Some Yooper Beach

Gratiot River

“A man can no more diminish God’s glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, ‘darkness’ on the walls of his cell.” CS Lewis.

Now you might look at these pictures and think there’s nothing special about this beach… but I suggest that there is. Sure, the beach is no spectacular stretch of sugar-sand; no beach volleyball; no rocks to dive off of; no camping sites… But the drive out to the mouth of the Gratiot River is an adventure, which makes traveling to the beach feel like an accomplishment. Mark my words, this beach is out of the way. The road out is hard enough to find – Bumbletown Road out of Allouez winds its way about 5 miles through some less than spectacularly maintained dirt roads, logging country, and picturesque timberland plateaus to arrive down at the lake. The Gratiot River and Hills Creek cut some pretty steep ravines North and South of the road, which makes the drive really neat.

The mouth of the Gratiot River has some very good fishing, apparently. The beach is a mix of sand and rocks, and is the type of beach where you bring a lawn-chair. See the shoreline viewer. There’s a good parking area with an outhouse. It’s a feel-good kind of beach, because it’s a place most people haven’t even heard about. So it feels great to finally find it! There are also some small waterfalls along the Gratiot River on the way down, but the woods are quite thick and make it difficult to see.

And here’s a map of the area…

Tags: Beach, Keweenaw, Keweenaw County, Lake Superior, Michigan, Park, Picnic, River, UP, Waterfall, Yooper