Gwinn - a "model town" with scenic lakes and historic homes
In the late 1800s, Gwinn was nothing more than a collection of planned homes for an iron mining company. It was known as a "model town," a moniker this community has embraced, with the "Modeltowners" mascot at Gwinn Middle/High School. About 20 miles south of Marquette, Gwinn is known for its scenic lakes and rural nature-oriented atmosphere. However, its most attractive feature is its concentration of amenities on the Escanaba River, with locally owned restaurants and historic architecture in the heart of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, also known as the UP. "Gwinn has numerous lakes for waterfront recreation, and there are a lot of places to hunt and fish," says Daniel Menard, a UP local and an associate broker at Coldwell Banker Schmidt Realtors. "Because it is a little farther from Marquette, its housing prices are a little nicer to the pocketbook."
Red maple-lined streets and early 1900s architecture
In Gwinn, mature red maple trees and eclectic architecture line the quiet streets. Housing styles include early 20th-century Craftsman bungalows, American Foursquare and split-level homes. Single-family home prices range from $80,000 to $470,000, while manufactured homes cost between $30,000 and $370,000.
Marquette County receives roughly 150 inches of annual snowfall, making it one of the snowiest places in the U.S. This is due to the lake-effect snow, caused by a mixture of cold and warm air on Lake Superior, creating heavy snowfall. Daily temperatures fall into the single digits during January and February.
Gwinn’s food scene features a steakhouse and a pizzeria
There is a wide variety of restaurants available to this community of less than 1,300 people. The Gwinn Inn is a local pizzeria with pool tables and a dive bar-style atmosphere. About 3 miles west, the Up North Lodge is a log cabin-style steakhouse known for its ribs. Daisy Jo's has a casual vibe, serving burgers, milkshakes and an all-day breakfast. The area's supermarket is Larry's Family Foods, which is locally owned and operated. The Sawyer Village Shoppette is another grocery store in the K.I. Sawyer area, a former military base around 7 miles north.
Riverfront parks and lakes offer recreation
The Farquar-Metsa Tourist Park features hiking trails and campgrounds on the Escanaba River, a popular waterway for rainbow trout fishing and swimming. The Forsyth Township Clubhouse is a recreation center with classes for all ages. Also nearby, Peter Nordeen Park has a basketball court, a playground and a pavilion by the river. The area has many lakes. Places like Bass Lake and Little Lake State Forest have campgrounds and public beaches. "Our winter sports are second to none," Menard says. "You can get anywhere across the UP on our snowmobile trails. They go from one end to the other."
Students explore nature and the arts at public schools
Gwinn Area Community Schools serves about 1,000 students with two elementary schools and one middle/high school. George D. Gilbert Elementary School provides online student resources and educational computer games for each subject. Gwinn Middle and High School serves grades 6-12. The Middle School Hike Club immerses students in nature with hiking field trips to local waterfalls and natural attractions. Gwinn High School Drama Club puts on multiple productions yearly, where students can perform or assist with the show's set design. All the community's schools earn C-plus grades from Niche. The Gwinn Area Community Schools District has a School of Choice program, meaning students living outside the attendance zone can apply to attend local schools.
Marq-Tran buses and SR-553 provide easy access to Marquette
The Marq-Tran system provides public transportation with a daily fixed route connecting Gwinn, Sawyer and Marquette with a pickup point at Gwinn Middle and High School. Gwinn sits at the intersection of state Route 553 and state Route 35. Marquette is the largest city in the Upper Peninsula, about 20 miles north. Around 10 miles north of Gwinn, the Marquette Sawyer Regional Airport offers daily direct flights to Chicago and Detroit.
