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Though it's over a half-hour drive from L'Anse, partly over a narrow, twisty dirt road, the northern tip of the Abbaye Peninsula is a splendid spot, a rugged sandstone shelf almost surrounded by Lake Superior's Keweenaw Bay and Huron Bay. For many it can be a highlight of a U.P. trip.
The journey is in itself something of an adventure. Once you drive beyond the paved road, signs disappear, and woods surround you. You'll likely begin to hope a vehicle coming toward you around the bend is driving as cautiously as you are, for there's little if any room for two cars to pass. Fortunately, there aren't many visitors here.
 | | Lurking like humpback whales 7 miles off shore are the Huron Islands. | Close to the tip, one's appetite is whetted by a view of the rugged coastline of the peninsula's northern tip and, off to the east, the dark blue Huron Islands, a national wildlife area.
At the road's end are a small parking area, two outhouses, and an attractive wooden sign with a carved map of three little hiking trails through the fern-floored forest, from .3 to .6 miles long. A vehicle can actually continue on the two-track to a point just before the tip, where Baraga County allows you tocamp a night or two.
Point Abbaye itself is glorious—amazing layers of flat rocks that permit moving all along the edge. In places it is a sheer bluff. Off in the distance are the Huron Islands. (The lighthouse is not visible.) Looking down from the small bluff, you can see huge submerged boulders in the clear Superior water. Some hardy souls like to swim here.
This is not a place where you'd want to spend much time on windy or chilly days. It's too exposed. But for a short visit or a warm-weather overnight, Point Abbaye is a wonderful choice.
From downtown L'Anse, take Main Street/Skanee Road to the hamlet of Huron Bay at the Huron Bay's head (well before you get to Skanee). Then head north on its main street, Townline Road. Once past Karschney Rd., take the next road right (there's a yellow "No Outlet" sign there). Then just keep on truckin'. Don't turn off anywhere. And don't go too fast. It's a good idea to get a map at the Baraga County Tourist and Recreation Association on U.S. 41 at L'Anse.
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