This guide will go over the best time to visit, lodging options, must-do hiking trails, the best waterfalls, and frequently asked questions below. The nightly cost to camp is $20 for up to 6 people. We ran out of time to hike this one, but its on our list for the next trip. I hiked the wintertime cross-country ski / summertime mountain biking River and Nonesuch Trails to the downhill ski area and then took the Deer Yard Trail to Whitetail Cabin. In addition to wild forests and lakeshores, Michigans largest state park has numerous historic copper mining sites. All linens Included When results are available, navigate with the up and down arrow keys or explore by touch or swipe gestures. After a 9 hour drive to get to the park, I checked in at the Visitors Center and made the short drive to the Union Spring Trail parking area. It is a blanket of orange at nearly 2,000 feet above sea level atop the 50-foot tower. Cabin is great for a couple. If you're more an appreciator of nature than a sports person, you will enjoy discovering the 90 waterfalls or gazing at the famous Lake of Clouds. Continue walking a little further on the path that brought you to the cabin. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources recently acquired the cabin and about six acres of land that had comprised one of the state parks last private property in-holdings. The Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park includes 60,000 acres of pine, hemlock and hardwood. Got up to deal with it and another trap went off before I could get there. Visitor Center Nature Path1.4milesInterpretive trail Are the Porcupine Mountains real mountains? All vehicles must have either a $6 daily pass or a $11annual state park Recreational Pass. During the winter, the last two miles of the road to the cabin are not plowed. TIP: If you have time to make this a longer hike, add Mirror Lake and Beaver Creek for the Summit Peak Loop hike. The further away from Lake of the Clouds you get, the less crowded it is. Lily Pond Trail2.3milesBackpack/dayhike Arrived at the cabin shortly after 6:00pm, collected water and took a dip in a calm and refreshingly cool Lake Superior. Made it to the Correction Line Trail and began my ascent. Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park is located west of Ontonagon in the Upper Peninsula. 1. The center is the best source of maps and trail information on the backcountry. Michigan Campers, Backpackers and Hikers This is a 3.6 mile loop that climbs up the side of one of the "mountains" (specifically, the Porkies ski hill, an outpost of the Escarpment) and was supposed to give excellent views of the park. The trail leading up from the cabin goes into the. North Mirror Lake Trail 3.8milesBackpack/day hike In 1972, Michigan passed the Wilderness and Natural Areas Act. We will receive a commission at no additional charge to you if you book through our link. Yes, even though they are not the type of snow-covered mountains you typically think of. A wood stove is available to heat the cabin. And peak fall foliage season typically ranges from late-September to mid-October. The 60,000-acre park is Michigan's largest state park and one of the largest wilderness areas in the Midwest. Seemed really bold. 420 Friendly for 21&up. Backpacking sites can (and should) be reserved 6 months in advance. If there is availability after you arrive, you can get a permit for an open backcountry campsite that day. Your accommodation will be based in White Pine. All except one require a bit of hiking (1 4 miles) to get to them. Some of the cabins have nearby backpacking campsites, for example at Mirror Lake and near the mouths of the Big and Little Carp Rivers. Refrigerator/Microwave/ect But since there are usually few people on the trail, chances of spotting wild Cross Trail is probably the least traveled route in the park. The east entrance to the state park is reached from M-107, 16 miles west of Ontonagan and 3 miles west of Silver City. They provide bunk beds, cooking gear, wood stove, axe/saw, an outhouse, and fire pit with picnic tables. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Sunday, July 27, 2008 . Porcupine Mountains Solo Hike | Crosscut Cabin - YouTube Watch as I embark upon a solo backpacking trek into the Porcupine Mountains State Park in Ontonagon, Michigan. Out of state horses must have current Coggins test. MORE INFO: On the East trail, you can take a short detour and hike out to Lake Superior. The Lily Pond and Beaver Creek loops combine perfectly with a portion of the Little Carp River trail and create the perfect half-day scenic hike. Enjoyed a nice break on Cloud Peak before heading down to the Lake of the Clouds cabin. