Michigan's Once-Thriving Upper Peninsula Mining Community Is A Rural Gem With Nearby Underground Tours

Some of Michigan's small communities don't reveal much from the surface, owing their existence to discoveries buried underground. On Michigan's Upper Peninsula, a collection of these communities make up what's known as Michigan's Copper Country, due to the copper mining that once took place here. Anyone curious about the world of copper mining in Michigan — which once had a boom on par with the California Gold Rush — should have the Atlantic Mine community on their radar. Here, you'll get a sense of what remains from a settlement born of the copper rush while serving as a convenient base for nearby tours of the old mines themselves.

Atlantic Mine is one of a string of former mining communities on the Keweenaw Peninsula (a smaller peninsula projecting from the Upper Peninsula). It's a tiny community that's dwindled quite a bit since its mining heyday, with around 630 residents. During its peak, Atlantic Mine had almost 3,000 residents, according to a report from Michigan's Office of Geological Survey, but the population faded fast after the mine itself shut down in 1906. Today, visitors will see homes and church steeples scattered around roads through the forest. A few historic structures remain, including its post office and original miners' homes. Outside the community's central crossroads, the sloped forests of the Keweenaw Peninsula stretch out, offering opportunities for activities like riding off-road vehicles or staying in a cabin tucked into the woods.

Atlantic Mine's community developed around its namesake mine, which produced over 100,000,000 pounds of copper when it was in operation, according to the Office of Geological Survey report. The mine, which opened under the management of the Atlantic Mining Company in 1872, had a pretty sudden demise. A massive cave-in forced it to shut down, and much of the community around it then moved away. The mine buildings were torn down, so you can't see the Atlantic Mine itself. However, there is one artifact that helps ensure the community doesn't forget its past. At the post office, you'll see a giant copper boulder sitting out front.

With that said, Atlantic Mine was just one of several thriving mines in Copper Country, and not all of them have disappeared. About a 12-minute drive from Atlantic Mine, in the under-the-radar Michigan town of Hancock, the Quincy Mine is one of the most impressive and is part of a National Historic Park that offers underground tours of its mine shafts. Tours involve riding a historic cog-rail tram into the underground workings. "It was so neat to go into the mine and learn about all the hardships and challenges miners had to face," a Google Maps reviewer raved.

If you drive 10 minutes south of Atlantic Mine, you'll find the Painesdale Mine and Shaft, another surviving mine that offers tours. According to the National Park Service, it's the oldest surviving shaft-rockhouse on the Keweenaw Peninsula. The tours here are focused on the above-ground portion of the mining operation, where you can see rock crushers and a steam engine that handled copper ores extracted from the earth.

As you venture out beyond Atlantic Mine's handful of buildings, the landscape quickly gives way to Keweenaw Peninsula forest. Drive through these woodlands in autumn, and you'll see why Michigan is lauded as the best state for fall foliage. You could also explore these woods with an ORV. One ORV trail that passes through Atlantic Mine is the Bill Nichols Rail-Trail. The trail covers 41 miles, passing old mining traces along a former railway through pines and hardwoods, according to the Upper Peninsula Travel and Recreation Association. Hikers and cyclists can also follow the trail, with the caveat that you're potentially sharing the route with loud ORVs.

Those looking for a unique stay around Atlantic Mine can check out the Log Cab-Inn. The rustic lodging rental includes 17 acres surrounded by woods, with a prime selling point being that the cabin is right next to an ORV trail (though that trail is closed due to flooding, as of this writing). Up to 10 people can stay overnight, and it has a five-star average from the few Google Maps reviews for it. Otherwise, there are a few Airbnb rentals available in Atlantic Mine. One listing has a gold-level "guest favorite" badge and offers modern amenities. Getting to Atlantic Mine means you'll likely fly into Houghton County Memorial Airport (CMX), the closest commercial option — about a 20-minute drive away — that offers two daily direct flights from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. The Marquette Sawyer Regional Airport (MQT) is another option at about a two-hour drive away and provides non-stop flights to Detroit, Minneapolis, and Chicago. You can stay in Atlantic Mine to visit nearby mine sites or day-trip about an hour further north to Great Sand Bay, Michigan's own Caribbean-like white-sand beach.