Keweenaw Copper Country Self Guided Driving Audio Tour
- 2–3 hours
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- Guided in English
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
Explore Michigan’s Upper Peninsula with a self-guided tour of the Keweenaw Copper Country—a hidden gem wrapped by Lake Superior's vast beauty. Venture into the heart of Copper Country, where stunning lake views, dense forests, and rich wildlife await. Explore the deep mining history that shaped the region, and indulge in Keweenaw's unique food and culture. Whether seeking tranquility or adventure, this Upper Peninsula destination offers a perfect blend of natural splendor and historical intrigue, making it an unforgettable escape into the wilderness. After booking, check your email/text to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action while connected to WiFi or mobile data. Enter the password, download the tour, and enjoy it offline. Follow the audio instructions and route from the designated starting point. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.
Inclusions
What's included
- Just bring your car and phone; the app guides your tour.
- Support is available via chat, email, or phone if you need help.
- Planning tools, route maps, scenic stops, and area previews included.
- Private tour experience for your family, in your own car.
- Lifetime access: use the tour anytime and keep it for future trips.
- Works offline with GPS route guidance and automatic audio stories.
- One purchase covers everyone in your car, not per person.
- Flexible tour: start, stop, and pause anytime during your trip.
- Access your tour in our separate audio tour app after booking.
- Hidden gems and local stories included along the route.
What's not
- No live guide. Entrance fees, parking, food, and car rental are separate.
Itinerary
Rising up on the hill in front of us stands Quincy Mine, one of the first major landmarks we'll pass that speaks to the interesting and somewhat turbulent mining history of Copper Island. NOTE: The tour is over 52 miles long, with more than 48 audio stories, and takes about 2-3 hours to complete. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.
We're about to enter Copper Harbor, the gateway to Isle Royale and the last inhabited town on the Copper Island.
I have a really great short side trip coming up that will take us to some great scenery from an elevated vantage point. It's less than 10 minutes each way and highly recommended. Let's go up Brockway Mountain and then we'll come back to the beach.
Eagle Harbor, just ahead, was founded in 1844 right along a strip of pit mines that Indigenous Americans used to mine copper before settlers arrived. No roads went to Eagle Harbor when the copper boom really picked up, so everything had to be shipped in, including supplies and workers.
We're about to drive past Eagle River Falls, one of the best waterfalls in the Keweenaw. You may be able to eke out the fall as you cross the river up ahead but its much nicer to park the car and go and go take a closer look.
Estivant Pines and it's one of the last old-growth white pine stands left in the state. You can think of it like the giant sequoias of the north if you'd like.
It was built in 1844 by the Army in order to keep the peace between miners and the Indigenous community.
All the water we see along this drive is the result of fire and ice. An active volcano in the North American Mid-Continent Rift set the stage for Lake Superior.
Rising up on the hill in front of us stands Quincy Mine, one of the first major landmarks we'll pass that speaks to the interesting and somewhat turbulent mining history of Copper Island.
As you round the corner up ahead, you may already smell cinnamon and spice wafting toward you. That would be thanks to the Jampot which we'll see on our right.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
4.8
- 59
- 43
- 30
- 20
- 10
Ratings come from 12 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.
Know before you go
- Meeting point
- Begin from Portage Canal Lift Bridge, Houghton, MI, USA. After booking the tour, search your emails and texts for "audio tour". Your tour is VALID FOREVER, so follow these instructions NOW to finish setting up the tour while you have Wi-Fi/data. Do NOT wait until you are onsite.
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Operated by
- History with Action
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Easy to use: GPS-triggered audio plays automatically along the route for a hands-free experience.
- Private tour: Explore in your own vehicle without crowded buses or large tour groups.
- At your own pace: Start anytime and pause for hikes, picnics, photos, or scenic stops.
- Works offline: Once downloaded, the tour works using GPS without Wi-Fi or cellular service.
- Good value: One purchase covers everyone in your vehicle, not each person separately.
- More ways to save: Choose a single tour, a nearby bundle, or access to 200+ tours.
How it compares in Upper Peninsula
- Its from-price is 84% below the median of the 6 experiences we list in Upper Peninsula.
- By number of reviews it ranks 3 of 6.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About Upper Peninsula
The Upper Peninsula is Michigan's northern wilderness, a long forested land between three Great Lakes, with sandstone cliffs, waterfalls and copper towns.
The Upper Peninsula, called the U.P. by its people, is the northern part of Michigan, a long peninsula between Lake Superior, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, linked to the Lower Peninsula by the Mackinac Bridge. Forest covers most of it, broken by lakes, rivers and rocky shore, and the towns are small and far apart. Marquette, on Lake Superior, is its largest city, with ore docks and a rocky park on a headland.
Top-ranked sights in Upper Peninsula: Mackinac Island State Park, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.
