colorado hirailer posted:I made one trip up through the UP, specifically chasing old mines and railroads....did not find as many as I wished, but am sure it was a case of having to know where they were. It was a beautiful fall trip with good weather and great leaves a couple of years ago. Definitely beautiful and full of history. I had a guidebook on the old ghost towns, but..much is gone. Good for a week circumventing the peninsula....research it and do it!
The UP reclaims the land from all but the best of our human efforts there, if left unattended. On the ground, those RR grades aren't very impressive. But with some reading and landmarks, you can see remains of old RR grades all over the UP from Google earth. When the (icy cold all summer) water is real clear, you can find pilings from industry docks, long forgotten about. When I was young some of those true "ghost towns" still had buildings standing. One unmarked business place I discovered, could have been a movie set. A fire hydrant I spotted deep in the woods made me curious
. Well hidden by many tall trees, but suddenly about 4-5 small buildings & perfect "dead end" street pavement & curbs. Well preserved. I couldn't believe the "store's" big windows hadn't cracked from the weather, so I looked closer thinking "movie set". But I'd say nobody had touched a thing since the 50's. Last attempt I couldn't find it again and trees are too dense to spot it GoogleEarth. Likely it had a" country" road leading there once, the trees are younger there where gravel road would have been too. Old dirt road grades can be spotted while hiking too ..On RRs names UP there, McNearny's (spelling?) were my families neighbors.
You could spend weeks reading historical plaques across the UP, but just seeing the whole area is more fun. To live there "before fences"?Oh man 
"I like the woods"
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More copper ore wealth came out of the UP than from the Gold Rush, and there's still other mineral resource exports, and timber! The ore played a large role in the fast growth of our southern Michigan industry too.
.....and the moose are cool
..From the car, or kitchen window.
Berries! 
My berries!
Wow, bull moose don't eat many, but do pee right over the berry bushes 
I washed those much better after that. Added a sniff test before that too 
....
