Ideas for a few days solo in the UP

I'm up in Michigan doing a few last rides with my son and daughter-in-law who live near Grand Haven. We're doing a trials event, sprint enduro this weekend, then a couple of days of Tomahawk next weekend on the dirt bikes. In between, I have the weekdays to kill, so am hauling my KTM adventure 790R to the UP on Monday. My plan is to stay in Marquette, and do 3 day rides. I'm flying solo (I am bringing my Garmin InReach), but given I'm along on a larger bike am wanting to ride safer stuff. Probably a lot on tarmac, but would also like to hit some more solid dirt and gravel. Will save the sand and single track for the following weekend on the Beta.

I definitely want to hit some of the great scenery and sites.

For all of you UP-ers, what are some of the safer "must do's" that you would suggest?

Many thanks!

Just a troll here but I've been Blessed with many hiking, dualsport and adventure rides there.
RIDE TO COPPER HARBOR!
Take US41 west to Huron Bay/Peshekee Grade Road (about 5 miles east of Michagamme) and follow it NW to Lanse.
Hit M26 twisties from EAGLE HARBOR to COPPER HARBOR then once there ride out to the ROCKET RANGE/HIGH ROCK BAY.
It's an amazing ride with magnificent views but just one of many in the SUPERIOR LAND OF THE UP.

RIDE SAFE

If you ride near Porcupine Mountains State Park, you have to ride the South Boundary Rd.
Closed in the winter, because it becomes a snowmobile trail.

Read the first few pages of this Ride Repot...

https://advrider.com/f/threads/upper-peninsula-adventure-trail-upat-1250-miles.627424/

...and download the track. It’s brilliant, and gives a good cross-section of what the UP is all about. On a 790 I’d use the big bike go-arounds, unless you’re a pro, as the sand up here is legit. (I say ‘up here’ as I’ve been up here riding for the last few days...much of it on the UPAT as I use it to get to places.) I’m a ‘regular’ up here and use bits and pieces of the track all the time. It’s a gem.

If it weren’t for Cannonshot’s years of scouting and laying out tracks up here we’d all be lost.

Wow Taco, that bike is lookin good bro! Nice pics too.

Awesome all, good ideas - keep them coming. We rode the MOTA trials event at Vermontville today. Awesome job by the Mid-Michigan club setting up some challenging sections. Had so much fun we're going to ride their second event tomorrow. Then up to the UP.
I'm going to avoid sand as I'm riding solo. I've downloaded the big bike gpx files from Cannonshot and have been reading through several threads trying to get a plan together. Also have been reading up on the sites to see in the UP. I'm a dawn to dusk rider, so hoping to pack a lot into my few days.

Interested in doing this route. Question - does Huron Bay/Peshekee Grade Road (607) go all the way through to L'Arse? I'm seeing it on Google maps, but it seems to fade away into a giant spider web of smaller roads about half way there.
Definitely also going to also head along the Copper Harbor route as well.

Thanks again.

Morning Mark.
It's been some years since I've been on Peshekee Grade but we were able to follow it to Dynamite Rd which is just SE of Lanse.
As you said there's many roads running off it but we stayed on the main portion and used our DELORME MICHIGAN ATLAS to navigate it.
The Peshekee Grade has interesting history ... it was originally a railroad grade to Huron Bay that was never used. It follows the gorgeous Peshekee River.

There's some neat cuts through the granite of the Canadian Shield on it.
Ride Safe there, it's fairly remote with moose, bear, wolves, and coyotes as locals.

Nice. I just checked in (Marquette), unloaded the bike and am now enjoying a Great Lakes Brewing Company Chums Pale Ale and some fish and chips at the Vierling Restaurant. What a gorgeous city. Looking forward to launching off tomorrow. I’ll ride Peshekee Grade tomorrow. I have a new Montana with local maps and Topo, and I downloaded Cannons big bike gpx, so hopefully will be able to make it through. If not, I’ll just backtrack out.
Thanks again!

