Hiking difficulty: moderate (uneven footing)

Directions: From Marquette drive towards Big Bay on the Big Bay Rd. (Country Road 550) for a little less than 5 miles and turn right into the parking lot. There's additional parking on the left (this lot is more accessible in the winter). The parking lot is right after a guardrail and has a small turnout lane just before the lot.

This is one of my all time favorite hikes. It's the perfect blend of amazing scenery and views of Lake superior with a heavily wooded path.

I've done this hike a bunch of times in all four seasons and I'm still discovering beauty I haven't seen before.

After finding the parking lot (there is one outhouse available, so if you need to use the restroom, this is your chance), head down the path towards Lake Superior. Once you reach the stairs that lead down to the lake you'll see a sign depicting the hikes.

Follow the path to the left toward Little Presque Isle.  This path will take you around the coast of Lake Superior and is well marked with blue markers.

The first part is pretty rocky, but keep going until you see a small detour. You can either continue straight, which will take you to Hidden Beach or keep left towards Little Presque.

This trail will take you up a large flight of stairs, which is the hardest part of the whole hike.

Then you'll continue on the path with amazing views of Lake Superior until you get another set of stairs going down.

This will take you closer to the coast and you'll continue on that until you reach Little Presque Isle.

Then you're ready turn around and head back.

I usually don't love there and back hikes, but there's something about this path that when returning it seems like a totally different trail.

Enjoy the views, the lake, the trail, and the beach.

This trail allows you to have a little bit of everything.

Hiking the Upper Peninsula

I get wanderlust. I get wanderlust bad. I love moving and traveling and I'm desperately trying to create a life where I can road trip at least one month out of every year.

I've spent a lot of time on the road and had many adventures, but I haven't figured out a way to make a living doing that and I also crave the connections and stability that come with having a home, so I have to find other ways to satiate my thirst for adventure. This can easily done with a nice hike in the woods.

Hiking is my way to experience something thrilling in my own backyard. When I'm walking on some path surrounded by nature and countless beautiful wonders I feel completely rejuvenated and at peace.

Hiking is what I turn to when I need a pick-me-up, answers, faith, inspiration, reconnection, self-reflection, and a reset. It's where I find myself, over and over again.

The fresh air eases my mind. Sweating releases anxiety. The smell of the earth encourages long, deep breaths. The rhythmic, repetitive movement brings me to a meditative state of self-reflection. It's my happy place.

I discovered my passion for hiking in California and got to explore so many amazing trails and discover breath-taking places.

Although I grew up in the U.P. and spent a lot of time outdoors, I didn't even scratch the surface of the endless opportunities for adventure. Since moving back, I've started to learn different trails and have been enjoying how quiet and beautiful this place is, but I also feel quite intimidated.

In California, most of the trails were well marked, well documented, had at least a few people to share it with, and did not lack cellphone service.

Now I find myself on backroads, deep in the woods trying to find the trail. I've gotten use to the couple of hikes I'm familiar with here and stick to those, but I don't want to. My wanderlust is coming back and it's time for me to start discovering. I'm hoping to keep finding hikes and sharing them with you, so that you can find them, too. See you on the trails!