Keweenaw Peninsula
|
|
This page is about the geographical region of Michigan. For the rocket launch site, see Keweenaw (Rocket launch site).
The Keweenaw Peninsula is the most northern part of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It projects into Lake Superior and was the site of the first copper boom in the United States. Its major industries are now logging and tourism.
The northern end is referred to locally as Copper Island. It is separated from the rest of the peninsula by the Keweenaw Waterway, a natural river which was dredged and expanded in the 1860s across the peninsula between the cities of Houghton on the south side and Hancock on the north. A Keweenaw Water Trail has been established around Copper Island. The Water Trail stretches approximately 125 miles and can be paddled in five to ten days, depending on weather and water conditions.
The Keweenaw's importance in mining led to the founding of the Michigan Mining School (now Michigan Technological University) in Houghton in 1885.
List of towns in The Keweenaw:
