06 Clark Lake
Day-Use Area 
wildlife viewing | directions and facility information
Photo: Erwin Drabek,
US Forest
Service
As part of the 21,000-acre Sylvania Wilderness and Recreation
Area, this site has tremendous wildlife viewing potential. The day-use
area boasts an 820-acre lake with an extensive natural sand beach and a
magnificent stand of virgin northern hardwoods, hemlock, and cedar. The
8-mile Lakeshore Hiking Trail around Clark Lake
offers beautiful scenery and excellent wildlife viewing. Visitors must
register at the entrance station.
 Wildlife
Viewing
Barred owls are named for the dark vertical bars
that run down the breast from the neck to the feet.
Photo: Michael Genrich,
US Forest
Service
The stand of large, old trees at this site attracts an
interesting and diverse mixture of bird life. Barred owls are common
here, and while they are rarely seen during the day, you can often hear
their familiar “Who-cooks-for-you, who-cooks-for-you-all” cry at night.
The crow-size pileated woodpecker, which has a
flaming red crest atop its head, is a common sight as it prospects for
insects beneath the bark of old trees. Watch and listen for the many
woodland songbirds that live here during summer, including the red-eyed
vireo, blackburnian warbler, black-throated
green warbler, hermit thrush, and ovenbird. There is an excellent
probability of viewing loons on Clark Lake.
Bald eagles and (more infrequently) ospreys may also be seen flying or
perching around the lake, and broad-winged hawks
nest nearby. Little brown bats are a common sight near dusk on calm
summer evenings. Fishers, cat-size members of the weasel family, are seen
occasionally during winter.
The pileated woodpecker is a large, crow-sized
woodpecker common in old growth forests such as
those found around Clark
Lake.
Photo: MI DNR
Most of the Clark Lake Lakeshore Trail
lies within the designated wilderness area, so groups of hikers are
limited to ten people or fewer. Beautiful wetland areas may be seen along
the trail.
Portions of this area
are open to public hunting. Contact the Michigan
Department of Natural Resources for affected seasons and locations.
 
Photos: Erwin Drabek,
US Forest
Service
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