Swimming

With over 80 inland lakes, beaches can be found in every corner of the County.

Tourist Park on the Dead River in Marquette ha a public beach with cooking grills, restrooms and a playground.

Perkins Park in Big Bay has a public beach area with restrooms and changing area, playground equipment, picnic tables and cooking grills.

Horseshoe Lake located just west of Gwinn on M-35 offers public swimming, picnic tables and cooking grills.

Teal Lake Beach in Negaunee offers a small swimming area just off U.S. Highway 41. Buoyed swim area and picnic tables are available. Public access to Teal Lake is also attainable from the neighboring city of Ishpeming.

The community of Republic maintains a quaint beach area on the Michigamme River just off M-95. Restrooms, pavilion, basketball courts and playground equipment area available.

Van Riper State Park has a public swimming area on Lake Michigamme. Located in Champion, the faility offers playground equipment, volleyball courts, restrooms and changing area, cooking grills and a concession stand.

Michigamme Shores, also on Lake Michigamme, offers great swimming, playground equipment, game room and tennis and horseshoe courts. Also offers cooking grills and a convenience store.

Public access to the west end of Lake Michigamme can be obtained off Mesnard Street in the community of Michigamme. Public restrooms and a picnic area are available.

Marquette Golf and Country Club
1075 W. Grove St., Marquette 49855
(906) 225-0721
A private, championship 18-hole course, PGA golf pro, driving range, food and beverage service and much more. Lessons are available. Pro course measures 6,620 yards and is par 71. The men's course is 5,887 yards and is par 71 while the women's course measures 5,161 yards and is par 73.

Red Fox Run
217 5th St., Gwinn 49841
(906) 346-7010
A championship 18-hole golf course offering lessons, driving range, a golf pro shop and more. Pro course measures 6,075 yards. The men's course is 5,854 yards, and women's course is 4,651 yards. All are par 70.

Wawonowin Country Club
3432 County Road 478, Champion 49814
(906) 485-5660
An 18-hole professionally designed course offering restaurant and lounge, driving range and practice green. Advanced tee times are required. Men's course is 6,330 yards with par 72 and the women's course is 5, 379 yards with par 72.

With thousands of miles of back roads, marked trails, logging roads, cross-country ski tracts, national and state forest trails and paved biking paths, Marquette County has more hiking and biking opportunities than anywhere else in the Upper Peninsula. Its' no wonder Bike Magazine declared Marquette the number two city in America for Biking and Living in its June 2001 issue.

Hiking and biking maps are available at the Chambers of Commerce offices in Ishpeming and Marquette and the Convention and Visitors Bureau office. Some of the mountain bike trails spotlighted include the Range Mountain Bike System that meanders through Ishpeming and Negaunee. The system uses cross country ski trails that wind through foresteed areas, featuring a variety of terrain, elevation and plant and animal life. Another popular trail is the Harlow Lake Area just north of Marquette that includes panoramic view of Lake Superior. For road bikers, the City of Marquette offers a 10-mile paved system that takes bikers out to Presque Isle Park along the Superior Shoreline.

Hikers will want to check out the portion of the North Country Trail that crosses Marquette County on its way from New York to North Dakota. Beautiful overlooks from Hogback Mountain and scenic shorlines along Wetmore's Landing are two of the highlights. Another popular spot includes the McCormick Wilderness north of Michigamme.

The Noquemanon Trail Network will provide an interconnected trail system through Marquette County. Two of its newer trails for hikers and bikers include the Noquemanon Trail and the Harlow Lake Pathway extending from Tourist Park in Marquette north to the Harlow Lake recreation area.

Hiking and biking equipment sales and rentals, as well as guided adventures are available.

Marquette County is also home to the popular Superior Bike Fest and Ore to Shore Mountain Bike Epic racing events.

Take a journey through the amazing Universe when you visit the Upper Peninsula's only fully operational planetarium! Be entertained while you learn about and experience the cosmos. No topic is too small, nor ttoo large for us to handle with our projection system, automation system, and realistic night sky. Shows change monthly and fees are nominal.

Please visit the Shiras Planetarium website for more information.