Noah Johnson Daily Press The Escanaba Municipal beach is busy as summer is in full swing.

ESCANABA — With summer in full swing, touristsare flock to the Upper Peninsula.

Reports provided by the Mackinac Bridge Authority (MBA) indicate that more and more people are traveling to the U.P. Kim Nowack, bridge director of the MBA, reported that 380,082 vehicles crossed the Mackinac Bridge during the month of May compared to 369,525 in 2023. For the month of May, traffic was up 2.9% and toll revenue was up 4.1% compared to the previous year.

Fayette State Park in Garden is experiencing similar numbers as previous years, even with less than ideal weather. Fayette Historic Site Lead Ranger, Aaron Thill, said that the park has been busy and will continue to be throughout the summer.

“We’re running about the same as our three-year average,” Thill said.

“Even with the weather being a little bit cooler and wetter than normal, we’re still right at around there.”

Thill said the rest of the summer should continue at a steady pace up until Labor Day.

The City of Escanaba is certainly feeling the influx of tourists as attractions and businesses are seeing an increase in traffic.

There could be several reasons for this, but Delta County Chamber Of Commerce Director Vicki Micheau points to the aesthetic of the area.

“We have experienced consistent tourism activity in our area so far this summer. Visitors are drawn to our waterfront community’s natural beauty and welcoming atmosphere,” Micheau said.

She added that the tourist season isn’t over and locals can expect more visitors in the coming weeks.

“Planning is still taking place for major events to be held later this season, which we believe will attract even more visitors and further enhance tourism in our community,” she said.

Downtown Development Authority Director Craig Woerpel echoed Micheau, saying he expects the area to continue to get busy, especially with the U.P. State Fair just around the corner.

“Things are going pretty well,” Woerpel said. He pointed to the past few weeks as different tour buses as well as cruise ships have visited the area, bringing people to the area.

“I’ve actually been impressed with the number of people I’ve been seeing walking downtown,” Woerpel said.

Natalie Tourangeau, a waitress at the Swedish Pantry, said the restaurant is experiencing more traffic during the season.

“I’d say it’s definitely been busier with the tourist season,” Tourangeau said.

She said that the cruise ships as well as bus tours coming through town have increased the amount of patrons dining at the restaurant. The Swedish Pantry does not plan to slow down anytime soon, quite the opposite in fact.

“I’d expect it to continue through August, (but) we might have a little uptick in September just because we do get a boost from tourists coming to look at the leaves when they change colors in the fall,” Tourangeau said.

Rob McNamara, a supervisor at Nirvana Recreational Cannabis Dispensary said sales have been pretty steady the past few weeks, some of which is due to tourists.

“We do see a lot of out of state traffic,” McNamara said.

Other tourist attractions such as the beaches and the Sand Point Light House are seeing an influx of tourism

The Sand Point Light House at the Delta County Historical Society is popular attraction every year, but this year has been even busier.

Karen Lindquist, a volunteer with the museum said that the attraction is doing better this year than previous ones.

“It feels busier than it’s been in the past,” Lindquist said. “We certainly have more admissions.”