Student walking behind a green on Portage Lake Golf Course.

Untamed state parks on Lake Superior shores, the snowiest city in the Midwest, a 500-acre trail system, and temperate Keweenaw Peninsula summers ideal for hiking, biking, camping, and paddling—four seasons of wow await at Michigan Tech.

Indoor recreation at our Student Development Complex offers endless ways to enjoy leisure time and improve fitness. Ice rink to climbing wall, dance studio to weight-training room, tennis courts to pool, Tech offers campus and community programs for all ages, interests and athletic levels.


Activities 

Biking

The Upper Peninsula is one of the predominant places for biking in the Midwest. The trails are abundant and so are the bicyclers who love a challenge. Explore the bike paths of the Tech Trails, conveniently located off Sharon Ave near Michigan Tech's Student Development Complex. You can go it alone or join one of many student or local biking organizations. The Copper Country Cycling Club (C4), a student organization, hosts the Copper Country Color Tour, an annual fall cycling tour of the Keweenaw Peninsula. It's a wonderful way to enjoy the fall colors.

OAP Biking, Copper Country Cycling Tour Information, Copper Harbor Trails Club, Keweenaw Trails, Tech Trails, Up North Trails


Students around a campfire with a tent in the background.

Camping

With outdoor activities for every season, the Keweenaw is an ideal place to take a camping staycation. Why drive several hours when you can set up a wilderness retreat just minutes from campus? Enjoy the Keweenaw's relaxed summer atmosphere—take summer classes and camp out during the weekends. Immerse yourself in the Upper Peninsula fall and experience firsthand the changing of the seasons. Camp at Fort Wilkins in Copper Harbor and take a trip back in time. Check out Michigan Tech's Outdoor Adventure Program website, and you'll see there's no shortage of campsites in the Keweenaw.

OAP Camping


Student throwing a disc at a disc golf basket on the Michigan Tech course.

Disc Golf

Birdies, drives, putts—and baskets. Disc golf is fun, inexpensive, and easy to try. Find the nine-hole course, opened in 2006, near A. E. Seaman Mineralogical Museum, across from the Intramural Fields on Sharon Avenue by the Advanced Technology Development Complex. The new, 18-hole course (signage going up in spring 2017) is on the other side of Sharon Avenue. Park by the softball diamonds and enter the Tech Trails. You'll see the first tee on the right. Weekly league play (including winter play on SDC courts when available) is arranged via listserv. Email ksgulan@mtu.edu to get on the list.

Michigan Tech Recreation Facilities Information


Hiking

Whether you'd prefer to blaze your own trail or just stick to the beaten path, the Keweenaw offers a plethora of hiking opportunities. Admire the view of Lake Superior atop Mount Houghton and see for yourself why the Keweenaw Peninsula is known as “Michigan's Top of the World.” Or take a hop, skip and a jump to the Tech Trails. Explore historic mining towns, or venture into the woods and spy wildlife. Not one for mountaineering? Get outside and have an out-the-door experience on a guided hike with Michigan Tech's Outdoor Adventure Program. No matter where you go, one thing is for certain when you're afoot in the Keweenaw, you're sure to witness something amazing—so don't forget your camera!

Hiking in the Keweenaw, Tech Trails, Up North Trails


People playing ultimate frisbee.

Intramural Sports

The Michigan Technological University Intramural Recreational Sports Services Program mission is to provide a wide variety of recreational activities that will appeal to the leisure-time pursuits of the students, faculty, and staff. We encourage that participation be for fun, fitness, and friendship. We promote and honor individual and team sportsmanship. We provide the opportunity for students to compete against and interact with other students, thus promoting good citizenship and socialization. Student employees develop social and leadership skills that are essential for lifelong learning. The Intramural-Recreational Sports Services program is designed to be consistent with the educational objectives of Michigan Technological University.

Intramural Sports


Paddling

With an abundance of rivers and lakes, the Keweenaw is a paddling mecca. Tour the beautiful shorelines of Lake Superior, which has the largest surface area of any freshwater lake in the world. Meet fellow paddlers at a weekly social paddle hosted by the Keweenaw Paddling Club at Michigan Tech. In the winter, brush off the snow and brush up on your skills—the club holds lessons on basic paddling maneuvers, including kayak rolling, in the Student Development Complex pool. Don't know where to start? Launch yourself into something new with Michigan Tech's Outdoor Adventure Program. Try your hand at paddling on a day trip with the program and scout out wildlife from a rental kayak or canoe on a serene river.

Canoeing and Kayaking in Copper Harbor, Paddling in the Keweenaw


Cross country skiers at the Tech Trails

Skiing

Whether downhill or cross-country skiing is your pleasure, the Keweenaw offers some of the best terrain and trails in the Midwest. Our area is powdered regularly, receiving an average snowfall of 200 or more inches a year. Mont Ripley welcomes all snow enthusiasts with beginner areas and lessons, as well as more advanced terrain, including more than 30 features with jumps and slides to challenge your abilities. Mount Bohemia is not recommended for beginners; designed for the backcountry thrill seeker, this hill has the longest runs with the highest vertical and deepest powder in the Midwest. If you prefer the quietude of the woodlands, have a cross-country adventure on one of the Keweenaw’s many trail systems. The Tech Trails and Recreational Forest, located right here on campus across from the Student Development Complex, spans 500 acres with 35 kilometers of trails, half of which is lighted during the winter months.

