2 Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park 
wildlife viewing | directions and facility information
 Photo: MI DNR
Porcupine Mountains Wilderness
State Park is located at the
western edge of Michigan's Upper Peninsula
along the south shore
of Lake Superior.
It encompasses nearly 94 square miles of Ontonagon and Gogebic counties'
most rugged terrain. At the core of the park is a 48,808-acre dedicated
Wilderness Area. One of the park's most striking geologic features is an
extended basalt escarpment overlooking Lake of the Clouds and the Big Carp River
valley.
Topographic relief in the Porcupine
Mountains varies from 601 feet
at the surface of Lake Superior to almost 1958 feet at Summit Peak,
the highest point in the range.
This area has short, cool summers, no dry season, and long winters.
Precipitation averages 32 to 36 inches annually and is quite evenly
distributed throughout the year. The area is noted for its snowfall,
averaging over 15 feet annually. Lake effect snow is common and accounts
for a significant portion of this accumulation.
 
Mirror Lake is aptly named and provides
excellent cold water fishing.
Lake effect snows create a blinding blanket of white and an eerie
yet beautiful stillness. This wilderness area averages more than 15
feet of snow annually. Photos: MI DNR
The mountains were named by native Ojibwa people for their distinctive
"porcupine" profile when viewed from the east. The Ojibwa
occupied seasonal villages within the mountains. Burial sites are
recorded for locations within park boundaries. Limited copper mining and
logging occurred within the mountains beginning in 1845 and continued for
about a century until the area was purchased by the State of Michigan. Numerous
historical sites associated with these activities are found within the
park.
This “forest museum” was established in 1945
to protect the last extensive tract of uncut
hardwoods in the Midwest. The Porkies contains
Michigan’s
last large stand of mixed hardwoods
and hemlock. Photo: MI DNR
The state park was established in 1945 to protect the last extensive
tract of uncut hardwood forest remaining in the Midwest.
In the words of the Michigan Conservation Commission, "The primary
objective of the proposal [to set aside the Porcupine Mountains] was not
only to make available for public use the highest range of hills between
the Alleghenies and the Black Hills, but to preserve forever, as a forest
museum, the last large stand of mixed hardwoods and of hemlock still
existing in Michigan."
The Porkies is one of the Midwest’s
largest
wilderness areas. Breath-taking views such
as this waterfall are common. Photo: MI DNR
"The Porkies" is Michigan's
largest state park, and it is one of the Midwest's
largest wilderness areas. Noted for its hiking trails, scenic vistas,
wildlife, and striking geological formations, the outstanding feature of
the park remains the majestic old-growth forests it was dedicated to
preserve. Almost 35,000 acres of ancient forest sits more or less in the
center of the park. The Michigan Natural Features Inventory considers
this forested tract to be the "biggest and best tract of virgin
northern hardwoods in North America."
Everything is dewy and
green here, including a thin
hemlock nestled deeply
in this closed-canopy
northern forest.
Photo: MI DNR
The principal forest type throughout the park is a closed-canopy northern
forest dominated by sugar maple and eastern hemlock, with lesser amounts
of yellow birch, red maple, basswood, green ash, and northern red oak.
Bearberry, blueberry, juniper, and dwarfed pine occur along cliffs and
rock outcrops in several areas of the park. Forests of white cedar,
tamarack, and black ash occupy the flood plains of the Big and Little
Carp rivers.
 Wildlife
Viewing
The barred owl is a resident of dense,
mature woodlands, river bottoms, and
swamps. Their flight is silently skillful,
and their eyesight is keen for favorite
prey, including rodents, foxes, crows,
frogs, and snakes. Photo: MI DNR
The park offers a wide diversity of habitats in which to view
wildlife, including mature hemlock and hardwood forests, open cliff tops,
Lake Superior shoreline, successional forests of aspen and birch, and a
variety of wetland types. Park naturalists believe that the excellent
birding and wildlife viewing in the Porkies is
a bit under-rated.
By nodding his head, spreading his tail
and strutting, the male ruffed grouse
tries to impress the females. He calls to
potential mates by standing on a hollow
log and rapidly beating his cupped
wings, making a deep drumming sound
that carries a long way. Photo: MI DNR
Some of the better viewing opportunitues
occur for the following species: Birds (in season) - bald eagle, merlin, barred owl, common raven, pileated
woodpecker, black-throated green warbler, northern parula,
blackburnian warbler, black-throated blue
warbler, Swainson's thrush, veery,
hermit thrush, broad-winged hawk, whip-poor-will, common nighthawk,
northern saw-whet owl, common merganser, wood duck, great blue heron, and
American bittern.
The white-tailed deer is always a stunning sight,
especially in this wilderness venue. Photo: MI DNR
Mammals - black bear, fisher, red squirrel, varying hare, red fox,
gray wolf, coyote, bobcat, porcupine, striped skunk, and on occasion,
moose. In the early 1990s, black bears were a significant problem for
park staff and visitors. In recent years, good progress has been made in
keeping the black bear population wild. A combination of educational
efforts, bear-proof trash receptacles at trailheads, placement of
"bear-poles" at backcountry campsites, and other techniques
have been successful. Bears are still active and seen regularly in the
park. Visitors will need to continue to follow regulations and guidelines
regarding handling of food and trash. But there are now fewer nuisance
bear problems and more truly wild bears. The advice of DO NOT FEED THE
BEARS still applies, of course!
The shrill trill of gray tree frogs can be deafening
on a warm summer night. Gray tree frogs are not
always gray; in fact, they are frequently green or
light brown. Photo: MI DNR
Other wildlife - The size, quality, and diversity of the park's
forests makes them excellent places to see a wide variety of the smaller
forms of wildlife, including yellow spotted salamanders, wood frogs, wood
turtles, northern ring-necked snakes, red-bellied snakes, and a diversity
of unusual insects like horn-tails, giant ichnueman
wasps, dragonflies, stoneflies, and beetles.
Photo: MI DNR
Flora - the park is an excellent spot to see and study upper Michigan's native
flora. The spring ephemeral wildflower display in May is breathtaking. As
summer progresses, a wide variety of woodland wildflowers can be seen,
including coral-root orchids, rattlesnake plantain orchids, and a host of
other flowering plants. Many species of ferns, clubmosses,
lichens, and mosses (including some rare species) are also abundant.
The park is so vast and the opportunities so diverse that your first
stop should be the Visitors
Center to pick up
maps, brochures, and other information that will let you get the most out
of your visit here.
Portions of this area open to public hunting. Check with the Michigan
Department of Natural Resources for hunting seasons and regulations.
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