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Brockway Mountain Drive

Coordinates: 47°27′54″N 88°01′01″W / 47.465°N 88.017°W / 47.465; -88.017
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A graphic representation of the brown wooden sign for Brockway Mountain Drive
Brockway Mountain Drive
Brockway Mountain Drive runs east–west parallel to the norther shores of Lake Superior in Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula
Brockway Mountain Drive highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by the Keweenaw County Road Commission
Length8.883 mi[1] (14.296 km)
Existed1933–present
Major junctions
West end M-26 near Eagle Harbor
East end M-26 in Copper Harbor
Location
CountiesKeweenaw

Brockway Mountain Drive is a 8.883-mile (14.296 km) scenic highway in the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan just west of Copper Harbor. Drivers can access the road from M-26 on either end near Eagle Harbor to the west or Copper Harbor to the east. The drive runs along the ridge of Brockway Mountain on the Keweenaw Fault and climbs to a height of 1,320 feet (402 m) above sea level, 720 feet (220 m) above the surface of Lake Superior. Several turnouts along the route allow for views of Copper Harbor, Lake Superior, and undeveloped woodland. On a clear day, Isle Royale is visible some 50 miles (80 km) in distance from the top of the mountain.

Brockway Mountain was named for David D. Brockway, one of the pioneer residents of the area. The road was constructed by the county road commission, the Works Project Administration (WPA) and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1933. It was briefly used as a connection for the parallel state highway after it opened. Since it opened, Brockway Mountain Drive has been recognized in several publications and other venues for its scenic qualities. Newspaper profiles of Keweenaw County or the Upper Peninsula have discussed the scenic value of the roadway and its environment.

Route description

The road can be accessed from either Eagle Harbor or Copper Harbor and serves as a scenic loop off M-26. The western end starts at M-26 near Lake Bailey and Agate Harbor. Brockway Mountain Drive ascends along the ridgeline of the Keweenaw Fault. Immediately south of the road is Upson Creek running parallel to the cliff face, draining Lake Upson.[2] Two and a half miles (4.0 km) from the western end, there is a parking area for the Oren Krumm Trail, part of the Brockway Mountain Audubon Sanctuary.[3] The drive is lined with low stone walls, built as part of the original construction of the roadway.[4]

There are wooden information signs in the foreground, left and Lake Superior in the distance beyond the top of Brockway Mountain.
View of Lake Superior from Brockway Mountain with information signage

Upon reaching the top of the mountain, drivers are greeted with a full panoramic view of the surrounding area, allowing views of Lake Superior, Copper Harbor, Eagle Harbor and the surrounding lakes and forests. Freighters occasionally can be seen traversing Lake Superior and on clear days, Isle Royale can be spotted nearly 50 miles (80 km) in the distance. Also on the top of the mountain is the Skytop Inn. Founded in 1933, originally housed in a log cabin, the Skytop Inn provides a selection of books and collectibles.[5]

Continuing eastward, the drive descends down the mountain toward Copper Harbor. The roadway twists and turns as it alternately climbs and descends several smaller hills along the ridgeline. Along the drive, several turnouts provide the opportunity for sightseers to exit the car and take in the surroundings. A few turnouts lie directly adjacent to the face of the bluff where the mountain quickly rises from the surrounding land. Near the eastern end, there are two sharp hairpin turns, the first of which has a scenic overlook and parking area. This spot overlooks Copper Harbor and the nearby US Highway 41 (US 41) just to the east. From here, the road makes its steep descent down from the ridge, through the second turn and ends at M-26 on the western edge of town.[2]

This road is one of highest scenic roadway above sea level in the US between the Rocky Mountains and Allegheny Mountains.[5][6] During the winter months, Brockway Mountain Drive is closed to cars. The Keweenaw County Road Commission does not plow the road; instead the drive is used as a snowmobile trail during the winter.[5] According to the commission, 200 vehicles per day use the roadway on average.[7]

