
Check out a kayak or paddle board from Rec Sports
46.5588° N, 87.3937° W
Explore Marquette and the UP in fun and exciting ways by renting recreational equipment from NMU Rec Sports. You can rent kayaks, paddleboards, and so much more. The rental center is located near the PEIF (Physical Education and Instructional Facility). See what rec sports and Marquette has to offer.

Hike and swim at Rum Runners
46.6166° N, 87.4651° W
Rum Runners Cove is a beautiful place to hike and swim in the Marquette area. The amazing cove is just a short hike away from Wetmore landing. You can hike there on two different trails, either hike on the trail that is to the right (East) of Wetmore Landing’s parking lot or head to the beach and walk along the shore with the lake on your left. Either route you take will have scenic views that will take your breath away.

Watch an ore boat dock at upper harbor
46.5833° N, 87.3856° W
Enjoy the fascinating process of watching a boat dock at Marquette’s last operating pocket ore dock. Go with friends or relax alone and watch this captivating sight of the huge freighters coming to shore.

Play volleyball at McCarty's Cove
46.5469° N, 87.3779° W
Go with friends or make new ones and play beach volleyball at Mccarty’s Cove. This beach is just minutes away from campus. Soak up the sun and have some fun on the sand.

Go hammocking at Wetmore Landing
46.6166° N, 87.4651° W
Relax and listen to the waves of Lake Superior while hammocking at Wetmore Landing. Don’t have a hammock? No worries! You can rent one from NMU Rec Sports.

See the northern lights
Marquette and the UP have breathtaking spots where you can watch the northern lights. You are most likely to see the beautiful auroras between August and April. Go on a cool, clear night and gaze up at the sky in hopes of catching a glimpse of the dancing lights.

Watch the sunset at Sunset Point
42.1586° N, 80.1149° W
Within Presque Isle Park is the stunning sunset point. Take in the breathtaking colors of the sunset off of Lake Superior.

Hike Sugarloaf Mountain
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Sugarloaf is one of the more popular hiking trails here in Marquette. Look out onto the lake or the surrounding forest and enjoy the sights. This one-hour hike is loved by all.

Photograph the sunrise over Lake Superior
Lake Superior has magical views all around. Grab yourself some coffee and make your way towards the lake to watch the sunrise. You won’t regret waking up early once you see the beautiful colors the sunrise has to offer.

Make a featured Melted sandwich
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Located right on campus in the C.B. Hedgcock building is the delicious Melted restaurant. This NMU eatery consists of over 1,000 different types of grilled cheese. You can even make your own! If you think your own creation is good enough to share, you can apply to make it a featured sandwich of the month.

Go to a show at the Forest Roberts Theatre
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The Forest Roberts Theatre is our playhouse on campus. This theatre is filled with talented students that host around six big productions each year. Support your fellow wildcats and attend one of these amazing shows.

Boop the snoot and pound the paw at the Wildcat statue
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Take part in one of Northern’s newer traditions. Jump up and give our Willy the Wildcat statue a boop on his snoot or pound his paw for a bit of extra luck on your next exam. Willy is always ready for his close-up.

Hike Mount Marquette in the fall to see the colors
46° 30' 51.2" N 87° 24' 8.2" W
Mount Marquette is an incredible overlook, perfect to view some of the amazing fall colors the UP has to offer. Hike, bike, or drive up the mountain to surround yourself with vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows.

Go to an NMU hockey game
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If you aren’t a hockey fan now, you will be when you get here. The Berry Events Center is home to our NMU hockey games. Show your NMU spirit and gear up to cheer on the NMU Wildcats.

Get belay certified at the PEIF
46.5588° N, 87.3937° W
The Physical Education Instructional Facility, or what we call the PEIF, is our campus gym. Within the PEIF is a full-sized rock wall where students can improve their climbing skills. You can even get belayed certified to climb with a friend. The Outdoor Recreation Staff will show you the ropes.

Experience fat tire biking
46.5602° N, 87.4076° W
Do you love biking but don’t have a way to keep up the sport when there is snow on the ground? It’s not a problem at NMU. You can rent fat-tire bikes at the Wildcat Fit Zone as a student at NMU. The Fit Zone is between Van Antwerp and Hunt Hall. Fat tire bikes allow you to easily get around in sand, snow, and so much more!

Snowshoe around Presque Isle
42.1586° N, 80.1149° W
Presque Isle Park has so much to offer. From incredible hiking trails to sunset point, there is so much to do. That doesn’t change in the winter months. So bring your own or rent snowshoes to explore the sights Presque Isle has to offer.

Cross country ski on local trails
The Noquemanon Trail Network maintains 8 trail systems close to campus and around the central UP, which students can ski for free. You can bring your own or rent cross country ski equipment from NMU Rec Sports.

Adventure to the Eben Ice Caves
46.3769° N, -86.9593° W
The Eben Ice Caves are about 45 minutes away from campus; however, they are well worth the trip. Exploring the ice caves is an amazing experience that you don’t want to miss. Venture under frozen waterfalls and enjoy everything the caves have to offer.

Cheer on the sled dogs at the start of the UP 200
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The UP 200 is a sled dog race that starts right in downtown Marquette. So grab your friends and some warm clothes and cheer on all the racers and the cute pups, of course!

Visit the Devos Art Museum
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The Devos Art Museum is right on campus, just across the street from the Hedgcock Student Service Building. It is filled with incredible artwork that is completely free for students to go and admire. At the end of each semester, it is turned into a senior showcase, so you can see what your fellow students have been working on.

Explore Hidden Beach
20.7041° N, 105.5649° W
Hidden Beach is the perfect place to go with friends who love to hike, swim, and explore. This beach is amazing for soaking up the sun, star gazing, and relaxing right on Lake Superior.

Road trip with new friends to Pictured Rocks
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Pictured Rocks is located near Munising, Michigan, which is about an hour from campus. Hike to incredible waterfalls, travel the shoreline or even take a cruise along the National Lakeshore.

Join a student organization
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NMU has over 300 different student organizations that you can join. Make new friends by joining any organization that interests you. Check out what clubs and organizations NMU has on The Hub.

Find the beautiful waterfalls at Dead River Falls
46.5692 ° N, -87.4784° W
Take an incredible hike alongside the Dead River. Along the way, you will see an array of beautiful waterfalls, well-worn volcanic rock, rippling rivers, and so much more. This hiking trail is only a short drive away from campus, so grab your friends and go chase some waterfalls.

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