Two or three days, a lot of snow and not much of a schedule. Here's how to spend a winter weekend in Iron County: coffee in town, one good outing a day, a sleigh ride to dinner, and a quiet Sunday morning by a frozen lake.
A winter weekend here isn't about cramming things in. The days are short and the snow is deep, so pick one outing a day and leave the rest of it for coffee, a long lunch and an early dinner somewhere warm.
January and February have the most reliable snow. Check the trail report and the Iron River forecast the week you come, and remember Iron County runs on Central time, an hour behind the rest of Michigan.
Roll in before dark if you can. If you've got energy left, Ski Brule runs night skiing on Fridays from 4:30 to 7:30, and its evening dining room does a Friday fish fry. If you'd rather keep it easy, Riverside Pizzeria on Genesee Street opens every day at 4 and has been making pizza for about 80 years. Bring cash: the Iron River shop doesn't take cards.
A full day, in order. Hover or tap a card for more.
Contrast Coffee downtown, or Seven Embers out on US-2.
MoreContrast Coffee on West Genesee opens at 7, and Seven Embers on US-2 opens early too, at 6 on weekdays. Get something hot to go.
Snowshoe, ski, fat bike or fish through the ice.
MorePick one: a snowshoe walk, a few miles on groomed cross-country trails, a fat bike ride, or an hour on the ice with a tip-up.
Saturday breakfast till noon, then lunch, on Superior Avenue.
MoreLogans' Place in Crystal Falls opens at 7 on Saturdays, serves breakfast until noon and stays open until 7. It's closed Sundays and Mondays.
A 1904 home, open Saturday afternoons all year.
MoreThe Harbour House, a 1904 home with a Victorian first floor, is open Saturdays from noon to 4 all year, except when the weather's bad.
A taproom on the old Circle in the little town of Alpha.
MoreAlpha Michigan Brewing sits on the historic Circle in Alpha, a few miles from Crystal Falls. They bake pizza there and you're welcome to bring food. Check their hours before you go.
The Jacuzzi at Young's, then dinner at FireBrick.
MoreYoung's has an aquatics center with a Jacuzzi, open Tuesday to Sunday, 9 to 8, and FireBrick Bar & Grill serves until 9 on Saturdays.
On winter Saturdays, Ski Brule takes guests by sleigh to its 1800s Homestead Lodge, warmed by potbelly stoves, for a barbecue supper.
Sleep in. Contrast Coffee opens at 7 on Sundays too. Then take the long way home past a frozen lake: the state plows several lake access sites around the county for ice fishermen, so you can pull in, watch the shanties and the wind on the snow, and stretch your legs before the drive.
Shops in Iron River and Crystal Falls keep short winter hours, so check before you go, and do your browsing on Saturday.
Christmas in Lights, New Year's fireworks at Ski Brule, the Relic Ride and Brule Bash: plan your weekend around one.
Winter EventsCheck the roads on Mi Drive before you leave, carry a winter kit, fill up when you can, and give the plows room.
Mi Drive Road MapYes, if you like quiet. Think a sleigh ride to dinner at Ski Brule, night skiing, coffee in small downtowns, snowshoe walks and frozen lakes, without the crowds of bigger resort towns.
In Iron County in 2027: live music at Ski Brule on Saturday, February 13, evening dining and snow tubing there on Sunday, February 14, and Michigan's winter Free Fishing Weekend, which should fall on the same weekend (check the dates).
Snowshoe or fat bike the trails, try ice fishing, visit the Harbour House Museum in Crystal Falls on a Saturday, stop at the brewery in Alpha, warm up in the Jacuzzi at Young's, or take the sleigh ride to Saturday dinner at Ski Brule.
Contrast Coffee and Seven Embers in Iron River for coffee; Logans' Place in Crystal Falls for breakfast and lunch; Riverside Pizzeria in Iron River (cash only), FireBrick Bar & Grill at Young's and Ski Brule's evening dining for dinner.
Pick a weekend with snow, book a room, and pack for cold mornings and warm evenings. The rest can be decided over coffee.
Travel Planning, Winter and tagged crystal falls michigan, iron county michigan, iron river michigan, romantic getaway, ski brule, upper peninsula michigan, valentine's weekend, winter getaway, winter weekend getaway.
Morel Mushroom Hunting in Iron County, Michigan
Waterfalls in Iron County, Michigan
Christmas Tree Galleria in Caspian, MI
Trout Fishing in Iron County, Michigan
906-214-2308
906-265-9100
40 E Adams St
Iron River, MI 49935
906-265-9244
1700 County Road 424
Gaastra, MI 49917
906-265-3611
1257 W Ice Lake Rd
Iron River, MI 49935
800-362-7853
373 Brule Mountain Rd
Iron River, MI 49935
800-DO-BRULE
906-265-4957
397 Brule Mountain Rd
Iron River, MI 49935
906-822-7713
1968 US 141 Highway
Amasa, MI 49903
Iron County is one of the Upper Peninsula’s best kept secrets. From camping to fishing, hunting to canoeing, mountain biking to forest bathing – no matter your interests, the great outdoors and clear crisp air await you here.
