Old Clark Mine – Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan

I’m going to be upfront right away about the Clark Mine in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula – there isn’t much to see here or even say about it. This was a spot I had marked on my Google Maps to go check out during my fall road trip to the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan. I like ghost towns, abandoned places, and old mining camps and ruins, and even though there wasn’t much information online about the Clark Mine, I wanted to check it out anyway.

Old Clark Mine – Location:

The Clark Mine is close to the town of Copper Harbor, Michigan and can be reached through some backroads, some of which are unpaved. It’s only about a 7 minute drive out of town and goes past Manganese Falls (which is a total disappointment, but we won’t get into that here).

When you’re done exploring the Clark Mine, it’s a little confusing on how to get out. I didn’t have cell service, so I winged it. I wanted to avoid driving on dirt roads as much as possible, as I didn’t know the condition of any of the roads around. In this area, there are a lot of unpaved logging roads and I felt that I could get lost here. My goal was to get back on US-41, so I took the route back through the Estivant Pines, as I knew that was a popular nature preserve area out here. Perhaps there is a better way out, but being unfamiliar with this area, I took the safe bet.

Visiting Clark Mine:

Along the way to the Clark Mine, you’ll feel like you’re deep in the forest. There’s some beautiful fall colors along this road. I discovered this small pond that made for a nice fall photo:

As you follow the road for the mine, keep an eye out for the sign – if you’re not looking for it, you may pass it by:

At the sign, turn into the large lot. The sign basically tells you everything there is to know about this old mine. It was built in 1853, and workers mined copper and manganese ore. The mine’s deepest shaft was 300 feet and it closed in 1901.

And that’s all there really is to it. All that’s left of this mining site is the old smokestack that was once part of the mine powerhouse and a pile of tailings. When I visited, there was a lot of broken glass here too, so be careful.

This isn’t a spot where you’ll spend a lot of time, as there’s not much left to see and you most likely will be all alone here. You probably won’t even see another car. And frankly, the Clark Mine is not all that interesting. But the beautiful fall colors and peaceful, extremely quiet forest setting was very nice.

The Clark Mine is well off-the-beaten path, but the Keweenaw Peninsula is filled with lots of old mines, some of which offer tours. The Quincy Mine is open year-round for tours and the Delaware Copper Mine tours offer seasonal tours in the summer months. Delaware Copper Mine is the closest to the Clark Mine, but they were closed for the season when I visited in mid-October.

Final Thoughts – Clark Mine in Copper Harbor, Michigan

The Clark Mine is definitely an off-the-beaten track stop on a Keweenaw Peninsula road trip. But it’s quick, peaceful drive through the forest and when visiting in the fall, you’ll be treated to beautiful autumn colors.