It’s a Good Day to Ride

PAULDING AND BESSEMER – Our endless summer is slowly slipping away. But be not troubled. There are still lots of good days to twist the throttle on your bike and explore the attractions and biker-friendly places of the Upper Peninsula.

You will easily fill your day with straightaways and twisting turns whether you ride during the month of August, or take in the onset of colorama in mid-September. We found a couple of recommended tours for you.

The first option is tied to the beautiful waterfalls north of Bessemer and Watersmeet. Start the ride where US 2 and M-45 intersect in Watersmeet. Take M-45 north to Paulding. Look for the Bond Falls sign, turn right and take in this 50-foot beauty of rushing water. Parking is available both above and below the falls. (Fee for parking below.)

As you return south and go west on US 2 look for the Big Powderhorn Mountain Resort sign. Turn into the entrance, follow the road to the t-intersection and take a left onto Black River Road. Along the way you will see the massive Copper Peak flying ski jump. Then along the nearly 14-mile-long Black River Scenic Byway stop to see five amazing waterfalls — Great Conglomerate, Potawatomi, Gorge, Sandstone and Rainbow.

At Black River Harbor on Lake Superior there’s a suspension bridge (foot traffic only) that spans the mouth of the Black River. It takes you to a beach that is popular place for “pretty rock” hunting. There is a $5 per vehicle day-use fee for the picnic area.

IRONWOOD -- Another great ride takes you on a 50-mile tour north and west of Ironwood. You begin in Ironwood at the intersection of US 2 and Lake Road (the Holiday Gas Station is there). Take Lake Road north for about 15 miles. At this point you will enter the Gogebic County Forest to begin your gentle descent to the shore of Lake Superior.

As you continue on Lake Road (513) you will come to Little Girls Point. Take some time to walk the beach and listen to the waves of the Big Lake. This stretch of land was the site of Indian villages and resting points for the Jesuit missionaries, most notably Father Jacques Marquette, as they traveled from St. Ignace to Madeline Island in 1669.

Hop back on the bike and head west to Superior Falls and the mouth of the Montreal River. This is another good spot to explore. As you cross the Montreal River you will enter Wisconsin.

Shortly after this watch for the Saxon Harbor signs. This place is part of the Old Flambeau Trail serving the Chippewa from LaPointe to Lac du Flambeau. As you return to the main road you will come to Hwy. 2, turn left and return to Ironwood. Stop for a bite to eat, and look for a motel to continue your adventures the next day.