2 Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park 
wildlife viewing |
directions and facility information
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.
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.
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 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."
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 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.
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.
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!
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.
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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>Watchable
Wildlife
Photo: MI DNR
