Wilderness State Park
| Wilderness State Park | |
|---|---|
 Wilderness State Park, June 2014 | |
  Location in Michigan | |
| Location | Bliss Township, Emmet County, Michigan, United States |
| Nearest city | Mackinaw City, Michigan |
| Coordinates | 45°44′03″N 84°54′10″W / 45.73417°N 84.90278°W [1] |
| Area | 10,512 acres (4,254 ha) |
| Elevation | 607 feet (185 m) [1] |
| Established | 1927[2] |
| Governing body | Michigan Department of Natural Resources |
| Website | Wilderness State Park |
Wilderness State Park is a 10,512-acre (4,254 ha) state park in the U.S. state of Michigan.[3] It is located in Emmet County in Northern Michigan. The nearest towns are Carp Lake and Mackinaw City. The state park is operated by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The Department has, as of 2006, approved a proposal that 4,492 acres (1,818 ha) (more than 50% of the state park) be officially dedicated as a wilderness area. Wilderness State Park was designated a Michigan "dark sky preserve" in 2012.[4]
Description
One of the most prominent physical features of the park is Waugoshance Point, which juts westward into northern Lake Michigan. Beyond the tip of the point, Temperance Island and Waugoshance Island are also parts of the state park. Waugoshance Point and the adjacent islands were described, as of 2006, as containing approximately one-third of the remaining Great Lakes habitat suitable for nesting by the endangered piping plover.
Wilderness State Park contains populations of many animals that are part of the traditional image of the northern Great Lakes ecosystem, including American black bear, beaver, bobcats, mink, muskrats, and otter. There have been unconfirmed reports of wolves in the Waugoshance Point area; the most recent being in 1997.[5]
Four Lake Michigan lighthouses are situated near the park's western boundary. Stations at: Grays Reef, Skillagalee Island, Waugoshance, and White Shoal, warn shipping away from the dangerous reefs and shoals of Waugoshance Point.
Activities and amenities
The state park offers swimming, picnicking, boat launch, fishing, a 250-site campground and cabins. The state park contains 16 miles (26 km) of trails for hiking, mountain biking, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling, that include a 10-mile-long (16 km) section of the North Country Trail.
References
- ^ a b "Wilderness State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ "Wilderness State Park General Management Plan" (PDF). Michigan Department of Natural Resources. p. A-7. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
- ^ "Wilderness State Park". Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
- ^ "Michigan's dark sky sites take the spotlight". Detroit News. April 8, 2016. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
- ^ DuFresne, Jim (2005). The Complete Guide to Michigan Sand Dunes. Ann Arbor MI: University of Michigan Press. p. 150.
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External links
- Wilderness State Park Michigan Department of Natural Resources
- Wilderness State Park Map Michigan Department of Natural Resources
