Jeremy Bradley rides the track for the adult dual slalom for the 2019 Marquette Trails Festival presented by Embers Credit Union. The festival featured mountain bike races, trail running races and socials. This is one example of the many outdoor recreation opportunities in Marquette County that attract locals and visitors alike. Due to the draw of Marquette County’s trail systems, waterfalls and miles of Lake Superior shoreline, agencies are working to spread the word about responsible eco-tourism practices. (Journal file photo)

MARQUETTE — With 83 miles of Lake Superior shoreline, 150 miles of singletrack trails and 77 waterfalls spread across 1,872 square miles, Marquette County’s natural beauty often inspires visitors and residents alike to get outdoors.

This is evidenced by data from Travel Marquette, which indicates the primary purposes for overnight leisure trips to the area are summer and winter outdoor activities, general relaxation, festivals and events.

Furthermore, the agency found Marquette County’s highest satisfaction ratings are in “outdoor experiences, environments sensitivity and unique local dining,” Travel Marquette Executive Director Susan Estler said an email.

However, when natural areas receive many visitors, it can put a strain on the environment, especially if those who visit the area litter, go off designated trails or disturb wildlife. Due to this, local agencies are working to spread the word about responsible eco-tourism.

“What’s most important to Marquette County and its residents is that every visitor that has the opportunity to experience our outdoor environments treat it with the respect it deserves,” Estler said. “Our hope is that given the right educational opportunities and events that we host in Marquette, more and more people will have access to the tools they need to learn more about responsible eco-tourism.”

One example of an educational opportunity offered by Travel Marquette is a partnership with the Noquemanon Trail Network to offer “expert led trail talks to educate and inspire both locals and visitors to experience the great Upper Peninsula outdoors,” Estler said.

“This partnership provides education and etiquette on using the trails, waterfalls, vistas and rivers,” she said. “Having a partner like NTN has provided a new type of tourism activity that ties directly back to its mission of not only promoting the use of the trails but also educate the public on proper trail use in order to maintain the natural and untouched beauty of it.”

Another potential educational opportunity kicked off Thursday and runs through Sunday: the annual Fresh Coast Film Festival, “a documentary film festival that celebrates the outdoor lifestyle, water-rich environment and resilient spirit of the Great Lakes and Upper Midwest,” Estler said.

And with many visitors to the area here for outdoor recreation, it’s important to remember that walking or biking to a destination rather than driving can reduce the carbon footprint of a visit, said Emily Leach, who serves as the chair of the Climate Adaptation Task Force.

“Take advantage of Marquette being such a walkable and bikeable community within the city and the surrounding trails,” Leach said in an email. “Some hotels (such as the Landmark Inn) provide bikes for use! There are also local businesses that rent out bikes for use. Marquette received an award recently for being a bikeable community.”

Beyond these opportunities, “not loving areas to death,” is also important, Leach said as “with an influx in tourism, we need to bring focus to other natural areas to encourage spreading out brunt of environmental impact, and give trails and scenic natural areas time to bounce back.”

Along the same lines, Travel Marquette is working to promote a wider range of areas for visitors to explore.

“The fall season is certainly still a busy season for us and for our tourism activities,” Estler said. “With that said, it’s so important to us that we tell the full Marquette County story and promote the diversity of where visitors can go to see fall foliage and offer specific activities they should explore that might be lesser known but still offer the best undiscovered experiences that we know travelers are yearning for.”

Travel Marquette is also working with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to “continue our learning on the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of Marquette’s natural and cultural resources,” Estler said.

For those who want to help further, they can support local trail networks and natural areas by donating or volunteering, Leach said. Volunteering with groups that support sustainable environmental tourism — such as the Superior Watershed Partnership, MooseWood Nature Center, Northern Michigan University Conservation Crew and Marquette County Conservation District — can also make a big difference, she said.

Overall, Estler hopes to continue educating locals and visitors alike, Estler said.

“Travel Marquette promotes the beauty of where we live by focusing on three core pillars: respect, protect and connect,” she said. “Practicing responsible environmental stewardship in Marquette County ties back to those pillars and it’s the locals who drive that home for us whether they’re rubbing shoulders with visitors on the trails or sitting next to them on the beach.”

Cecilia Brown can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 248. Her email address is cbrown@miningjournal.net.