Um, This is not a beginner sport. Winter surfing here is for people who already know what they’re doing and are willing to layer up, read conditions carefully, and walk away when it’s not right. Think thick hooded wetsuits, gloves, and booties to handle near-freezing water. Freshwater paddling feels heavier than the ocean, and hazards like shelf ice, moving ice chunks, and fast hypothermia are very real. Locals will tell you the same thing every time: never surf alone, and don’t push it when wind or ice starts looking sketchy.

That said, winter surfing is really fun to watch.

Lake Michigan Winter Surf Spots
Locations: St. Joseph, South Haven, Grand Haven, Pere Marquette (Muskegon), Empire (Sleeping Bear Dunes area)

Winter storms generate powerful wind swells that build far offshore and break closer to the beach. On big wind days, piers, harbor mouths, and lighthouse areas turn into front-row seats for crashing waves, frozen spray, and surfers lining up just outside the channel.

Lake Superior Winter Surf Spots
Locations: Marquette area beaches, Au Train Bay, Grand Marais, Whitefish Bay

When Superior is angry, it’s loud, dramatic, and unforgettable and you won’t believe your eyes when the surfers do their thing, often growing ice beards in the process.

If you head out to watch, bundle up because the waves are strong and cold. And be safe. Stay off shelf ice entirely and keep your distance from wave-washed piers and break walls. (Rogue waves and spray can knock people down fast, especially when ice is involved.)

In the Upper Peninsula especially, dog sledding is a legit winter experience where snow, space, and quiet brew up the perfect experience.

You don’t need prior experience, but you do need to book ahead. Most trips are guided, weather-dependent, and run on a schedule. Some places let you ride, some let you drive your own team, and some do both.

Dog Sledding Spots in Michigan

Husky Haven Adventures
Location: near Munising
Husky Haven runs guided sled dog experiences and kennel visits, typically as private or small-group outings. Trips are scheduled in advance and depend on snow and weather conditions. (They also run helicopter tours for a completely different experience.)

Nature’s Kennel Sled Dog Racing & Adventures
Location: McMillan, Eastern Upper Peninsula
This is one of the most well-known dogsledding operations in the state. They offer a range of trips, from shorter rides to half-day, full-day, and overnight experiences. Drive your own team, ride in the sled or do both!

MI DOG Tours
Location: Near Tahquamenon Falls in the UP
MI DOG focuses on kennel tours and mushing experiences, with limited winter dogsled tours offered on select weekends. Visits usually include time with the dogs and a small-group, behind-the-scenes feel. Reservations are required.

Otter River Sled Dog Training & Wilderness Adventures
Location: Keweenaw Peninsula
This is a more remote, wilderness-style dogsledding experience. Trips range from shorter runs to longer outings, and guests often get the chance to help drive a team. It’s a good fit if you want something quieter and deeper into the Yoop.

Dog Sledding Events

Michigan has a surprisingly busy sled-dog race calendar, mostly in the U.P., and these races are genuinely good spectator events.

UP200 Sled Dog Race
Location: Marquette → Grand Marais → Marquette

The UP200 is Michigan’s grandest sled-dog race and an official Iditarod qualifier. It runs roughly 230 miles and takes place February 12–16, 2026. The race features a downtown Marquette night start and finishes at the Ojibwa Casino. Two other races, the Midnight Run and Jack Pine 30, share the same weekend schedule and vantage points.

Tahquamenon Country Sled Dog Race
Location: Near Newberry, Tahquamenon Falls area

Scheduled for January 10–11, 2026, this race includes multiple distances, including shorter classes. It often draws mushers who also compete in the UP200 series and offers easier viewing access earlier in the season.

Hiawatha Heritage Dog Sled Race
Location: Munising / Manistique area

New in 2025 and planned for January 31–February 1, 2026, this race runs on central UP trails and includes multiple team classes. It adds another spectator-friendly option between the Tahquamenon race and the UP200 weekend.

In winter, certain Michigan rivers stay open and moving, and outfitters run guided trips right through snowy forests and ice-lined banks.

Trips are guided, planned around conditions, and usually buoyed by hot chocolate stops along the way.

Here’s where you can try it:

Jordan River | Northern Michigan
The Jordan River is one of the most commonly mentioned rivers for winter rafting in Michigan. It winds through forested land that feels especially remote once everything is snow-covered. Winter trips here focus on scenery and the experience of being on open water while the landscape around you is locked in winter.

Sturgeon River | Gaylord area
Outfitters like Big Bear Adventures and Sturgeon River Paddlesports run guided winter raft trips here. The Sturgeon is narrow, clear, and fast-moving, with cedar-lined banks that feel especially quiet once everything’s covered in snow. You’ll probably see some wildlife if you’re quiet enough.

Pine River | Cadillac area
Yes, the Pine runs winter trips too. Pine River Paddlesports Center offers guided winter rafting between Walker Bridge and Lincoln Bridge. Time on the water is about an hour and fifteen minutes. After the float, shuttle back or tromp down the Silver Creek Pathway, a scenic walk that runs roughly 2 miles.

Chasing ice is a legit winter activity in Michigan!

