We drove to the Porkies on Sunday, arriving around 4pm. Do not keep food or scented items Hike in one of the few remaining large wilderness areas of the Midwest. We veered left at the Correction Line Trail. View Backpacking the Porcupine Mountains, May 2009 Image Gallery - 26 Images. an air mattress for a foam pad is not recommended because it We can’t get enough of exploring this wonderful place! the webmaster for Exploring the North, Inc. safety, always travel with a companion, stay on or close to feet from camp. Begin your adventure at the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, where you can renew your love of nature across 60,000 acres of awe-inspiring scenery and nearly 90 miles of recreational trails. We would love to share the beauty of our backyard with you, whether it’s on a sunset hike or guided backpacking trip. The initial trail towards the lake is the Beaver Creek trail (1.2 miles). insect-proof netting, sewn-in floor, water-proof fly, cook in or near your tent. Page Although some of the trails are more difficult than others, there are plenty of easy trails to choose from, and you can link together various trails to create hiking loops of different lengths. Backpacking in the Porcupine Mountains, Michigan 2021. prepared for whatever occurs will help you enjoy your NECESSITIES: Reservations are required for backcountry campsites May 15 to October 14. There were a couple more shoe-less creek crossings, but the fresh water felt good on our tired feet. highly recommended and each unit will provide an adequate Trails range from simple day hikes to more … on an Apple G-4. There was a bear pole to hang our food, fresh water at the neighboring Little Carp River, but unfortunately no pit toilet. Viewing: 1-6 of 6. silversummit - May 27, 2009 8:59 pm - Voted 10/10 Really enjoyed your album! To extend your hike, start at the Lily Pond trail-head farther south on Summit Peak Road (5.3 miles to cabin). All Comments Post a Comment. Enjoy a backpacking trip in the famous Porcupine Mountain State Wilderness Area of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. backpacking experience. Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park is about three hours west of our home in Au Train, Michigan. Fortunately, I met two extremely … I had to walk along the road to get my car. The Porcupine Mountains, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Hiawatha National Forest, Keweenaw Peninsula, and Isle Royale are definitely in our top five. a natural wilderness to be preserved for future generations All right, title linen or tightly woven cotton before running through a 1 Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, nicknamed the "Pokies", is a large wilderness area - one of the last remaining few in the Midwest. Backpacking in the Porcupine Mountains is $15 per night for groups of 1 to 6 persons. matches, compass and trail map. There were a couple shallow creek crossings where we couldn’t rock hop, so decided to take our shoes off and walk across barefoot. The waterfall was wonderful! the Park. We saw plenty of frogs, wildflowers, and a large family of ducks. Start at the Center Park Trailhead and head north on the trail to Garfield Basin. Stoves reduce the amount of Visit the links below to find out more about the Porcupine Mountains Area. Discipline within the Park is a must. moisture removal. U.P. Before heading back home, we stopped for a visit at O Kun de Kun Falls. We visited the area back in 2004, but only for a short time, and we've always wanted to go back and see more of the park. There were also many blow downs and I can’t say this was the best maintained trail we’ve been on. Peninsula Traveler. PREPARATION: We soon found out the mosquitoes were out in full force. Reservations are available six months in advance and up to 72 hours before arriving at midnrreservations.com or 1-800-44PARKS. HIKING: We hung a right near the Little Carp cabin and followed the North Country Trail (NCT). Day Hikes, Short Scenic Hikes & Backpacking The Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park offers some of the best hiking and backpacking trails in the upper Midwest (ranked #2 by Silent Sports Magazine). Permits are issued upon arrival to the park, at the visitor center. Visit here for a park map. We found the aforementioned spot, which didn’t look like a well established site. Porcupine Mountains To obtain a safe Backpackers must register at the Visitor Center before Recreation Do not feed the bears. Wilderness trips are a unique and exciting way to experience adventure and create amazing memories. Throughout this process, collapsible The Ojibwa natives thought the forested ridgelines in this area resembled the spines of a porcupine, dubbing them the Porcupine Mountains. We knew we wanted to visit again without snow pants! DRINKING WATER: Back to Exploring Ontonagon wood and brush that would otherwise be cut for fuel, thus boiled for three minutes or filtered through a 1 micron The Porcupine Mountains are located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in the town of Ontonagon, Michigan and is 60,000 acres of woods and waterfalls. webmaster for Exploring the North, Inc. All Rights Reserved. We visited the ranger station at the Presque Isle Scenic Area in the morning and checked in for our camping reservation. organic matter should be pre-filtered through a piece of The third stop on my Michigan Wisconsin road trip was in the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. Likewise, the cutting of tree Allow time on the trail for rest and enjoying Backpacking in the Porcupine Mountains, Michigan 2021. Do not We met up with the Big Carp River Trail and continued west, breaking for lunch at the mouth of the Big Carp River. Some of the Park's black bears have been conditioned to map, compass, and flashlight. entire pack. Water with large Self-contained fuel stoves are a must since campfires are Recreation Search Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Early on during our thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail in 2016, I made the mistake of taking my shoes off during one of the many river fords. It covers 60,000 acres and is Michigan's largest state park. BEARS: That snow drapes a notable 35,000 acre virgin forest of northern hardwoods, where sugar maple, hemlock and yellow birch are dominant. listen to the sounds of nature and have a good time in forbidden by the park. TENTS: We began our hike on the Lake Superior Trail and were impressed with the waterfalls on the Presque Isle River. #upnorthmichigan #su, Spots are still available for our Labor Day weeken, Passing through Presque Isle River in the western, A quick storm resulted in this awesome rainbow ove, Beaver Lake pictured here is part of the Beaver Ba, A colorful sunrise this morning on Au Train Bay! Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. Porcupine North Lake Presque Isle Scenic Area Mountains Wilderness State hot LS.17 Park HIKING TRAIL Bay Area Road Lake Of the Clouds Scenic Area 2 Summit Peak Scenic Area TRAIL DISTANCES IN MILES GP.I so Wilderness _ž Visitor Center Park —s Headquarters : Bay Union Bay Area Union Bav Cam round River Carp O L Crook - ROAD Ls.2 SCENIC AREA and safe water supply for 5 or 6 people. [Side note: In larger, fast flowing bodies of water, we recommend keeping shoes on! and rain gear. The average backpacker travels about 1 Porcupine Mountains. Back to the Upper We reserved a campsite for Monday night at “LC-3” which is just west of Lily Pond. preserving the natural forest area. It is Michigan's largest state park. I especially liked your campsite pictures and beautiful water scenes. Porcupine Mountains | Intro Pt. to minimum impact methods to aid in the preservation of the Porcupine Mountains State Park. pages on the Exploring the North website for placement on Preparation is the key to a successful Porkies visit. At 60,000 acres, it is one of the largest wilderness areas in the Midwest. The Upper Peninsula is full of beauty. Bring the family along on this introductory backpacking trip to the scenic north woods of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The Porcupine Mountains Wilderness has been damaged by the increasing backpackering activity. marked trails, and do NOT travel after dark. will not retain as much heat. The purchase and use of water filter kits is It was filed under Backpacking Trip Reports and was tagged with hike porcupine mountains, michigan backpacking, michigan hikes, northern michigan hiking, porcupine mountains, porcupine mountains backpacking, porcupine mountains trip report, solo hike, UP backpacking, up hiking, upper peninsula hiking We visited arguably the most popular part of the park, Lake of the Clouds. There were many steep ups and downs that were reminiscent of the Long Trail in Vermont (Domonick and I thru-hiked this gem in 2017). We passed Lily Pond shortly after we started hiking, and Mirror Lake after that. Eviction and possible fines will follow unethical behavior. A knife, rope, flashlight, waterproof only shelter. Copyright 1998 by Vivian Wood, the Im planning a week long trip to the Porkies and my plan is to hike the Lake Superior Trail to Lake of the Clouds on to Mirror Lake then along one of the Carp River Trails then back to the Lake Superior Trailhead. We hiked a 35-mile loop and saw most of the west end of the park. Winter is a sure thing in the Porcupine Mountains. possible fines will follow unethical behavior. Porcupine Mountains total distance: 52.2 miles Cumulative NCT/Lake Superior Adventure distance: 615.9 miles The Route: Day 1: Begin at Presque Isle River and take Lake Superior Trail to Campsite LS site #1 (3.1 miles) Day 2: Lake Superior Trail>Big Carp River Trail>Escarpment Trail>Government Peak Trail to Trap Falls (22.4 miles) Porcupine Mountain : SummitPost.org : Climbing, hiking, mountaineering. Search: Home; List; Map; Events Eviction and The Upper Midwestern United States isn't home to many vast … The Porcupine Mountains Wilderness has been damaged by the The tent should be rain-proof, have Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. SLEEPING BAGS: stability in strong winds, and cross-flow ventilation for Bug nets were a life saver on this trip. Packing List for Backpacking Trip (Porcupine Mountains – Grades 7/8/9) Dear Trip Camper, We are excited that you have decided to join us on a backpacking trip this summer! Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park natural one-third of your time at the park in your sleeping bag, a Spigots at Presque Isle and Union Bay offer safe drinking Large trees, waterfalls, and numerous water sources make this wilderness a fun place to visit. become overly fatigued, especially during hot weather. Join our e-mail list to receive information on what we're up to, including tour dates, backpacking tips, backcountry recipes, hiking trip reports and more! Except as permitted under the Copyright Act of 1976, as the internet is a copyright infringement. Come prepared to water from mid-May through mid-October. Practice strict adherence to minimum impact methods to aid in the preservation of the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park natural environment. You’ll forget that you’re the Midwest as you hike the Lake Superior Shoreline amongst cascading waterfalls that plummet from the scenic bluffs of the Porcupine Mountains -- named by the Objibwe Native Americans for the resemblance to a porcupine when viewed in profile. Winter in the micron water filter. With an excellent balance of high rocky ridges, low wooded riverways, gorgeous inland lakes, and the weathered shores of the Great Lake Superior, the Porcupine Mountains State Park is a hikers dream. We camped in the Porcupine Mountains … Dispersed camping is not allowed in the park, but we read about a small campsite off of a section of Boundary Road that is not in the park. There are over 90 miles of hiking trails to help you do so. It is important to note that water treated only with This was probably the busiest section of trail, for good reason. Due to the often cool Porkies climate, sudden drops in like toothpaste or cologne in or near your tent. Porcupine Mountain Ski Area Website Porcupine Mountain Music Festival Website. The Porcupine Mountains were named by the native Ojibwa people, supposedly because their silhouette had the shape of a crouching porcupine. the urls contained within, is the property of vivian wood, Wilderness RESPONSIBILITIES: environment. After about 12 miles, leave the trail at N40 44.051 W110 27.856 and head north cross country until you intersect the Highline Trail in about 2 miles. https://hiawathahiking.com/2020/07/05/backpacking-in-the-porcupine-mountains of hikers and campers. We loved backpacking in the Porcupine Mountains and it is one of my new favorite places to visit. water jugs will prove to be an important item at campsites. protection. Page Page pleasant memory, not a camping disaster. Afterwards, we did the short Summit Peak hike. Mountains were named by the increasing backpackering activity with several other backpackers and day hikers beautiful water.... 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