Keweenaw Peninsula Paddling Adventure

It’s summer in the Keweenaw Peninsula and for this visit we are all about taking advantage of the nice weather for a paddling adventure. 

First off, there are options, like a lot of options. For paddling specific adventures we pay close attention to the forecast and things like wind direction, temperature and more. We got to planning our locations and decided to start off in Copper Harbor with a goal of paddling by the Copper Harbor Lighthouse. The water was flat calm with some really cool morning fog that made for some great moments around the lighthouse. The early fog caused us to stay close to shore before it burned off to show blue skies. One stop with changing conditions lead to what felt like two separate experiences. 

After stopping for food in Copper Harbor, we were off to Lake Medora, an inland lake with great Keweenaw Peninsula vibes. The lake is almost 700 acres with rocky island located throughout the lake to paddle around. This is also a great spot for a swim and can be a bit warmer than Lake Superior if you are looking for that. We didn't fish this day but we saw a few boats fishing out on the lake.

@mi_playground

Lake Medora

♬ original sound - mi_playground

Next up was Eagle Harbor. We had visited the Eagle Harbor Lighthouse in the past but we wanted to check it out from the water side, and well, it was worth it! 

Our paddling trip ended with a stop on the Keweenaw Waterway, or as some people call it, the Portage Canal. There are a few really cool parts that we enjoy about this paddle. One, we have fun paddling with downtown areas surrounding us. The cool part about this one is that you get Houghton on one side and Hancock on the other. The star of this paddle is the Portage Lake Lift Bridge. While driving over it is great, paddling under it was an awesome experience. Depending on how long you want this paddle to be, staging a car or bikes may be a good idea. We also were able to have a pasty from Roy's right on the waterfront and ended it with a beer from Keweenaw Brewing. 

The best part about this adventure? It is nowhere near a complete list of places to paddle in the Keweenaw Peninsula. We will be back in the future to continue to check out more places and would love to hear about your must-paddle spots. 

You can see our full video below!