Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park
Michigan State Park · Ontonagon, Michigan
The Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, called the Porkies, covers about 60,000 acres of the western Upper Peninsula near Ontonagon and is Michigan's largest state park. It holds one of the largest stands of old-growth hardwood forest in the Midwest, a rugged Lake Superior shoreline, the Presque Isle River waterfalls and the Lake of the Clouds, a long lake seen from a cliff-top overlook a short walk from the road. Summit Peak has an observation tower, a campground sits at Union Bay, and rustic and backcountry cabins and yurts are bookable through the state system (confirm). It is for hikers, backpackers and photographers, and it is remote: the drive from Marquette or Duluth is long, cell service is patchy and the black flies and mosquitoes in June and July are serious. Allow two days at least. Autumn colour peaks around late September to early October. A Recreation Passport is required for vehicles - confirm current rules.
33303 Headquarters Road, Ontonagon, Michigan, 49953, United States
The park is open year-round, and the forest and trails can be entered at any hour, but the visitor centre, park office and ski area keep their own seasonal hours, so confirm them before a long drive. The visitor centre is usually staffed through the main summer and early autumn season and is limited or closed in the depths of winter. Some park roads, including the one to the Presque Isle River area, can be closed or only partly plowed after heavy lake-effect snow. The small Porcupine Mountains ski area runs only in winter when snow cover allows (confirm). Daylight is the sensible window for hiking: summer days run long, but late autumn dusk arrives early and the backcountry gets dark fast.
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