Wilderness State Park

Wilderness State Park
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)
Location within the state of 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 / 45.73417; -84.90278Coordinates: 45°44′03″N 84°54′10″W / 45.73417°N 84.90278°W / 45.73417; -84.90278
Area	10,512 acres (4,254 ha)
Established	1928 ^[1] ^[2]
Governing body	Michigan Department of Natural Resources
http://www.dnr.state.mi.us/parksandtrails/details.aspx?id=509&type=SPRK

Wilderness State Park is a 10,512-acre (4,254 ha) state park in the U.S. state of Michigan. 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.

Description

The location of Waugoshance Point and Wilderness State Park

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.^[3]

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.

Facilities and activities

Beach on Lake Michigan

Swimming: The beach is mainly rocky with a low slope, except in the campground area where the beach is primarily sand with a sandy lake bottom.
Hiking: Most of the state park is inaccessible by road. The state park contains 22.75 miles (36.61 km) of mapped trails, including a 5.5-mile-long (8.9 km) section of the North Country Trail.
Mountain biking
Cross-country skiing
Snowmobiling
Fishing
Boating: A launch gives vessels access to Big Stone Bay on Lake Michigan.
Picnicking
Playground
Camping: Camping in the park is either in the 250-site campground with "modern" amenities or in one of nine cabins located along the shore and in the woods. Sturgeon Bay, Waugoshance, Station Point, Caps and Bigstone cabins are located along or near the lakesore on Waugoshance Point. The Nebo cabin is located about one mile back along a hiking/fire trail in a wooded area of the park. These cabins sleep as few as 4 or as many as 8 and are "rustic" with no running water (hand pumps at each cabin), no flush toilets and a wood stove to provide heat. The other 3 cabins are located near the Pines campground and can sleep up to 24 people each. All cabins are accessible by vehicle except during the Winter months they are accessible by cross country ski or snowmobile in the winter months.
Metal detecting: Metal detecting is permitted in designated areas of the park; however, any found items are subject to review by park staff and may be retained pending further investigation.

References

↑ http://umbs.lsa.umich.edu/research/sites/default/files/researchsites/docs/wildernesshistory.rtf "IN 1928, THE LANDS WERE TURNED OVER TO THE PARKS DIVISION AND THE AREA OFFICIALLY BECAME "WILDERNESS STATE PARK." "
↑ https://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/Wilderness_GMP_462495_7.pdf Appendix A page 7.
↑ DuFresne, Jim (2005). The Complete Guide to Michigan Sand Dunes. Ann Arbor MI: University of Michigan Press. p. 150.

External links

Wilderness State Park Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Wilderness State Park Natural Area Michigan DNR
Wilderness State Park Metal Detecting Map Michigan DNR
Wilderness State Park Photos and Discussion
Wilderness State Park Protected Planet (World Database on Protected Areas)

Protected areas of Michigan

See also: Important Bird Areas of Michigan

National

Parks	Isle Royale Keweenaw (Historical) River Raisin (Battlefield)

Lakeshores	Pictured Rocks Sleeping Bear Dunes

Landmarks	Black Spruce Bog Natural Area Dead Stream Swamp Dukes Research Natural Area Grand Mere Lakes Haven Hill State Natural Area Newton Woods Porcupine Mountains Roscommon Virgin Pine Stand Strangmoor Bog Tobico Marsh Toumey Woods Warren Woods State Park

Forests	Hiawatha Huron-Manistee Ottawa

Wildlife Refuges	Detroit River Harbor Island Huron Kirtlands Warbler Wildlife Management Area Michigan Islands Michigan Wetland Management District Seney Shiawassee

Other	Grand Island National Recreation Area Father Marquette National Memorial Saint Helena Island National Scenic Area Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

State

Parks	Algonac Aloha Baraga Belle Isle Bewabic Brimley Burt Lake Cambridge Junction Cheboygan Clear Lake Coldwater Lake Craig Lake Dodge #4 Duck Lake Fayette Fisherman's Island Fort Michilimackinac Fort Wilkins Grand Haven Grand Mere Harrisville Hart-Montague Trail Hartwick Pines Hayes Mill Creek P.H. Hoeft P.J. Hoffmaster Holland Indian Lake Interlochen Kal-Haven Trail Lake Gogebic Lakelands Trail Lakeport Leelanau Ludington Mackinac Island Maybury F.J. McLain Mears Meridian-Baseline Mitchell Muskallonge Lake Muskegon Negwegon Newaygo North Higgins Lake Onaway Orchard Beach Otsego Lake Palms Book Petoskey Porcupine Mountains Port Crescent Rockport Sanilac Petroglyphs Saugatuck Dunes Seven Lakes Silver Lake Sleeper Sleepy Hollow South Higgins Lake Sterling Straits Tahquamenon Falls Tawas Point Thompson's Harbor Traverse City Twin Lakes Van Buren Van Buren Trail Van Riper Warren Dunes Warren Woods Wells White Pine Trail Wilderness William G. Milliken Wilson Young

Recreation Areas	Bald Mountain Bass River Bay City Brighton Fort Custer Highland Holly Ionia Island Lake Lake Hudson Menominee River Metamora-Hadley Ortonville Pinckney Pontiac Lake Proud Lake Rifle River Waterloo Wetzel Yankee Springs

Forests	Au Sable Copper Country Escanaba River Lake Superior Mackinaw Pere Marquette

Underwater Preserves	Alger De Tour Passage Grand Traverse Bay Keweenau Manitou Passage Marquette Sanilac Shores Southwest Michigan Straits of Mackinac Thumb Area Whitefish Point

Other (inc. game areas)	Agate Falls Scenic Site Allegan State Game Area Bond Falls Scenic Site Laughing Whitefish Falls Scenic Site Michigan Islands Wilderness Area Pointe Mouillee State Game Area Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center Sturgeon Point Scenic Site Wagner Falls Scenic Site

Michigan Department of Natural Resources

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