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The Abbaye Peninsula in Baraga County is often referred to as the baby brother of the Keweenaw. Although this peninsula is much smaller in almost every respect, there is still plenty to check out here for the adventurous day-tripper launching from the Keweenaw. From white sand beaches to big views of faraway islands, the Abbaye Peninsula (pronounced “ah-BAY”) has much to explore.
We’ve gathered together many of our favorites in this guide so you can plan your next excursion to this hidden corner of the Copper Country.
Fascinating stone coastlines await you on your Point Abbaye journey. (Photo: Nathan Miller)
How to Get There
First thing’s first: How do you get to the Abbaye Peninsula? From Houghton, expect a one hour drive to Abbaye Peninsula. Drive south on US-41 and make your way to downtown L’Anse. Hang a right on North Main Street/Skanee Road and continue up the hill out of town. Follow this for about 9 miles until you come to Townline Road. Turn left here and go 4.6 miles until you reach Point Abbaye Road. That’ll take you all the way to the very end!
Note that in the spring Point Abbaye Road can be quite muddy in places. Fortunately, for most of the warmer months the road is easily passable by most vehicles with 2WD. Point Abbaye Road is not plowed all the way to the end in winter and drivers should use caution in the late-fall as conditions may become sloppy quickly.
We’ll explore the Abbaye Peninsula from south to north, starting in the Pequaming area on the Keweenaw Bay side.
Get Sand Between Your Toes With a Beach Day
First on our must-see list for the Abbaye Peninsula are a pair of public beaches appropriately named First and Second Sand Beach. Found on either side of the tombolo (a sandbar connecting an island to the mainland - that’s your new word for the day) leading to Pequaming, these two beaches are both open to the public yet have two totally different vibes.
First Sand Beach, located along Pequaming Road, is totally undeveloped and entirely public. The road skirts the shoreline closely so find a safe spot to park along the shoulder and you’re golden! First Sand Beach doesn’t usually have nearly as much sand as its northern brethren. What it does have are lots of rocks that are ripe for picking, so bring a bucket for your best specimens.
Second Sand Beach, on the other hand, offers a different type of relaxation: beautiful, white sands stretch for a mile. Start at the L’anse Township park about midway along, find a spot to lay out a towel, and soak up the sun amidst the peace and serenity. Much of the land along the road is private so be sure to park and enter the beach only at the public access point.
Shallow waters greet a peaceful shoreline lined with pine at this secluded L'anse beach. (Photo: Taylor Makela)
Explore Pequaming’s Unique History
Right around the corner from First and Second Sand Beaches is the ghost town of Pequaming. Its history is somewhat unique in the area. While most of our region’s history is tied to the local copper mines, Pequaming was founded to serve the lumber industry. Established in 1878 around the growing Hebard Thurber Mill, the village expanded over the coming decades before hitting hard times when the virgin pine forests ran out. In the 1920s the Ford Motor Company bought the site (alongside its mill at Alberta), generating parts for Ford’s empire. The mill struggled through the Depression and WWII before shuttering in 1942, putting hundreds out of work.
Today, many historic buildings remain in private hands. The most easily recognizable feature is the original water tower, still emblazoned with Ford’s logo. Skeletons of the mill’s largest structures still stand, as do the boarding house, one-room schoolhouses, and the Bungalow where Henry Ford stayed during his visits. Although you can’t enter most of these sites, you can see most of them from public roads or the water.
This waterside ghost-town is a striking find amongst this adventure's wooded beauty. (Photo: Nathan Miller)
Live Music: The Aura Jamboree
Here’s your Abbaye Peninsula curveball: they host an exciting little music festival out there every July called the Aura Jamboree! With a focus on acoustic, folk, and bluegrass music, it’s a fun little event that packs in a ton of artists. The schedule is broken into 15 minute increments so you are guaranteed variety. The Jamboree has been a local institution for decades and showcases the incredible musical talents found in the region.
Connect With the Wilds at Keweenaw Land Trust Nature Areas
The Keweenaw Land Trust owns several public nature areas on the Abbaye Peninsula, helping to protect this largely undeveloped part of the U.P. for everyone’s enjoyment. The Huron Bay Field Station is their largest nature area (totaling 1,345 acres!) and is the site of ongoing restoration work to revitalize the forest while providing high quality places for hunting and nature study. It can be quite wet though and isn’t our first choice for a family hike.
Finlander Bay, on the other hand, is quite comfortable by comparison. This 30-acre nature area abuts Lake Superior on the eastern side of the Abbaye Peninsula and has a quiet rocky beach that’s far from the hustle and bustle of, well, everything. In summer you can drive fairly close to the shoreline to take it in without making a long trek. KLT’s adjoining 364-acre Koski Woods offers even more opportunities for a tranquil hike through mature forests.
Last but not least, the Point of View Nature Area has a stunning rock shelf along the shoreline that’s deep enough to pull a small sailboat up alongside or launch the perfect cannonball. With big views back towards the Keweenaw and mature forests in the interior, this nature area has something for everyone. Note: the cabin at Point of View is not open to the public.
The Point of View Nature Area's unique rock shelf meets Lake Superior in a clean line. (Photo: Nathan Miller)
Point Abbaye: The End of the Road
You made it to the very end of the Abbaye Peninsula! It’s a bit of a journey to get here, but the destination is totally worth it. Point Abbaye (itself within the Point Abbaye County Park) is a tongue of forest and rock that juts out into Lake Superior. A short hiking trail meanders through the woods, or you can just hop onto the rocky shelves along the water. We hope you brought a picnic lunch because there are ample places to settle in for a scenic snack. In case you were wondering, yes, there is an outhouse at the County Park. Phew!
The view from Point Abbaye is immense no matter where you look. On a clear day you can easily take in the full scale of the Keweenaw to the north as it stretches across the horizon. Can you identify the big hills and other landmarks along the shoreline? To the east, the rugged Huron Islands emerge from Lake Superior, and to the southeast you can make out the peaks of the nearby Huron Mountains looming over the landscape.
From Point of View to Point Abbaye, serene exploration is certainly the point. (Photo: Nathan Miller)
Know Before You Go
Cell service may be spotty to non-existent out on the Abbaye Peninsula. Be sure to download a map of where you want to go before you head out. Although the peninsula may be fairly narrow, there are a few logging roads that will take you away from Point Abbaye Road which could get you lost. Always be sure to practice Leave No Trace wherever you adventure, particularly in wild areas that haven’t been heavily impacted by humans. Pack out your trash when visiting remote spots, and please be courteous of others.
