23 Peninsula Point 
wildlife viewing
| directions and facility information
Photo: © Dave Case
This site is at the very tip of a long
peninsula that sticks out into Lake Michigan.
A National Historic Lighthouse sits on the point, and its 40-foot tower
makes an ideal vantage point for viewing wildlife and the spectacular
scenery along the rocky limestone shoreline. A one-mile hiking trail
through the wooded shoreline offers more “down to earth” wildlife viewing.
The woodlands along the shoreline are a unique mixture of white cedar,
white birch, and large cottonwood trees. During low water periods, up to
a quarter of a mile of limestone beach is exposed and becomes vegetated
with sedges, grasses, and wildflowers, enhancing habitat for migrating
butterflies and other wildlife.
 Wildlife
Viewing
Photo: © Dave Case
The historic lighthouse on this site makes a
great viewing platform. Take a camera and a pair of binoculars up the
circular iron staircase to get a bird’s-eye view of ducks, geese, gulls,
shorebirds, and songbirds. During fall and spring, this site serves as a
natural “launch pad” and “landing strip” for migrating birds that need to
rest and feed before or after their long, non-stop flight across Green Bay. Spring
warbler viewing is particularly good. Many birders come to the Point to
watch migrating eagles, hawks, and owls in spring and fall. Monarch
butterflies migrate as well. Thousands of these globe-trotting insects
congregate at the Point in the fall before continuing their migration to Mexico. A
special Monarch butterfly research project is coordinated by the US
Forest Service in cooperation with volunteers. The project monitors
larvae and tags adults. (Four tagged Monarchs have been found in winter
habitat in Mexico).
Several-to-many great blue herons are usually seen along the shoreline
from spring through fall. Heron chicks in a nearby nesting area, or
“rookery,” need a constant food supply to survive and grow. The adults
often stalk frogs and small fish in the waters off the Point.
Portions of this
area are open to public hunting.
Contact the Michigan Department of Natural Resources for affected seasons
and locations.
|
