Copper Harbor / High Rock Bay camping & MTB

I've spent the summer building out my M1101 trailer for camping across the country, and we had an opportunity to test it out on a 5 day trip. I wanted to put some miles on it and head Copper Harbor, MI (UP) was a great place to camp and bike.

Drive was mostly highway, but I found out about a little place called High Rock Bay on the tip of the peninsula just past Copper Harbor. The last seven miles or so is some severely neglected forestry road with lots of rocks and some deep pools to drive through. This seven mile section took us about 50 minutes to get through in the dark with the trailer attached. Truck and trailer both survived. TL;DR, well worth the drive and wish I could have stayed another week.

High Rock Bay
Driving east past Copper Harbor to the end of US41 is a series of forestry road. Google maps has the road accurate, but not the drive time. It's rocky and rough, has some deep pools, but there were stock Jeep Cherokees and even a minivan out there (how much damage it sustained, IDK.)

If I had to county, I'd say there's room for around 8 or 9 vehicles to camp. There was a spot available when we rolled in at dark. Not a choice one, but after a 9 hour drive it was good enough.

Day 2 the area got crowded, more people than I expected camping and a whole bunch of cars doing an out-and-back as well. While crowded, everyone was super cool with noise, garbage and keeping to themselves.

This spot is right on Lake Superior and made for some excellent camping.


Copper Harbor
A tiny little town on Lake Superior. Absolutely zero chain hotels/restaurants/commercialization. It has a bunch of mom-and-pop hotels, a few restaurants and coffee places and a bike shop. Everything is walkable, and there's a ferry from here to Isle Royal national park. You've also got access to mountain bike trails all over, and can book a shuttle service if you're only into the downhill.


MTB
Copper harbor has two distinct sets of trails - one in and around town and one east of town called East Bluff Bike Park. Beautiful scenery, well maintained trails, and there was even a campground at East Bluff that we stayed at the last night. Honor system payment, and we were the only people there, had our pick of around 16 sites. The East Point trail runs from town all the way to High Rock Bay, where you can end a sweaty ride in the 60 degree clear as glass water of Lake Superior.


Unfortunately we had to cut the trip short a day due to rain, but 10/10 would recommend getting up there for a great couple days of outdoor activity.

 

SSSSHHHHHHHHH!!!!
Don't tell anyone...

Copper Harbor is one of the best places in the world. We spend at least a week there every year...