Brockway Mountain Drive
Brockway Mountain was named after Daniel D. Brockway, the man who is credited with building the first house in Copper Harbor in 1846 and known as a pioneer of the northern region of the Keweenaw Peninsula. During the Great Depression, a scenic drive across the Keweenaw was proposed to create jobs for out-of-work miners. The drive would be completed in 1933 and started just east of Lake Bailey and traveled all the way to Copper Harbor, spanning a ridge of the Keweenaw Fault. The drive offers scenic views of Lake Superior to the north, Lake Bailey to the west, Lake Medora to the south, and Lake Fanny Hooe and Copper Harbor to the east. The views from the top of Brockway Mountain are some of the finest I have ever witnessed in Michigan. The road passes through six different nature sanctuaries, and there are many hiking and mountain biking trails running through and off the drive. The road is a bit bumpy but very manageable for most vehicles. Around sunset, the view over Lake Superior is quite spectacular, and I can imagine sunrise would be the same. The mountain is also a popular place to attempt astrophotography and to view the northern lights. Brockway Mountain Drive is a must-stop for anyone visiting the Keweenaw and is not an experience I will soon forget.
