Grand Island National Recreation Area

Infobox_protected_area | name = Grand Island National Recreation Area
iucn_category = V

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caption =
locator_x = 186
locator_y = 32
location = Grand Island, Lake Superior, USA
nearest_city = Munising, Michigan
lat_degrees = 46
lat_minutes = 30
lat_seconds = 25
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 86
long_minutes = 39
long_seconds = 47
long_direction = W
area = 13,500 acres (54.6 km²)
established = 1990
visitation_num =
visitation_year =
governing_body = United States Forest ServiceThe Grand Island National Recreation Area is a National Recreation Area within the jurisdiction of the U.S. Forest Service. It is part of the Hiawatha National Forest. Located on Grand Island, Michigan offshore from Munising, Michigan, the Grand Island National Recreation Area covers approximately 13,500 acres (54.6 km²) of Lake Superior woodland. Grand Island's glacier-cut lake shoreline measures approximately 35 miles (56 km) in length. The island's maximum dimension is 8 miles (13 km) from north to south. Grand Island was elevated to the status of a National Recreation Area by the U.S. Congress in 1990.

Lake Superior dominates the Grand Island biotic environment. Even in high summer, the lake's temperature rarely rises above 48 °F (9 °C).

Grand Island's geology is an extension of the sandstone strata of the adjacent Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Island sandstone cliffs as tall as 300 feet (100 m) in height plunge down into the lake. A 23-mile (37 km) perimeter trail skirs much of the island's shoreline.

Native Americans quickly found the fisheries around Grand Island to be a resource for seasonal and year-round living. Artifacts from as early as 3300 years before the present (1300 B.C.E.) have been found.

Grand Island National Recreation Area is served during summer months by a tourist ferry and island tour bus. The ferry ride, which is less than 1 mile (2 km) long, shuttles between a dock on M-28, northwest of Munising, and Grand Island's Williams Landing. Ticket fees and an admission fee to the island are charged.

A small portion of Grand Island, the Thumb, remained privately owned as of 2006. The Thumb contains a historic lighthouse, the 1868 Grand Island Harbor Light or 'East Channel Light', on the eastern ship channel from Lake Superior into the port of Munising.

Recreational opportunities

The U.S. Forest Services recommends that visitors enjoy camping, fishing, hiking, hunting, mountain biking, and trapping on Grand Island, subject to state license laws. There are 17 campsites within the Grand Island NRA. The largest animal with a breeding presence on the island is the black bear, from which campers must protect themselves.

Mountain biking is banned in most of the Thumb. Rockclimbing is strongly discouraged because the island's dramatic sandstone cliffs are friable and crumbly.

The Grand Island Trail Marathon has been held every July since 2005. The event also features a 10K race.

External links

* [http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/hiawatha/recreation/special_management_areas/grand-island-trail/ Grand Island National Recreation Area official site]
* [http://www.greatlakesendurance.com/description_index.htm Grand Island Trail Marathon course description]