Ironwood

Ironwood is in the Upper Peninsula region of Michigan in the United States of America.

Get in

By car

• US-51 comes in from the south - Wausau, Madison, New Orleans. 51 ends at the Sin City of the North, Hurley (Wisconsin).
• US-2 runs east and west. From Sault Ste. Marie to Duluth, Minnesota

By plane

• 1 Gogebic–Iron County Airport (IWD  ^IATA) (is about 7 miles northeast of Ironwood). Denver Air Connection operates once daily flights from Chicago-O'Hare and Minneapolis-St. Paul. Since the airport doesn't have any X-ray machines, the security personnel hand search each bag in front of everyone else, handling and analyzing your bag's contents. (updated May 2022)

Get around

Car is the best way to go. Renting a vehicle isn't too easy, but it is possible.

Ironwood makes a good stop if you are snowmobiling on the trail system, and you can get to most accommodations or restaurants with your machine.

In the summer, a bike will get you most places in town, but it's a long ride to any of the local attractions (i.e. Lake superior is about 18 miles, Copper Peak is about 12 miles).

See

• Copper Peak
• Black River Harbor
• Hiawatha. World's Tallest Indian, 52 ft (16 m) fiberglass statue of tribal leader Hiawatha. 
• Waterfalls
• Ski hills
• Lake Gogebic

Do

Ironwood makes a great base for outdoors activities in the region. If you are visiting, you are probably here or should be here for one of the following:

• Skiing
• Snowmobiling
• Hiking
• Mountain biking
• Camping
• Four wheeling

If you do happen to want to see the sights of Ironwood, you could check out Hiawatha, an enormous fiberglass and cement Indian statue on a hill above the city. You can see it from most intersections downtown (the real downtown, not the freeway!)

Another claim to fame is the 'Copper Peak Ski Jump'. This ski jump is or was the largest freestanding ski jump in North America. When it was built it was the largest in the world. It hasn't been used for jumping since the late 1980s. During the summer you can ride the lift up to the top, and get a great view of the forest, and out to Lake Superior. During the winter, they have a snowmobile climb competition on the jump's landing area. This is quite a bit of fun to watch as most snowmobile machines can't handle the slope and go end over end down the hill.

Pick up an Ironwood Daily Globe newspaper to check for events happening during the week.

Listings

• 1 Wolverine Nordic Trails, 5851 Sunset Road. 24km of cross country ski trails, 14km of snowshoe trails, and 7km of snowbike trails. Suggested donation for daily use $10. (updated Nov 2024)

Buy

Buy an original Stormy Kromer Cap. Made in Ironwood by Jacquart's. Hibernate your head.

Eat

The pasty is the Yooper Soul food. If you've never had it, you must try it. The original version features Rutabaga. Many swear by eating it with ketchup accompanied by dill pickles and chocolate milk.

Good Restaurant options:

• Don & GG's. Looks like a bar, but has a creative menu that reaches way beyond bar fare. People enjoy the Cheese Curd and Turkey Portabella Wrap. Salads are good and have a nice selection. 
• Bell Chalet. in Hurley (Wisconsin), but worth the short drive. Famous for its Italian food and Caesar salad. (updated Dec 2019)
• Black River Pub and Grub. Excellent fish fry on Friday nights. (updated Dec 2019)
• Manny's. Up by the Hiawatha Statue. Great cheese raviolis. (updated Dec 2019)

Drink

• Olde Suffolk Ale House, 125 S Suffolk St, ☏ +1 906-932-3198. 
• Don & GG's. 

Sleep

• 1 AmericInn, ☏ +1 906 932-7200. (updated Oct 2019)
• Black River Crossing-Bed & Breakfast, ☏ +1 906 932-2604. (updated Dec 2019)
• Budget Host Inn, ☏ +1 906 932-1260, toll-free: +1 866 932-1260. (updated Dec 2019)
• Comfort Inn, ☏ +1 906 932-2224. (updated Dec 2019)
• 2 Indianhead Motel, ☏ +1 906 932-2031. Indianhead Motel is right on Indianhead mountain, which is good if you are skiing or biking there. (updated Oct 2019)
• Windsong Lodging, 6280 Snowdrift Street, Bessemer, ☏ +1 920-427-6086. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. One-bedroom condos with hot tub, wood stoves, Wi-Fi, kitchens, near downhill, cross country, and snowmobile trails. Pet-friendly, no smoking. $80-135. 

Go next

Lake Superior: You can visit the beaches at several locations. 'Little Girl's Point' and 'Black River Harbor' are the two most popular. Turn north off of US 2 on Lake Road to get to either.

Hiking: There are several waterfalls and hiking trails along the Black River. If you drive towards Black River Harbor, you will see carved wooden signs near parking lots where you can access these trails. Most trails have basic bathroom facilities available (closed during winter?).

Camping: You can camp at Little Girl's Point and at Black River Harbor for a fee.

Routes through Ironwood

Ashland ← Hurley ←

W  E

→ Jct E → Iron Mountain → Escanaba