 | | Don Hunt | | The French-named lake Lac la Belle, also the name of the scattered settlement of present-day cottages. | 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 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.
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 | | 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 new 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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LAC LA BELLE
RESTAURANTS,
LODGINGS
& CAMPGROUNDS
These are our choices, not ads.
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LAC LA BELLE
RESTAURANTS
Seasons
906 289-4118
Not many Michigan restaurants have as delightful a location as Seasons, perched above pretty Lac la Belle (the lake, not the hamlet). The current incarnation offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For breakfast the South Shore Breakfast ($6.50) includes two eggs, bacon, ham, or sausage, hash browns, toast, coffee or tea, and juice. There's also French toast or pancacks ($3.25) and corned beef & hash ($5.50).
There's a soup of the day for lunch ($2.50 a bowl), a $4.25 kids menu, salads ($2.25 to the $7.25 Season's Chef, mixed greens with fresh vegetables, marinated chicken, ham, Bacon, croutons, cheese and hard boiled egg). Sandcihes are about $6 to $8, a 6" pizz $3.85. for dinner deep-fried chicken (4 pieces) is $14.95, spaghetti $7.95.
11627 Superior St., on deadend road just past the boatlaunch overlooking the lake
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LAC LA BELLE
LODGINGS
LAC LA BELLE LODGE
(906) 289-4293
Four housekeeping cabins and two apartments are at what used to be called the Lac La Belle Resort (see above). The apartments are beneath the restaurant and store, where bait, tackle, and groceries are sold. See website for details. There's a dock and a newly improved beach and picnic area for guests. Consult website for details. Rentals are by the week in summer, by the night other times. On snowmobile trail. Open year-round.
The information above is being updated. The revised entries will be available by the middle of July, 2005, if not earlier. So be sure to check to get current prices and hours.
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LAC LA BELLE
CAMPGROUNDS
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