Copper Harbor Trails Club, Keweenaw Trails, Mont Ripley, Mount Bohemia, Nordic Ski Club, Tech Trails, Keweenaw Trail Annual Memberships, Up North Trails


students practicing football

Sports Camps

Michigan Tech Sports Camps are for a wide range of ages and interests. Participants develop confidence and skills in a sport or activity and receive guided lessons and valuable practice from Michigan Tech coaches and assistants. Practicing with other dedicated players and coaches will push your child to be his or her best. Participants may elect to stay in Michigan Tech’s residence halls, and get a taste of college living, or commute from home.

Sports Camps


Facilities

Interior of the Gates Tennis Center.

Gates Tennis Center

Michigan Tech’s Gates Tennis Center is the area’s premier indoor tennis facility. For beginners to pros and everyone in between, the center has all of the top amenities, including four professional-quality indoor courts, all recently resurfaced; ball machine for practices and drills; locker rooms with showers; and a pro shop with staff capable of handling all of your equipment needs, restringing racquets, performing repairs, and answering questions.

Gates Tennis Center, Experience Tech


People golfing at the Portage Lake Golf Course

Portage Lake Golf Course

You needn't drive far to find a golf course on par with the best in the Western Upper Peninsula—Portage Lake Golf Course (PLGC). Established in 1903 and acquired by Michigan Tech in 1945, PLGC is one of the oldest golf courses in the area. The course features a beautifully irrigated, 18-hole green. Take a respite from the elements and quell your hunger and thirst at the Par and Grill, renovated in 2008. Stop by the Pro Shop and pick up all the essentials for your game or get your PLGC branded attire, including T-shirts, hats and more. Apply for an annual pass at the Pro Shop and save some green on the green, with perks that include guest passes, merchandise and tournament discounts, complimentary pull carts and more.

Portage Lake Golf Course, Experience Tech


Mont Ripley

Michigan Tech boasts the oldest ski hill in Michigan—Mont Ripley. Located across the Portage Canal from the University, Mont Ripley is as iconic as the Portage Lake Lift Bridge. The Copper Hoist, one of three lifts, was added in 2007, and runs up the east side of the mountain, providing access to a half-dozen ski runs. The T-bar runs up the middle of the hill, and the Husky Lift serves the west side. With three terrain parks, runs ranging from beginner to expert in difficulty, a tubing park, and a diverse offering of skiing and snowboarding lessons, there's something for everyone at Mont Ripley. Michigan Tech students can enjoy Mont Ripley for free through the Experience Tech initiative.

Mont Ripley Website, Snow Report, Experience Tech


Exterior of the Student Development Complex

Student Development Complex

Incredible facilities, modern equipment, and enough variety to keep the whole family active and motivated—Michigan Tech’s Student Development Complex (SDC) provides four seasons of recreation and fitness activities for students, faculty, staff, and the community. Michigan Tech students have access to the SDC through student fees. Faculty, staff, and community members can purchase memberships in a variety of price and length options. Daily passes are also available.

SDC Facilities, More about the SDC, Memberships, passes, lockers, and rentals


People running on the Tech Trails.

Tech Trails

With more than 500 acres, Tech Trails is an expansive paradise for hikers, bikers, and Nordic and cross-country skiers. Half of the trail system is lighted during the winter, allowing for evening adventures. If you want to try cross-country skiing but you're not ready to commit to purchasing gear, join Michigan Tech's Nordic Ski Club and use their equipment at no charge. The trail system has played host to the Junior Olympics and the US Cross Country Championships. Whether you're looking for a place to commune with nature or a gnarly trail to test your skills, Tech Trails is the place to do it.

Recreational Forest and Nordic Ski Trails, Trail Maps, Trail Cam, Experience Tech 


HuskiesFit Programs

Kayaking in the pool.

Adult Programs

HuskiesFit Programs offers a wide variety of adult fitness classes—whether you’re looking to kick up your fitness routine with aerobics, improve both your physical and mental well-being with aikido, center yourself with yoga, or add some Latin zest to your workout with Zumba/aqua Zumba. An organized class can help you build an exercise routine and stay accountable to yourself, while enjoying camaraderie with classmates. Class offerings change seasonally, and registration sessions open at the beginning of the fall, spring, and summer semesters.

Adult Programs


kids at a youth program

Youth Programs

Need a place for your child to explore an athletic interest? Could she or he benefit from blowing off some steam—and really, who couldn’t? HuskiesFit Programs is a great way to introduce your child to a fun activity that could spark a lifelong diversion or interest. Our youth classes teach healthy fitness habits and provide a safe, supportive learning environment with skilled instructors. Class offerings change seasonally and may include aikido, dance, hockey, ice skating, swimming, tennis, tumbling, and more. Registration sessions open at the beginning of the fall, spring, and summer semesters.

Youth Programs