Copper Peak: Fall Color From Michigan's Giant Ski Jump

Rising out of the forest north of Ironwood like a steel ramp to the sky, Copper Peak is one of the most unusual structures in the Upper Peninsula and one of its best places to see fall color. It is a ski flying hill, a jump built for distances far beyond ordinary ski jumping, and it remains the only facility of its kind in the Western Hemisphere. In summer and autumn, visitors ride a chairlift up the hill, take an elevator up the tower, and step out onto an observation deck with a view that the operators say covers more than 2,500 square miles, three states, and Canada on a clear day, according to the Copper Peak Adventure Ride page. This year the site is also in the middle of a major reconstruction meant to bring international ski flying back to Michigan, which makes a visit feel like a glimpse of history in the making. Because of that work, the ride's 2026 schedule is far more limited than usual, so timing matters. This guide covers the hill's remarkable story, how to plan a visit this fall, and what else to see in the colorful country around Ironwood.

The Only Ski Flying Hill in the Western Hemisphere

Copper Peak was conceived in the late 1960s, when members of the Gogebic Range Ski Club approached Duluth structural engineer Lauren Larsen about building a giant jump on a rocky hill outside Ironwood. The structure was built in 1969 and opened in 1970, and it was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1971 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, as Wikipedia's history of the hill records. Ski flying is the extreme end of ski jumping, practiced on enormous hills, and it is the discipline that has produced all of the sport's world records, as Wikipedia's ski flying overview explains. Between 1970 and 1994, Copper Peak hosted ten competitions sanctioned by the International Ski Federation along with two other international events. Its hill record of 158 meters, about 518 feet, was set by Austrians Matthias Wallner and Werner Schuster on consecutive days in January 1994. No one has flown the hill since, which is exactly what the current reconstruction aims to change.

The hill beneath the jump has its own story. Known as Chippewa Hill, it is a felsite outcrop about three hundred feet high, and in 1845 the Chippewa Copper Mining Company dug a tunnel into it in search of copper that never materialized. That old tunnel and several excavation pits are still visible on the hill, a reminder that the Upper Peninsula's copper fever reached even this far west. The name Copper Peak is therefore a nod to a mine that never produced. Ironwood itself grew up on iron rather than copper, as the City of Ironwood celebrates, and the region's ski heritage runs just as deep. Michigan's other famous jumps, the Pine Mountain jump at Iron Mountain and Suicide Hill at Ishpeming, show how seriously the Upper Peninsula has always taken flying through the air on skis. Copper Peak is simply the most ambitious of them all.

Riding to the Top: The Adventure Ride in 2026

The experience that draws fall color seekers is called the Adventure Ride. A chairlift carries visitors up the hill, an 18-story elevator lifts them to the main observation deck, and the truly brave can climb eight more stories to the top starting gate where jumpers once pushed off, as described on the official ride page. From the top, the Ottawa National Forest unrolls in every direction, with Lake Superior on the northern horizon. In 2026, because of ongoing construction, the ride operates on Sundays only, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central Time, a change reported by The Globe in Ironwood. Tickets are not sold online this year, so plan to buy them on site. That makes autumn Sundays the golden window for a visit, and they can be busy when the color peaks.

Posted 2026 prices are $30 for adults, $25 for seniors, $15 for youths ages 5 to 14, and $75 for a family of two adults and their children, with children under 5 free. The operators note that weather can force unexpected closures and direct visitors to their social media channels for same-day updates. The site's visitor policies describe a short walk, roughly the length of two football fields each way, between the top of the chairlift and the elevator, and the operators state that they cannot currently accommodate wheelchair users. Dress warmly, because temperatures at the top of the tower can feel much colder than in the parking lot, especially with a breeze off Lake Superior. The Lake Gogebic Area Chamber's Copper Peak page is another useful planning resource for visitors combining the peak with nearby lakes and waterfalls. Arrive early on peak-color Sundays to avoid lines.

