Porcupine Mountains

Infobox_protected_area | name = Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park
iucn_category = II

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caption =
locator_x = 172
locator_y = 33
location = Michigan, USA
nearest_city = Ontonagon, Michigan
lat_degrees =
lat_minutes =
lat_seconds =
lat_direction = N
long_degrees =
long_minutes =
long_seconds =
long_direction = W
area = convert|59020|acre|km2
established = 1945
visitation_num =
visitation_year =
governing_body = Michigan Department of Natural Resources

The Porcupine Mountains, or Porkies, are a group of small mountains spanning across the northwestern Upper Peninsula of Michigan in Ontonagon and Gogebic counties, near the shore of Lake Superior. The area is part of the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. The Porcupine Mountains were named by the native Ojibwa people, supposedly because their silhouette had the shape of a porcupine.

The Porcupine Mountains were the site of copper mining in the 19th century. One of these mines is the Nonesuch Mine, which prospered from 1867 to 1912. The Porkies are also the location of a large stand of old growth forest, and home to many black bears. The area is popular among tourists, especially the Lake of the Clouds in the heart of the mountains.

The most striking geological feature of the Porcupine Mountains is the long basalt and conglomerate escarpment parallel to the Lake Superior shore and overlooking Lake of the Clouds, a continuation of the same copper-bearing bedrock found farther northeast on the Keweenaw Peninsula. A second ridge farther inland, on the other side of Lake of the Clouds, includes Summit Peak, the highest point in the mountains at 1,958 feet (595 m). Rivers, waterfalls, swamps, and lakes lie between the rocky outcroppings. There are a number of waterfalls on the Presque Isle River in the extreme western side of the park.

Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park

Porcupine Mountains State Park was established in 1945 to protect the last large stand of old-growth forest remaining in Michigan. Then in 1972, Michigan passed the Wilderness and Natural areas Act. This act gave the park the new designation of the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. The facilities provided by the park include an extensive network of backcountry trails for hiking and backpacking, rustic trailside cabins, modern campgrounds, swimming and boating areas, and various interpretive programs led by park rangers. The North Country Trail passes through the park. In the winter, a ski area also operates within the park.

Because of the copper mining history of the park, it is a cooperating unit of Keweenaw National Historical Park.

Facilities and activities

*Skiing
*Swimming
*Hunting - The entire park is open to hunting during established seasons.
*Hiking - Twenty-three miles of the North Country Trail are within the park. There are several other extensive trails.
*Cross-country skiing on groomed and ungroomed trails
*Backpacking
*Snowshoeing
*Fishing
*Canoeing
*Boating
*Mountain biking
*Picnicking
**Picnic Area
**Picnic Shelter
*Camping
*Rustic Cabins
**Union River Cabin
*Metal Detecting
*Porcupine Mountains Music Festival

External links

* [http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/ParksandTrailsInfo.aspx?id=426 Michigan DNR Porcupine Mountain Wilderness State Park page]
* [http://www.unep-wcmc.org/wdpa/sitedetails.cfm?siteid=21895&level=nat World Database on Protected Areas - Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park]
* [http://www.mecprotects.org/MER/OCT02/porcupine.html The Michigan Environmental Council Report]
* [http://www.porkiesfestival.org The Porcupine Mountains Music Festival]