L'Anse, MI

L’Anse is Baraga County’s seat on the southern shore of Keweenaw Bay, where the Falls River reaches Lake Superior. The name comes from the French word for a cove or bay, and the setting gives the village a water-facing identity. French fur traders and a Jesuit mission were here early; later, shipping, rail service, timber, and county government gave the place a more permanent frame. Part of the village also lies within the L’Anse Indian Reservation.

The Falls River still runs through downtown, ending in a series of cascades, and the village’s waterfront park sits beside the bay. The current master plan ties the park to a waterfront trail and the Falls River Trail, which follows the river toward the falls and local fishing spots. L’Anse also carries the memory of an 1896 fire that destroyed much of the village. Put it on the map as a small Upper Peninsula county seat where a French-named bay, a river through downtown, Lake Superior, and the L’Anse Indian Reservation all meet.