Wilderness State Park

Wilderness State Park is a public recreation area bordering Lake Michigan, five miles southwest of Mackinaw City in Emmet County in Northern Michigan. The state park's 10,512 acres (4,254 ha) include 26 miles (42 km) of shoreline, diverse forested dune and swale complexes, wetlands, camping areas, and many miles of hiking trails.[4] The state park is operated by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, which has, as of 2006, approved a proposal that 4,492 acres (1,818 ha) be officially dedicated as a wilderness area.[5] Wilderness State Park was designated a Michigan "dark sky preserve" in 2012.[6]

Wilderness State Park
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)[1]
Beachfront looking towards Straits of Mackinac
Location in Michigan
LocationBliss Township, Emmet County, Michigan, United States
Nearest townMackinaw City, Michigan
Coordinates45°44′03″N 84°54′10″W[2]
Area10,512 acres (4,254 ha)
Elevation607 feet (185 m) [2]
DesignationMichigan state park
Established1922 (game reserve);
1927 (state park)[3]
AdministratorMichigan Department of Natural Resources
WebsiteWilderness State Park

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. Four Lake Michigan lighthouses sit 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.

History

The state began acquiring the park's lands in 1896 through purchase and tax reversion proceedings. After the reversion of additional acreage for tax nonpayment in the early years of the twentieth century, the site became the Emmet State Game Refuge in 1922, with the land set aside for the breeding of game birds and other animals. When the game reserve was placed under the administration of the Parks Division in 1927, it officially became Wilderness State Park.[7]

The Civilian Conservation Corps was active in the park for six years during the 1930s. The corps' workers built various structures, eight miles of trails, a public campground, and four-acre Goose Pond.[7]

Wildlife

The park supports 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.[4] The park's cobble beach areas provide an excellent habitat for the federally endangered piping plover. As of 2002, approximately one-third of Michigan's nesting pairs of piping plovers were found in Wilderness State Park.[5] One of the first sightings of wolves in the Lower Peninsula was reported along the park's shoreline by a Coast Guard pilot in 1997.[8] In 2015, MDNR officials confirmed the presence of wolves in the Lower Peninsula.[9]

Activities and amenities
Wilderness State Park Campground

The state park offers swimming, picnicking, boat launch, fishing, a 250-site campground and cabins. The state park contains 16 miles (26 km) of trails for hiking, mountain biking, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling, that include a 10-mile-long (16 km) section of the North Country Trail.

References
  1. "Wilderness State Park". IUCN. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  2. "Wilderness State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  3. "When were Michigan state parks and recreation areas established?" (PDF). Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  4. "Wilderness State Park". Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  5. "Wilderness State Park". Natural Areas. Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  6. "Michigan's dark sky sites take the spotlight". Detroit News. April 8, 2016. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  7. "Wilderness State Park General Management Plan" (PDF). Michigan Department of Natural Resources. p. 7 (Appendix A). Retrieved April 5, 2016.
  8. DuFresne, Jim (2005). The Complete Guide to Michigan Sand Dunes. Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan Press. p. 150. ISBN 047203118X.
  9. Ellison, Garret (September 17, 2015). "DNA test confirms gray wolf presence in Michigan's Lower Peninsula". MLive. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
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