Step off the ferry and into a quieter kind of adventure.
Grand Island: Island of History and Mystery invites the casual explorer to trade crowded overlooks for winding trails and unhurried discovery. Just across Munising Bay, this Lake Superior gem rewards those who prefer hiking boots to tour buses and curiosity over itineraries.
Embark on a journey of exploration and discovery unlike any other, packed with almost 36 color photos to guide you. Follow forest paths to Thunder Cove Overlook, where sweeping views of the lake remind you how small-and how free-you really are. Wander through Williams Landing, where the island's earliest settlers left behind traces of a rugged frontier life still visible among the trees. Then continue on to Duck Lake and to the breathtaking views of Trout Bay. As one of the truly storied historical sites of the Upper Peninsula, Grand Island is documented in this book, with maps and descriptions for History Hunters everywhere.
Blending history with discovery, engaging storytelling with practical travel insight, this book is your guide to exploring Grand Island at your own pace. Paddle, hike, bike, or simply pause and listen-the island reveals itself slowly, one step at a time.
For those who believe the journey matters more than the destination, this is more than a history book. It is an exploration guide for the adventurous. A U.S. Forest Service Recreation Area, Grand Island, Michigan is meant to be enjoyed by one and all. This is your invitation to explore one of Michigan's great overlooked destinations.
MIKEL B. CLASSEN is an award-winning author, journalist, and photographer devoted to preserving the rich heritage of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Through engaging storytelling and meticulous research, the "U.P. History Hunter" brings forgotten people, places, and events vividly to life, inspiring readers to explore the region's unique culture, landscapes, and enduring history
Classen, Mikel B.: - Mikel B. Classen has been writing and photographing northern Michigan in newspapers and magazines for forty years, creating feature articles about the life and culture of Michigan's north country. A journalist, historian, photographer and author with a fascination of the world around him, he enjoys researching and writing about lost stories from the past. He is founder of the U.P. Reader and is a member of the Board of Directors for the Upper Peninsula Publishers and Authors Association. In 2020, Mikel won the Historical Society of Michigan's George Follo Award for Upper Peninsula History. Classen makes his home in the oldest city in Michigan, historic Sault Ste. Marie. He is also a collector of out-of-print history books, and historical photographs and prints of Upper Michigan. At Northern Michigan University, he studied English, history, journalism and photography. His books: Au Sable Point Lighthouse, Beacon on Lake Superior's Shipwreck Coast was published in 2014 Teddy Roosevelt and the Marquette Libel Trial was published in 2015 by the History Press.Lake Superior Tales won the 2020 U.P. Notable Book Award for fiction.Points North is a non-fiction travel book received the Historical Society of Michigan's "Outstanding Michigan History Publication," along with a 2021 U.P. Notable Book Award. Since then, he has released, True Tales, the Forgotten History of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and Faces, Places, & Days Gone By, a Pictorial History of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, published by Modern History Press.Mikel is co-author of Yooper Ale Trails along with Jon C. Stott, also published by Modern History Press. He released his first novel, The Alexandria Code, an Isabella Carter Adventure, published by Modern History Press (2023). Piracy on the Great Lakes: True Tales of Freshwater Pirates received a 2026 U.P. Notable Book Award. To learn more about Mikel B. Classen and to see more of his work, go to his website at www.mikelbclassen.com.
