The Copper Country is an area in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in the United States, including all of Keweenaw County, Michigan and most of Houghton, Baraga and Ontonagon counties. The area is so named as copper mining was prevalent there from 1845 until the late 1960s, with one mine (the White Pine mine) continuing through 1995. In its heyday, the area was the world’s greatest producer of copper.

The Copper Country is highly unusual among copper-mining districts in that the copper was predominantly in the form of copper metal (native copper) rather than the copper oxides or copper sulfides that form the copper ore at almost every other copper-mining district. Native Americans mined copper from small pits as early as 3000 B.C.

The Michigan State Geologist Douglass Houghton (later to become mayor of Detroit) reported on the copper deposits in 1841. The first successful copper mine, the Cliff mine, began operations in 1845, and many others quickly followed. Mining of the most productive deposit, the Calumet conglomerate, began in 1865. Mining took place along a belt that stretched about 100 miles southwest to northeast.

While mining continues on a small scale, tourism and logging are now the area’s major industries. Popular tourist destinations include the cities of Copper Harbor and Houghton, and the Porcupine Mountains with Lake of the Clouds. Snowmobiling is very popular in the winter, and snowmobile trails are found in most areas.

Large numbers of Finns, Swedes, Danes and Norwegians emigrated to the Upper Peninsula, especially the Keweenaw Peninsula, to work in the mines. And they stayed on and prospered even after the copper mines closed.

The Copper Country is largely rural, and much of it has been designated as state parks or similar designations. These include McLain State Park, Porcupine Mountains State Park, and the Copper Country State Forest. The Keweenaw National Historical Park includes several important sites relating to the area’s copper-mining history.

Institutions of higher education include Finlandia University in Hancock, founded in 1896 as Suomi College, and Michigan Technological University in Houghton, originally established in 1885 as the Michigan Mining School. Finlandia University is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, reflecting the spiritual heritage of the region’s many Finnish immigrants. Michigan Tech was founded in response to the needs of the copper mines.

The Copper Country averages more snowfall than any part of the USA east of the Mississippi River, and more snowfall than any non-mountainous region of the continental United States.

Hotels in the Copper Country:

Houghton County

Americinn Lodge & Suites 56925 S 6th St. Calumet, MI 49913 (906) 337-6463 Toll Free-800-634-3444	Arcadian Acres Motel 51950 Hwy 41 Calumet, MI 49913 (906) 337-0288	Best Value King’s Inn 215 Shelden Ave. Houghton, MI 49931 (906) 482-5000 Toll Free 1-888-315-2378
Best Western Copper Crown Motel 235 Hancock St. Hancock, MI 49930 (906) 482-6111	Best Western Franklin Square Inn 820 Shelden Ave. Houghton, MI 49931 (906) 487-1700 Toll Free -888-487-1700	Budget Host Inn US 41 SE Houghton, MI 49931 (906) 482-5351 Toll Free-800-BUD-HOST
Chippewa Motel 42280 Wilson Memorial Chassell, MI 49916 (906) 523-4611 Toll Free-800-523-4611	College Motel 1308 College Ave. Houghton, MI 49931 (906) 482-2202	Country Inn & Suites 919 Razorback Drive Houghton, MI  49931 (906) 487-6700 800-456-4000
Downtowner Motel 110 Shelden Ave. Houghton, MI 49931 (906) 482-4421	Elms Motel 335 6th St. Calumet, MI 49913 (906) 337-2620	Holiday Inn Express 1110 Century Way Houghton, MI 49931 (906) 482-1066
Holiday Motel US 41 Houghton, MI 49931 (906) 482-5525	Houghton Super 8 Motel 1200 E Lakeshore Dr. Houghton, MI 49931 (906) 482-2240 Toll Free 800-800-8000	Katalina Motel 59 Trimountain Ave South Range, MI 49963 (906) 482-5146
Lakes Motel 301 Calumet St. Lake Linden, MI  49945 (906) 296-9528	LeBlanc Motel 50910 Bootjack Rd Lake Linden, MI 49945 (906) 296-0105	Maggie’s Massage Spa Resort 48378 W. Memorial Dr. Houghton, MI 49931 (906) 482-9355
Northgate Motel 57900 Hwy 41 Calumet, MI 49913 (906) 337-1000	Parkview Lodge & Grill 32423 N. Highway M-26 Twin Lakes Toivola, MI  49965 (906) 288-3288	Ramada Inn 99 Navy St. Hancock, MI 49930 (906) 482-8400 Toll Free-877-482-8400
Rock Harbor Lodge Isle Royale National Park Houghton, MI 49931 (906) 337-4993	Wonderland Motel & Cabins 55821 Lake Linden Ave Laurium, MI 49913 (906) 337-4511

