The holidays may be over, but businesses in communities across the Upper Peninsula are still singing “Let it Snow. Let it Snow. Let it Snow.”
Snow, a crucial part of the winter economy, means a slew of outdoor recreational activities are available from Houghton to Sault Ste. Marie. Whether ice fishing, skiing or snowshoeing, there are plenty of outdoor activities to reset life for a while, recharging in the white snow of a pure and natural landscape.
But the winter economy is about more than skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling. Many other businesses – serving up a warm meal or a rest for the night – are part of that all-important economy and rely on snow-focused visitors.
Hotels, restaurants, equipment rentals and gas stations across the U.P. are prepared and eager to welcome locals and tourists alike.
“We are excited to see a strong start to winter,” said Cori Cearley, executive director of the Munising Visitors Bureau. “This will be the heaviest snowfall we have had in the early season in several years.”
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Michigan Ice Fest/Mike WilkinsonMunising is home to the annual Michigan Ice Fest, held in February.After drought and warm weather created disastrous conditions for tourism the last two seasons, the snow this season is staying on the ground long enough to build up the base needed for winter activities. That doesn’t just mean more fun, but the winter weather provides a much-needed economic boost.
“Winter tourism accounts for about ten percent of our overall tourism in a bad year but can be up to 20 to 30 percent in a normal year,” Cearley said. “Between the conditions and pent-up demand for outdoor winter recreation, all signs point to this being a very busy winter season this upcoming year.”
Employees and volunteers involved in the winter tourism season are in full swing.
With enough snow on the ground, the Tahquamenon Country Sled Dog Race near Newberry will return after cancelling the past two years.
Not having to worry about the weather, organizers of the Trenary Outhouse Races are focusing on additional vendors, food options and events for a landmark 30th year.
Registration is open for the Labatt Blue UP Pond Hockey Tournament on Lake Huron outside downtown St. Ignace.
Legendary dog sled races like the UP 200, The Midnight Run and Jack Pine 30 are still on the calendar, after cancelling those events the past two winters.
With plenty of snowfall and ideal snowmaking conditions, Mount Bohemia opened earlier than usual this year, creating buzz on social media.
“The Keweenaw’s winter tourism season got off to a stronger start compared to December 2024. We had good snow in early December which helped get our trails and attractions like Mount Bohemia open before the new year," said Brad Barnett, who is executive director of Visit Keweenaw, the peninsula's tourism authority.
"We’ve had some strong visitation to our cross-country ski trails at places like Swedetown Recreation Area in Calumet," he added. "A warmup over the holidays took some of the wind out of our sails, but we’re optimistic that January’s cooler temps will usher in more snow.”
Additionally, groomers are hitting the trails.
Necessary for both ski and snowmobile trails, organizations like Noquemanon Trail Network, Grand Marais Snow Trails and the Sault Ste. Marie Snowmobile Association are maintaining hundreds of miles of trails for safe and effective riding.
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Facebook/Michigan Sled AddictsIn a now viral photo, snowmobilers wait for gas outside Bayshore Market in Grand Marais.A picture of snowmobiles lined up 25 deep for gas outside Grand Marais’s Bayshore Market during the first Saturday of the new year was shared more than 150 times on Facebook in various trail report groups and tourism pages.
According to Craig Wilson, president of the Forsyth Snowmobile and ATV Club — which manages the summer and winter trail network for southern Marquette and Western Alger County — strong trails essentially pave the way for a strong winter economy.
“The early snow followed by some deep cold temperatures has helped the trail. The snow belts are doing well and will continue,” Wilson said. “Tourism should be up this year, as we are already at a better start than last year.”
But while the Eastern and Central U.P. are rejoicing in the return of snow, the western part of the peninsula is anxiously waiting for the seasonal boost.
Iron Mountain has had less than 30 inches of snow this season, which is approximately half of their annual average. Houghton and the Keweenaw are doing a little better with 70 to 80 inches of powder but are still below the usual amount.
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Brice Burge Snowmobiles line up outside the Bear Trap restaurant in Van Meer,Some of the biggest boost from the seasonal economy comes from snowmobiling in the Western U.P., but they are also facing another problem: Wisconsin.
The Iron County on the other side of the border still has not opened its trails, with some Wisconsin routes crucial to connecting communities in Michigan with traveling on snowmobiles.
According to Gogebic County Commissioner Dan Wood, the warm weather is a trend for a poor economy, including the cancellation of Ironwood’s Sisu Ski Fest.
“Last winter was very bad for tourism and snowmobiling. Now, so far, the winter of 2024-25 is hurting the economy tremendously with the lack of snow,” Wood said. “A lot of staff will be getting laid off at various businesses across Gogebic and Iron (Wisc.) counties because of no snow.
But for those that are getting the snow, workers and community leaders are thankful.
“We are blessed and thankful to have that snow. Not every community has that at this time, and we are very lucky and appreciative to have all our businesses open and functioning after the previous winter," Cearley said.
Brice Burge is a regular contributor to UPword.