MARQUETTE — The League of Michigan Bicyclists is looking forward to its return to the Upper Peninsula for the MUP Bicycle Tour, returning Saturday through July16 to Marquette and other U.P. communities for the first time since 2019.

A new course for this year’s tour begins with two nights in Marquette followed by three nights in Munising. A mid-tour layover day in Munising gives riders plenty of time to explore nearby Grand Island National Recreation Area and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, which is unlike any other place in Michigan.

Riders will pedal down through Hiawatha National Forest to Manistique and Lake Michigan before taking two days back to Marquette, with an overnight stop in Chatham along the way for the first time in the tour’s history.

With more than 160 participants expected, the MUP Bicycle Tour has a significant local impact on the communities it visits, bringing economic activity and attention to the beauty of northern Michigan’s lakeshores and communities.

It also provides an opportunity for friendship and fellowship between local residents and bicyclists, including through the tour volunteer program. Volunteer openings for support drivers, support station assistants, meal coordinators and others are still available.

Contact event director Neal Glazebrook at neal@LMB.org to learn more.