Baraga County

Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn 900 South US Hwy 41 Baraga, MI 49908 (906) 353-7123 Toll Free-800-528-1234	Carla’s Lake Shore Motel US 41 Keweenaw Bay, MI 49908 (906) 353-6256	Cozy Country Hideaway Pequaming Road L’Anse, MI 49946 (906) 524-5683 Toll Free -800-524-5682
Hilltop Motel US 41 L’Anse, MI 49946 (906) 524-6321 Toll Free – 1-800-424-2548	L’Anse Motel & Suites US 41 L’Anse, MI 49946 (906) 524-7820	Ojibwa Casino Resort Motel M-38 Baraga, MI 49908 (906)353-7611
Snowed Inn US 41 L’Anse, MI 49946 (906) 524-7669	4 Seasons Inn Hwy 38 Baraga, MI 49908 (906) 353-6680	Three Lakes Motel SSY550 US 41 Three Lakes, MI (906) 323-6101

Ontonagon County

Adventure Motel & Cafe 1372 M-26 PO Box 91 Mass City, MI 49948 (906) 883-3520	Americinn of Silver City 120 Lincoln Ave. Silver City, MI 49953 (906) 885-5311 Toll Free-800-634-3444	Black Bear Lodge (Behind Mineral River Plaza) White Pine, MI 49971 (906) 885-5215
The Bluff 71 National Ave. Rockland, MI  49960 (906) 883 3515 or (906) 886 2681	Ferns Cabins & Motel 1350 Rockland Rd Ontonagon, MI 49953 (906) 884-4522	Inn Towne Motel 314 Chippewa Ontonagon, MI 49953 (906) 884-2100
Johnson’s Motel & Cottages 1823 M-64 Ontonagon, MI 49953 (906) 884-2653	Konteka Lodge Mineral River Plaza White Pine, MI  49971 (906) 885-5170	Mineral River Lodge 135 Maple St. PO Box 42 White Pine, MI  49971 906-885-5335
Mountain View Lodge 237 St Hwy M-107 Silver City, MI 49953 (906) 885-5256	North Country Store & Motel 3 miles east of Bruce Crossing on M-28 Paynesville, MI 49912 (906) 827-3407	Northern Light Vacation Homes 701 Houghton St. Ontonagon, MI  49953 (906) 884-4290
Paulding Motel 5990 US Hwy 45 S Bruce Crossing, MI 49912 (906) 827-3787	Rainbow Lodging 2900 State Hwy M64 Silver City, MI 49953 (906) 885-5348	Ray’s Lodge 1068 Riverview Dr. White Pine, MI  49971 (906) 885-5607
Scott’s Superior Inn & Cottages 277 Lakeshore Rd. Ontonagon, MI 49953 (906) 884-4866	Silver Sands Motor Lodge 482 State Hwy M-107 Silver City, MI 49953 (906) 885-5748	Sunshine Motel & Cabins & Campgrounds Ontonagon, MI 49953 (906) 884-2187
Superior Shores Resort 1823 M-64 Ontonagon, MI 49953 (906) 884-2653	TJ’s  Restaurant & Motel 20105 State Hwy M28 Ewen, MI  49925 (906) 988-2525	Tomlinson’s Rainbow Lodging 2900 M64 Silver City, MI  49953 (906) 885-5348
Tulppo’s Restaurant & Motel 14967 Hwy M 28 Bruce Crossing, MI  49912 (906) 827-3971	Two Rivers Motel & Cabin RR 1 Box 52 Trout Creek, MI 49967 (906) 852-3541

Keweenaw County

Bella Vista Motel Copper Harbor, MI 49918 (906) 289-4213	Brockway Inn Hwy M-26 Copper Harbor, MI 49918 (906) 289-4588	Eagle Harbor Inn 460 W North St. Eagle Harbor, MI  49950 (906) 289-4435
Eagle Lodge 13051 M-26 Eagle Harbor, MI 49950 (906) 289-4294	Eagle River Inn 5033 Front St. Eagle River, MI 49924 (906) 337-0666	Harbor Lights Inn 515 Gratiot St. Copper Harbor, MI 49918 (906) 289-4741 Toll Free-800-670-8606
King Copper Motel Copper Harbor, MI 49918 (906) 289-4214	Lac La Belle Lodge 11627 Superior St. Lac La Belle, MI 49950 (906) 289-4293	Lake Fanny Hooe Resort & Campground 505 Second St. Copper Harbor, MI 49918 (906) 289-4451
Mariner North 255 Gratiot St. Copper Harbor, MI 49918 (906) 289-4637	Minnetonka Resort 560 Gratiot St. Copper Harbor, MI 49918 (906) 289-4449 Toll Free – 1-800-433-2770	Norland Motel 15526 US 41 Copper Harbor, MI 49918 (906) 289-4815
North Port Motel 284 Brockway Ave. Copper Harbor, MI 49918 (906) 289-4267	Shoreline Resort (148 N Iroquis St Laurium, MI 49913) Eagle Harbor, MI  49950 (906) 289-4441	White House Motel 3606 US 41 Mohawk, MI 49950 (906) 337-3010