Scenic opportunities

Photograph of the
View of Copper Harbor (left) and Lake Fanny Hooe (right) from the easternmost overlook

During the spring, particularly in April, hawks migrate along the length of the Keweenaw Peninsula headed across Lake Superior. They flock together along the cliffs and ridges of Brockway Mountain. The top of the mountain is a semi-alpine climate with strong winds. Guide books advise visitors to bring windbreaker jackets, even in the summer.[5] The peak is also known as an excellent star-gazing location because there is no electricity to interrupt the darkness.[8] The surrounding mountainsides are privately owned, mostly by Champion International Paper which receives reduced taxes in exchange for keeping the land open for recreational uses. The Michigan Nature Association owns 200 acres (81 ha) of property on Brockway Mountain itself. There are over 700 species of flowers including trillium and orchids. The peak bloom is in June, and some of the wildflowers on display are not found elsewhere in the state.[5]

Awards and recognition

Many locales in the Keweenaw Peninsula are frequently praised for their beauty and pristine appearances and Brockway Mountain Drive is no exception. The road has been recognized in numerous publications, dating back to the 1950s. The Milwaukee Sentinel profiled the "famous Brockway Mountain Drive" in 1956 in an article about a tourism boom to the region.[9] More attention was focused on the roadway when Miwaukee's other newspaper, the Milwaukee Journal, spotlighted the region in 1961.[10] The New York Times had similar praise in 1962.[11] The Chicago Tribune called the overlook "breathtaking" in 1986.[12]

In April 1994 and April 2001, the route along US 41 and Brockway Mountain Drive was selected as "one of the best fall color views and mountain biking areas" by Michigan Living.[13][14] It was also named "most beautiful bike ride in the United States" by Bicycling magazine in February 1995.[15] The Star Tribune in Minneapolis said that a visit to the drive "is worth the whole trip by itself, with a twisting road leading up to the crest, with panoramic views of fall colors."[16] The drive was also included in the coverage of the Copper Country Trail, a designation applied to the neighboring US 41 by the Federal Highway Administration as a part of the National Scenic Byway program.[4] NBC's Today featured Brockway Mountain Drive in September 2007 as part of a segment on "great and unusual foliage destinations".[17] In May 2010, local residents of the Upper Peninsula chose the road as the region's "favorite natural wonder" in a poll conducted by WLUC-TV.[18]

An autumnal panorama from the top of Brockway Mountain with Lake Fanny Hooe and Lake Superior in the distance and Brockway Mountain Drive descending the hill.
View from atop Brockway Mountain

History

Photograph of
Peak of Brockway Mountain

Brockway Mountain is a 1,320-foot (400 m) volcanic mountain on the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan about 5 miles (8.0 km) west of Copper Harbor.[19] The top of the mountain is 720 feet (220 m) above the level of Lake Superior.[20] The peak was named for Daniel D. Brockway, local pioneer settler, postmaster and state road commissioner. Brockway moved to Copper Harbor in 1846 at the beginnings of the area's copper boom. He built the first permanent structure in the community, a hostelry named The Brockway House, which was used by the miners and scientists in the area. By the time of his death on May 9, 1899, the mountain west of town had been named in his honor.[21]

Construction of Brockway Mountain Drive began in early 1933 by the Keweenaw County Road Commission with federal highway funding designed to provide meaningful work to the many copper miners who became unemployed during the Great Depression. Rather than provide welfare, the government provided jobs for the unemployed.[21] The WPA and the CCC were the agencies on the federal level responsible for the project.[4] Up to 300 laborers were employed for a wage of 25¢/hr (equivalent to $5.88/hr in 2024[22]).[21] The work required to build the road was carried out by manual labour, with the assistance of a team of horses. The road was opened for public use that October at a cost of $30,000.[21] The following year in 1934, additional work was completed to "touch up" the roadway, and it was paved in 1938. In the interim, the road was temporarily used as a connection between completed segments of the parallel state highway, numbered M-129 at the time. This highway, now part of M-26, was built starting in July 1933 but was not completed through the area until October 1934.[21]

Major intersections

The entire highway is in Keweenaw County.

Locationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
Eagle Harbor Township0.0000.000 M-26 – Eagle HarborWestern terminus
4.9207.918Skytop InnGift shop at the peak of Brockway Mountain
Grant Township8.88314.296 M-26 – Copper HarborEastern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

  1. ^ a b MDOT Physical Reference Finder Application (Map). Cartography by Michigan Center for Geographic Information. Michigan Department of Transportation. 2009. Retrieved April 13, 2010.
  2. ^ a b "Overview Map of Brockway Mountain Drive" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved August 2, 2008.
  3. ^ "Brockway Mountain Audubon Sanctuary". Keweenaw Convention & Visitors Bureau. 2001. Archived from the original on February 6, 2009. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
  4. ^ a b c "Brockway Mountain Drive, MI". National Scenic Byways Program. Federal Highway Administration. Archived from the original on April 1, 2011. Retrieved October 26, 2006.
  5. ^ a b c d e Hunt, Mary; Hunt, Don (2007). "Brockway Mountain Drive". Hunts' Guide to Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Albion, MI: Midwestern Guides. Retrieved February 21, 2008. {{cite book}}: External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ Storm, Roger E.; Wedzel, Susan M. (2009). Hiking Michigan (2nd ed.). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics Publishers. p. 57. ISBN 9780736075077.
  7. ^ Patrick, Gregg M. (August 2007). Traffic Counts [report]. Mohawk, MI: Keweenaw County Road Commission.
  8. ^ "Brockway Mountain Drive". Summer Planning Guide. Copper Harbor, Michigan. Archived from the original on May 25, 2009. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
  9. ^ "Tourist Boom in Keweenaw". Milwaukee Sentinel. September 2, 1956. p. 4A. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
  10. ^ Kienitz, Richard C. (August 17, 1961). "Hiawatha Land Vast Playground". Milwaukee Journal. p. 24. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
  11. ^ Stetson, Damon (January 29, 1962). "Circling Michigan's Scenic Upper Peninsula". New York Times. p. 249. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  12. ^ Wolf, Robert (Aug 24, 1986). "Midwest on Verge of Blazing Colors". Chicago Tribune. p. 8. Retrieved January 26, 2011.(subscription required)
  13. ^ "Treasure Hunt: Readers Uncover State's Best". Michigan Living. 76 (10). April 1994. ISSN 0735-1798.
  14. ^ "Michigan's Best: Treasure Awards 2001". Michigan Living. 83 (7): 24–29. April 2001. ISSN 0735-1798.
  15. ^ Sandretto Jr., Peter (February 1995). "The Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan". Bicycling. 36 (2): 56–7. ISSN 0006-2073.
  16. ^ Gilbert, John (October 6, 1996). "Keweenaw Peninsula; Fall Colors Undimmed". Star Tribune. Minneapolis. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  17. ^ Greenberg, Peter (September 27, 2007). "8 Great and Unusual Fall Foliage Destinations". Today. New York: NBC. Archived from the original on January 27, 2011. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
  18. ^ Palumbo, Ashley (May 26, 2010). "Seven Wonders of the UP: Brockway Mountain". Negaunee, MI: WLUC-TV. Archived from the original on January 26, 2011. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
  19. ^ Patrinos, Dan (January 16, 1971). "Alone, Not Lonely on his Mountain". Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. p. 3.
  20. ^ Wright, John W., ed. (2006). The New York Times Almanac (2007 ed.). New York: Penguin Books. p. 64. ISBN 0-14-303820-6.
  21. ^ a b c d e Barnett, LeRoy (2004). A Drive Down Memory Lane: The Named State and Federal Highways of Michigan. Allegan Forest, MI: Priscilla Press. pp. 39–40. ISBN 1-886167-24-9.
  22. ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Brockway Mountain Drive and Views from Brockway Mountain.

47°27′54″N 88°01′01″W / 47.465°N 88.017°W / 47.465; -88.017

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