our town
Historic
Calumet
The Heart of the Keweenaw
W
ith easy access to sledding trails and loads of history, this town is perfect for your Keweenaw snowmobile adventure. Nestled in the center of Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula, Calumet may be best known for its historic role in the Copper Country’s mineral boom in the 19th Century. But today, it serves as a hub for outdoor recreation enthusiasts seeking access to the Keweenaw’s rugged wilderness. Like its history, Calumet’s powder runs deep. Each winter, it receives about 210 inches of snow drawing snowmobilers from across the Midwest. The sledding season typically begins in earnest by mid-December but can run well into late March or even early April thanks to the region’s notorious spring snowstorms churned out by Lake Superior.
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FEBRUARY • 2022 • MICHIGAN SNOWMOBILER + ORV
THE TRAILS Calumet lies north of Houghton, about ten miles from the Portage Lake Lift Bridge, and forty miles south of Copper Harbor. This puts riders in the middle of the Keweenaw’s 200+ miles of groomed trails allowing for easy day trips in either direction. Riders traveling north along Trail #3 are greeted by one of the Keweenaw’s most iconic views: the impressive emergence of the Cliff Range. Also referred to as the Keweenaw Spine, these exposed bedrock cliffs jut skyward forced up by the Keweenaw Fault. The Cliff was home to the Keweenaw’s first profitable copper mine and is credited with kicking off the region’s mineral rush. Continue toward Copper Harbor to access rider favorites like Brockway Mountain and even the remote High Rock Bay at the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula.
