The Porkies: Michigan’s 60,000-acre secret with waterfalls, old-growth trees, and Northern Lights

They’re called the Porkies

Michigan’s largest state park covers roughly 60,000 acres in the western Upper Peninsula, right along the shore of Lake Superior.

The Ojibwa people named these mountains because their ridgeline looked like a crouching porcupine, and the name stuck. Locals just call the whole place the Porkies.

You get over 90 miles of trails, waterfalls around every bend, old-growth forest that has never seen a saw and some of the best Northern Lights viewing in the lower 48. The wildest corner of the Midwest starts here.

Two billion years of rock and a copper mining past

The mountains here formed roughly 2 billion years ago, making them part of one of the oldest mountain chains on Earth. European fur traders showed up in the 1700s, and copper miners followed in the 1840s.

The Nonesuch Mine ran on and off from 1867 to 1912.

By the late 1930s, people pushed to make this a national park, but World War II shelved those plans. Michigan stepped in and established the state park in 1945 to save the old-growth forest from logging.

It earned National Natural Landmark status in 1984.

Lake of the Clouds sits between two ridges

This is the most photographed spot in the entire Upper Peninsula, and you can reach the main overlook on a short, paved boardwalk that’s wheelchair accessible.

The lake fills a valley between two mountain ridges, wrapped tight by thick forest on every side. On a clear day, you can see the Big Carp River Valley and 25 miles into the western Upper Peninsula.

EnChroma colorblind-accessible viewers sit at the overlook so every visitor can take in the full range of colors below.

Hike the ridgeline on the Escarpment Trail

The Escarpment Trail runs about four miles one way along a rocky ridgeline above Lake of the Clouds. Multiple sources call it one of the most scenic short hikes in the Midwest.

You get views of the lake from several different angles, plus long looks over the Big Carp River Valley. The trail has steep sections and loose rock, so bring sturdy hiking boots.

A spur trail at the halfway point connects to the road if you want to cut the distance in half.

Three named waterfalls line the Presque Isle River

The park’s western edge follows the Presque Isle River past Manabezho, Manido and Nawadaha Falls. Manabezho is the big one, dropping about 25 feet and stretching up to 150 feet wide.

Manido drops 15 feet and is the smallest of the three. A two-mile loop trail connects all three with boardwalks and stairs along the way.

A suspension bridge crosses the river near potholes carved deep into a rock gorge. Dozens of other waterfalls hide throughout the park’s trail system.

Summit Peak puts you higher than Michigan’s tallest point

Summit Peak reaches 1,958 feet, making it the third-highest spot in Michigan and the tallest point in the park.

A short trail leads to an observation tower at the top, and that tower puts you higher than even Mount Arvon, the state’s tallest natural point.

From up there, you can see the forest canopy rolling out in every direction, Lake Superior beyond it and on clear days, all the way to Isle Royale.

35,000 acres of forest no saw has ever touched

The park protects roughly 35,000 acres of old-growth northern hardwood forest, the largest tract of virgin northern hardwoods in North America west of the Adirondack Mountains.

Sugar maple, eastern hemlock, American basswood and yellow birch dominate the canopy. Some of these trees have stood for centuries.

Michigan created the park in 1945 specifically to keep loggers out, and today the land is a cooperating site of Keweenaw National Historical Park because of its deep copper mining roots.

Black bears, bald eagles and the occasional moose

Black bears live throughout the park, and this corner of the Upper Peninsula has one of Michigan’s highest bear populations. Bald eagles soar above the Escarpment and Lake of the Clouds on a regular basis.

Moose show up now and then near Mirror Lake and marshy lowlands, though sightings are rare. Gray wolves roam the forest but almost never cross paths with people.

Porcupines, the park’s namesake, nap in tree branches right along the trails. River otters, beavers, foxes and bobcats round out the list.

Walk a miner’s footsteps on the Union Mine Trail

The Union Mine Trail loops 1.1 miles through the park’s copper mining past.

Ten interpretive plaques line the path, and they pull directly from the journal entries of William W. Spalding, a miner who worked here in the 1840s.

You can still see remnants of old mine shafts and a hand-cut channel in the rock where a water wheel once turned. The trail passes several small waterfalls and cascades along the Union River.

It’s one of the easiest and most family-friendly hikes in the park.

Fall colors explode along the Lake Superior shore

The park’s Lake Superior coastline runs for miles, all rocky beaches and rugged edges facing west. That makes it one of the best sunset spots in the Upper Peninsula.

Come late September or October and the forests go full yellow, orange and red. Multiple sources rank the Porkies among the top fall foliage destinations in the Midwest.

Fall chairlift rides take you above the canopy so you can see the colors spread across the mountains from the air.

300 inches of snow and every ski run faces the lake

The park runs a downhill ski area with 15 runs and a vertical drop of about 560 feet. Every single run gives you a view of Lake Superior.

Over 20 miles of groomed cross-country trails range from beginner to advanced, and you can also snowshoe or fat-tire bike. The area pulls in over 200 inches of snow most years, with some seasons hitting 300.

After dark, the far-north location and near-zero light pollution make this one of the best spots in the lower 48 to catch the Northern Lights, though you need clear skies and solar activity on your side.

Sleep in a cabin you have to hike to reach

Rustic backcountry cabins and yurts sit scattered along the trail system.

Each cabin comes with beds, a wood-burning stove, cookware and an outhouse, but no running water or electricity.

Some sit along Lake of the Clouds, Mirror Lake or the Lake Superior shoreline, and the lakeside cabins include rowboats and canoes. Most require a one- to four-mile hike to reach.

If you want something easier, Union Bay Campground has modern sites and Presque Isle Campground has rustic drive-in spots.

Visit Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park in Michigan

You can find the park in Michigan’s western Upper Peninsula, about 20 miles west of the town of Ontonagon.

The visitor center opens mid-May through mid-October and has exhibits, a multimedia show, trail maps and a gift shop. You need a Michigan Recreation Passport for vehicle entry.

Backcountry camping requires a separate permit, which you pick up at the visitor center. Cell service barely exists in the park, and the nearest hospital is up to an hour away, so plan ahead.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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