Some of the most interesting ice‑and‑landscape formations in Michigan are seasonal ice caves, frozen waterfalls, and Lake Michigan “ice volcanoes,” mainly in the UP and along the big lakes.

It goes without saying that these formations are extremely weather dependent. Consider yourself lucky if you find yourself in the right place at the right time. Late January through early March is usually the sweet spot, after a long cold stretch but before thaw-and-collapse season starts.

Stay Safe: All of these landscapes can involve steep, icy trails, unstable ice overhangs, and hazardous shore ice; guides consistently stress staying off shelf ice and being cautious under overhanging formations.

That said, here are some of the things to keep a lookout for.

Ice Caves & Ice Curtains

Ice caves in Michigan form when water seeps over rock faces and freezes into walls, curtains, and hollowed-out chambers you can actually walk into when conditions are right.

Eben Ice Caves
Location: Near Eben Junction, Upper Peninsula
These form beneath sandstone overhangs in Rock River Canyon and are one of the most accessible walk-through ice formations in the state. When conditions are right, you’ll see tall ice walls, layered curtains, and frozen cascades tucked into the woods. This spot tends to peak after sustained cold, usually late January into early March.

Grand Island Ice Curtains
Location: near Munising, Lake Superior
Along with other formations near Pictured Rocks, in the wintertime, Grand Island grows towering ice curtains and frozen cave-like walls along Lake Superior’s cliffs. Snowmobile, ski or snowshoe your way to the sights when ice conditions allow ( this is very much a check-the-conditions-first situation!)

Frozen Waterfalls

Michigan’s waterfalls morph into whole new characters in the winter. Flowing water freezes into shapes of all sorts, like thick pillars, curtains, and blue ice. Some are short walks from the road, others demand a longer winter hike.

Upper Peninsula favorites include Munising Falls, Wagner Falls, Tahquamenon Falls (Upper and Lower), Bond Falls, Manido and Manabezho Falls, Canyon Falls, and Hungarian Falls. Many have plowed parking and maintained paths.

Ice formations you’ll see in Michigan (and where they usually show up)

Along exposed Lake Michigan and Lake Superior beaches, waves, wind, and freezing spray work together to build strange shoreline features.

Ice volcanoes

What they look like: Cone-shaped mounds along the beach that spit water or spray when waves push through holes in the ice.
Where to see them: Most common along exposed stretches of Lake Michigan, especially West Michigan and the southwest Lower Peninsula.
Typical spots: Saugatuck area (Oval Beach), St. Joseph, Benton Harbor, Holland-area beaches.
When they show up: After strong wind events followed by sustained cold.

Ice balls

What they look like: Round or oval balls of ice scattered along the shoreline, sometimes piled up like someone dumped a bag of frozen marbles.
Where to see them: Mostly along Lake Michigan beaches.
Typical spots: Southwest Michigan beaches and occasionally northwest Lower Michigan.
When they show up: After waves roll ice fragments back and forth long enough to round them off.

Pancake ice

What it looks like: Flat, circular slabs of ice floating near shore or stacking up along the beach, often overlapping like plates.
Where to see it: Open-water areas of Lake Michigan and Lake Superior.
Typical spots: Windy beaches, harbor mouths, and near piers.
When it shows up: During active wave action as ice forms and breaks repeatedly.

Pressure ridges

What they look like: Long, jagged ridges of ice pushed up from the lakebed or shoreline, sometimes several feet tall.
Where to see them: Both lakes, but especially dramatic on Lake Superior.
Typical spots: Open shoreline stretches along the U.P., including the Ontonagon area and eastern U.P. coastlines.
When they show up: During freeze-thaw cycles combined with wind and wave pressure.

Blue ice

What it looks like: Clear or deep blue ice formed by repeated freezing, thawing, and compaction.
Where to see it: Mostly Lake Superior.
Typical spots: Cliff-lined shorelines, Pictured Rocks, Grand Island, and exposed UP coastlines.
Why it stands out: The color comes from dense, layered ice that’s had time to settle and refreeze.

We could only fit so much into one article, but Michigan’s got plenty more where this came from. Here are a few other wild winter experiences worth checking out.

Ice Skating Trails Forget the standard rink. Michigan has ice skating trails and ribbons that wind through parks and woods. It’s a whole different vibe when you’re gliding through trees instead of circles.

Winter Festivals Events like World of Winter in Grand Rapids bring out the weird and wonderful. Think snow yoga, silent discos on ice, outdoor art installations, and light displays that make the cold feel worth it.

Extreme Tubing Some hills in Michigan are ramping up the ride by making things faster, darker, and a whole lot more exciting. Check out Treetops Resort in Gaylord if that’s your kind of jam.

Dune Sledding Snow-covered sand dunes plus a sled equals a surprisingly fast ride. A few Lake Michigan dunes allow sledding in winter, and it’s as fun as it sounds. Sleeping Bear Dunes Dune Climb is one of them.

Snowmobiling Michigan has an entire network of snowmobile trails, especially up north and in the U.P. Rentals are available if you don’t have your own machine.

Winter Glamping Heated domes, mirror houses, yurts, and DNR cabins that stay open through winter. For when you want the outdoors without fully roughing it.