A Comeback in Progress

In 2022 the State of Michigan granted $20 million toward reintroducing international ski jumping at Copper Peak, and reconstruction of the landing hill began in 2025. A $20 million contract with Engineering and Construction Innovations covers the first phase, likely the largest construction project in Gogebic County's history, according to UPword Michigan's report on the project. Because competition standards changed since 1994, the work reshapes the landing slope and covers it with a concrete slab, and the same report says the International Ski and Snowboard Federation has committed to eight competitive events at the site once it is ready. The plan also calls for a synthetic surface that would allow summer jumping, an idea Teton Gravity Research described as part of an effort to create a year-round venue. Wikipedia lists December 2026 as the scheduled completion for the concrete landing hill and outrun. A second phase still needs additional funding, so no date has been set for the first competition.

The construction has affected other events as well. The Red Bull 400, a punishing race straight up the landing hill that drew athletes to Ironwood in past years, was canceled for 2026 because of the work, as WXPR reported in January. Organizers have said they hope to bring the race back once construction allows. For visitors, the upside is a front-row view of a once-in-a-generation rebuild from the top of the tower. Watching the reshaped landing hill take form below gives a sense of the sheer scale of ski flying. If the project reaches its goals, Copper Peak could again draw the world's best jumpers to the western Upper Peninsula. Wikipedia's Copper Peak article tracks the renovation's milestones as they happen.

Fall Color Around Ironwood and the Black River

Copper Peak sits within sight of some of the finest autumn scenery in the Midwest. The surrounding Ottawa National Forest covers nearly a million acres of the western Upper Peninsula, and its maple, birch, and aspen forests turn brilliant shades of red and gold, usually beginning in late September. Just below the peak, the Black River winds north toward Lake Superior past five named waterfalls, each with its own short trail, a route covered in our Black River Byway guide. The Forest Service's Ottawa National Forest website lists recreation sites, campgrounds, and current conditions throughout the forest. A drive down the byway to Black River Harbor, with stops at the falls, pairs naturally with a morning at the peak. Few itineraries in Michigan pack so much autumn color into so few miles.

To the northeast, the Porcupine Mountains and their famous Lake of the Clouds overlook are a little over an hour's drive away, and to the east lies Lake Gogebic, the Upper Peninsula's largest inland lake, both popular fall color destinations. Ironwood and neighboring Bessemer and Wakefield offer restaurants, lodging, and fuel, and the area's skiing heritage lives on at downhill resorts such as Big Powderhorn, Snowriver, and Whitecap. The City of Ironwood posts community information, while Wikipedia's Ironwood article traces the city's iron mining roots on the Gogebic Range. For a longer trip, our Ironwood travel guide covers the town in more depth. The western Upper Peninsula rewards travelers who slow down, so give yourself at least two days.

Planning Your Copper Peak Visit

Copper Peak stands north of Ironwood near the Black River, which tumbles past a string of named waterfalls on its way from near the peak to Lake Superior. Ironwood sits on U.S. 2 at the Wisconsin border, and the region keeps Central Time, which is worth remembering if you are arriving from elsewhere in Michigan on Eastern Time. Because the 2026 ride runs only on Sundays, build your weekend around that day and plan Saturday for the waterfalls or a lake. Check the Copper Peak ride page and the operator's social media for the final operating date of the season, since the 2026 closing date had not been posted. Lodging in Ironwood, Bessemer, and Wakefield ranges from motels to cabins, and peak-color weekends fill quickly. The Lake Gogebic Area Chamber and nearby visitor bureaus can help with reservations.

Pack layers, sturdy shoes for the walk to the elevator, and binoculars for scanning the distant horizon toward Lake Superior and the Porcupine Mountains. If heights make you uneasy, the main observation deck offers an excellent view without the final climb to the starting gate. Families should remember that the construction zone below is off limits and that staff direction is essential while the project is underway. A visit pairs well with our Lake Gogebic guide for a second day of color, fishing, and quiet water. For the bigger picture of the region's routes, the U.S. Route 2 corridor ties the western Upper Peninsula together. However you plan it, standing atop Copper Peak on a bright October Sunday is an experience you will not soon forget.