LAC LA BELLE

Region: Keweenaw Peninsula

The canal into Lac la Belle was created in the 1860s to ship out copper ore from inland mines.

This resort enjoys an unusually picturesque setting on the north shore of Lac La Belle, a lake named by early French explorers. A village developed here in the 1860s after a channel connected the lake with Lake Superior. A narrow-gauge railway brought ore from mines at Delaware and Medora to the lakeside stamping plant, now in ruins. It crushed rock so the smelter could extract the copper.

Haven Falls graces a pleasant little roadside park on the northern side of Lac la Belle as you head toward Gay.

The deep 1,100-acre lake has a rocky bottom good for bass, muskies, perch, pike, and walleye. Picturesque Haven Falls is in a charming roadside park with picnic area a half mile past where the road from Delaware turns west (right) at the lake. On the lakeshore near the train tracks stands one of the Keweenaw's oldest buildings, a two-story log house said to be over 200 years old.

A popular local swimming spot is at Bete Gris Beach (locals say "BAY duh GREE"), east of Lac La Belle a couple of miles beyond the Lac La Belle Lodge resort. Lake Superior Land, owner of most former mining land, created the first big development controversy when it sold off much of the beach as lots. A small part of the beach was saved for public use. Eagles nest at Bear Bluff across Bete Gris Bay and are seen here.

Looming over Lac la Belle, Mt. Bohemia's steep slopes are now exploited as an extreme skiing destination. In the foreground are cabins and warming huts.

Just north of Lac La Belle, Mount Bohemia rises high above Lake Superior.

The Mount Bohemia extreme ski hill opened in December, 2000. Mount Bohemia introduced to the Midwest a new level of advanced wilderness skiing, taking advantage of very steep slopes and heavy lake-effect powder from three directions. Billed as "the Rocky Mountain of the Midwest," Mount Bohemia had attracted ski fanatics before it even had lifts. Its previous owner had created a test ski slope in attempting to interest investors. Bohemia's remoteness proved too daunting until Crosswinds Communities, flush with money from suburban developments in southeast Michigan, bought the land and started the project. Mount Bohemia project became a lightning rod for anti-development forces.

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PLACES AROUND LAC LA BELLE TO

Eat Sleep Camp