Ride East to Munising, then take H58 North to Pictured Rocks and along the shore. Could ride all the way to Coper Harbor but for a RT excursion Grand Marias would be a good turnaround spot.

Lots to see along the way.
I was up there this summer. I hope you'll get some nice fall colors.

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Jamsons, Tamarack and Pines restaurants in COPPER HARBOR have good food and are reasonable.
Harbor Haus has high end German food and prices, they also serve RED JACKET AMBER ALE.
On the way up north of EAGLE RIVER on M26 is the JAMPOT, overpriced but great baked goods made by monks. Just south of there within walking distance is Jacobs Falls.
Climb up and over the hill to the left of the falls and view another 6 or 8 falls on a gorgeous walk through the woods for about a half mile.
Excellent twisties north of EAGLE HARBOR, stop for some beautiful CANADIAN SHIELD pics of the islands and rock that is part of our MICHIGAN MAINE COAST.

Show us da pics eh!

Just saw this thread. I have a nice set of tracks that do a 200+ mile loop from Marquette up to L'Anse and back. Let me know if you are interested in a copy.

You'll want to hit M26 between Eagle River and Copper Harbor, US41 coming south out of Copper Harbor, and Brockway Mountain Drive just west of Copper Harbor. Going from Eagle River to Copper Harbor you can take either M26 or Brockway Mountain Drive, you'll want to hit both, so make a loop out of it and ride a one of them twice. Lac La Belle Rd going south from Delaware (south of Copper Harbor on US41) around to Gay is also a worthwhile ride. This is all asphalt, though Brockway Mountain Drive would probably be smoother if it was graded dirt, but the views are worth it.

Thanks all. Did the Peshekee Grade route up to L'Anse then on up to Eagle River, Eagle Harbor the Copper Harbor. Gorgeous ride. Went on out to explore and find the rocket range. Seems I missed a turn. Went through a lot of seeming hard bottom shallow puddles till I got to this one. Stuck going across. After about 10 minutes managed to drag it out. Walked across the other side of the puddle to find a path out. Didn't quite catch the buried log when walking it that ultimately crossed me up coming back across (see spot marked 0032 at the end of my track on the second map) . This took a little longer to get out as the bike was laying on its head down hill. Finally got it out (what's an adventure ride without a little adventure . . .). I had seen and planned to ride Brockway Mountain Drive on the way back, but it was about 5:00 when I got he bike out of the puddle, so I just deadheaded back to Marquette. Overall a great day. Headed toward Grand Marais via H-58 shortly.

Thanks all!

Mark - looking to do the High rock bay route in a few weeks...can this be done on a Big ADV bike? Riding my Tiger 1200...my biggest concern would be deep sand.

The roads were actually very good into this area. Lots of puddle and creek crossings, but as noted above, most were hard bottoms (except for 1). I had a Super Tenere (1200) that I would not have hesitated to take down the same trails that I took my 790 on, although it would have been harder to pick up if I dropped it. I didn't hit any loose sand on the trails I rode in that area. There was one stretch on the Peshekee Grade route that had loose sand and mud for about 200' where logging trucks were coming onto and off the road, but other than that, it was all pretty good.

I took a Garmin InReach Explorer+ with me. When soloing in remote areas, it's a must have IMHO.

Enjoy the ride. Looking forward to reading about how it went!

Thanks Mark...amazingly there are a few Youtube videos out there of the trek in...I GOT THIS! Thanks fo the info an Spot on for the inReach...

Weather outlook good...planning to leave Thursday early!

So left Wednesday night but had to head home Saturday so Copper Harbor still remains on the bucket list. Stayed on Cannon's BB Tracks with a little dirt in between. Highlights were Whitefish point and camping by the Hurricane River. Michigan is such a beautiful state and feel privileged to just enjoy what nature has to offer. One lesson learned - go after Labor day if you want to avoid crowds and trying to make it to Copper Harbor in a short trip was too ambitious! Just leaves an excuse to go back.