Early spring in the Porcupine Mountains

Arriving at the Porcupine Mountains in early spring is like stumbling upon a hidden gem. The air is crisp, the wind is an experience, and the golden hours were magical. Plus, the waterfalls are thawing, along with Lake Superior, adds a soundtrack to the whole experience. And the best part? No crowds! It's just you and nature, vibing together. You can take your time, no rush, and soak up all the peace and beauty around you. I love to visit every autumn, but winter was definitely a unique experience. Read on for some tips & what to visit if you’re planning a trip to the Porkies this time of year! Certain roads and restaurants are closed, but if you’re looking to experience the beauty of this place without the crowds, this post is for you!

COZY UP IN A CABIN

Picture this: wind is picking up outside and snow is starting to fall, a crackling fire in the fireplace, and you wrapped up in a warm blanket, and sipping a hot cocoa. That's the vibe of cozying up in a cabin during winter. I’m all about those snug moments! Bugsy and I loved staying at a cabin right on Lake Superior, we made a breakfast bake, drank wine, played cribbage, watched some basic cable, and enjoyed some peace and quiet during our adventures in the Porkies. Plus, being just steps from Lake Superior made for some beautiful sunrises & sunsets right from our back porch. Find lodging in the Porcupine Mountains here!

WALK THROUGH WEBBER PARK

Before dinner, we decided to check out downtown Ontonagon, and we stumbled on Webber Park! We were first drawn in because of the Historic Ontonagon Railroad Bridge and wanted to snap a few pictures, but easily found accessible parking and lots of trails, and a little bridge to cross over to get to the historic railroad bridge. A perfect place for a walk, to check out the water, the trees, bird-watching, etc. all nestled on the Ontonagon River.

GOLDEN HOUR AT THE PUBLIC BEACH

After taking a walk at the park, and searching out dinner spots (only a few, but we’d recommend Syl’s!), we quickly ventured over to the Public Beach to check out golden hour. For as many times as I’ve been to Ontonagon, I’ve never parked at the public beach to get out and explore. The Ontonagon West Pierhead Light has been on my list of lighthouses to see… and it was very easily seen from this shoreline! So I checked it off the list for now, even though I’d love to get a little bit closer. But yeah, a wonderful spot for watching the sunset, taking in views of Lake Superior, walking along the beach, rockhounding, or having a beach day in the summer!

SUNRISE AT LAKE OF THE CLOUDS

Our first morning in the Porcupine Mountains, we ventured out to Lake of the Clouds for sunrise! We were hoping for a banger of a sunrise, but the location definitely lived up to its name this morning. Clouds on clouds on clouds! And it’s a little trickier to get here in the winter as the road is closed, so you have to park down by the gate, and hoof it up the hill, but it’s not too bad (about a half mile walk) and thankfully the trees blocked the crazy wind we had that morning! But it’s a beautiful location in any season, I’d absolutely love to get back here in peak autumn color during a sunny/colorful sunrise. But the perk of visiting this time of year? Nobody else was there but us!

VISIT BONANZA FALLS

I’m surprised this was my first trip to Bonanza Falls, since it’s so accessible and right off the main road into the Porcupine Mountains. You definitely gotta add this place to your list if you’re planning a trip to the area. There’s an easily accessible parking lot, and it’s just a short little walk down the trail to see the waterfalls, which are stunning. I bet it’s also an entirely different experience in summer and would make for a great place to have a picnic or a longer stroll. But we snapped some photos, explored the area a bit, read up on some of the local history on the signage, and headed off on our way!

GO BOWLING AT THE KONTEKA

We learned during our trip that the road to the Porcupine Mountains was closed (until May?) so we ventured off into a couple of the local towns to see what we could find! We headed into White Pine, which was honestly such an experience. We checked out the River Plaza, which looked like an old mall with a few remaining stores… like the post office and a quilt shop. But then we went to the Konteka, and found inside… a restaurant, a bowling alley, bar, convenience store AND motel. Like an all-in-one! But we had the entire place to ourselves, the staff was so incredibly nice, they set us up to go bowling, we ordered some fried snacks, had a mid-day wine/beer, and it was so much fun. I’d definitely go back!

GOLDEN HOUR ALONG THE LAKE SUPERIOR SHORELINE

Be sure to check out a sunrise or sunset during your time in Ontonagon! It’s definitely more of a west-facing town, so sunset is a little bit easier, but both are very accessible during your trip to the Porkies. Our cabin had a Lake Superior view right outside our back door, so we were easily able to step outside and check out sunset. Sunrise, we ventured out to a few different locations along the coast. But both nights, we had epic colorful golden hours, and incredible cloud formations! And wind… lots of wind. 😆

Thank you to the Porcupine Mountains for collaborating on this trip.