Marquette is the Lake Superior city at the north end of the Upper Peninsula. The park most people walk first is Presque Isle, a forested oval of land the City of Marquette puts at 323 acres, a headland that juts into the lake at the end of Lakeshore Boulevard. 1

What to see

The city calls Presque Isle its recreational crown jewel. The park holds pebble beaches, rocky cliffs, bogs and forest, with more than 100 species of native plants. Facilities sit near the entrance: picnic areas, a playground, restrooms, a timber gazebo and the Island Store. Most of the island has been left undeveloped. 1

Two routes cover the park. The John B. Anderton Trail System winds through the interior. Peter White Drive follows the narrow outer perimeter, with turnouts for people who want to stop and walk. 1 Travel Marquette names the east-side outlooks, Black Rocks on the Superior shore and Sunset Point on the west side as the views people come for. 2

The city also notes the Upper Harbor light beacon and a long breakwater at the marina end of the park. 1 The red harbor light in the photograph on this page is Marquette Harbor Light, on the rocky shore south of Presque Isle.

About seven miles northwest of town, the DNR's Little Presque Isle tract is a 430-acre natural area on Superior: sand beaches, shoreline cliffs and forested dune-and-swale, managed as part of Escanaba River State Forest. 3

Best seasons

The city writes for a summer walking loop and a winter park when snow closes the seasonal stretch of Peter White Drive to cars. 1 Fall color along Superior is part of the western U.P. wave. This page does not name a peak week. Current loop and plow notes belong on the city park page. 1

How to get there

Presque Isle Park sits at the end of Lakeshore Boulevard in Marquette. The city says you can reach it by car or on the multi-use pathway. 1 Little Presque Isle is on the Superior shore northwest of town; the DNR page is the place for that access. 3

Tips

  • Black Rocks and Sunset Point are the two named overlooks Travel Marquette leads with. 2
  • The city asks people not to feed the deer. An over-fed herd has been a problem here. 1
  • We do not have a Marquette listing in the shop. The nearest U.P. pages we keep are Pictured Rocks, Kitch-iti-kipi and the Eben Ice Caves.

Safety

Lake Superior, wet rock and winter ice are the hazards. This page does not report today's waves, ice or which part of Peter White Drive is open. Check the City of Marquette Presque Isle page and the DNR beach safety page before you go. 14