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. I slightly twisted my ankle on a root before the second river crossing. All rights reserved (About Us). It has a table and chairs, some cleaning equipment and a propane lantern available for use. Great report! There are 4 private trips. The cabin is about a mile walk from the nearest parking lot, offering the kind of seclusion that many people are seeking when visiting the 60,000-acre park. Amenities 13 rooms and 5 cabins available. Take a trek to the Union Spring, the second-largest natural spring in Michigan. Camping & Hiking Parts of the trail were ludicrously muddy (soupy!). 2 Kayaks and snowshoes are complimentary. The view uphill from Porcupine Cabin looks west toward the Bridger Mountainss and shows the wood shed, left, and the cabin itself, right. Welcome! new adventures through a one-stop shop for inspiration and ideation, trip planning, information sharing, Didnt sleep very well due to a combination of exhaustion/general hiking pain and visions of mice dancing on my face. So I hope that if you are here through a search for information on this cabin, this will help you out. All cabins, yurts and sites in Presque Isle and Union Bay Campgrounds can be reserved up to six months in advance through the Michigan State Park OnlineReservations(800-447-2757; www.midnrreservations.com). We hit the road fairly late- around noon. Whereas Colorado has jagged peaks reaching 14,000 feet to the heavens, our Midwest mountains are only 2,000 feet high. Looks like a great trip. Of those acres, 35,000 are an uncut virgin forest. I have a goal to try and stay at least 1 night in each of the cabins. Correction Line Trail stretches from the Big Carp River Trail to magnificent Mirror Lake and Summit Peak, the highest point in the Porcupine Mountains. Difficulty: Easy (if only going to the spring and back). 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). Brad P. Get the amount of space that is right for you. It offers writers, composers, and all visual and performing artists and artisans the opportunity to experience the natural beauty of the Porkies and . Hay and feed for stock must be certified weed-free. Got down to the Visitors Center to return the keys just after 8:00am. There are many more backpacking sites scattered around the park that give many more trip options. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Porcupine Mountains State Park Cabins & Yurts There are 18 rustic cabins and a few yurts located inside the park. During the winter time, cross-country skis, snowmobiles, or snowshoes are required for the last 2 miles to the cabin. The nightly fee is $125; no pets are allowed. Cross Trail is probably the least traveled route in the park. (yes, it is open in Covid era). Backpacking Trip, Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, Michigan, USA Arrived at the cabin shortly after 6:00pm, collected water and took a dip in a calm and refreshingly cool Lake Superior. The Presque Isle River trail is dog-friendly, but you must keep them on a leash. Correction LineTrail 2.8milesBackpack Though not the most popular trail, great backpacking opportunities make it a memorable experience: ramble through gorgeous secluded tracts of maple, birch, and old-growth hemlock . There were still. It's TINY -- about 10 x 13, with two beds (bunk), a small woodstove, a cupboard for dishes and a small shelf for doing shelf-stuff, like food preparation. Guests can access the nearby trailhead for hiking, mountain biking and equestrian use, heading east into the Crazy Mountains. The easy stroll will take you to a pier that looks out over the crystal blue water. It's tight quarters for two, so I wouldn't recommend staying there with more people, although the log book had an entry from a couple who had stayed there with two kids. Its an out and back with a few trailheads so you can still experience a portion of the hike even if you dont want to walk the whole thing. Ski Storage The Upper Peninsula is really a tremendous swath of land, and today we would see much of it: 5 hours and 250 miles from east to west, covering all but the most extreme points of the UP. The Lily Pond Trail itself is 2.5 miles long and gains 643 ft. of elevation along the journey. At roughly 60,000 acres, Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park is Michigans largest state park and one of the few remaining large wilderness areas in the Midwest. | Photo by Michigan Department of Natural Resources. 10/10 Excellent. Parts of the trail are pretty overgrown. Each cabin has a refrigerator, microwave, flat-screen tv, and coffee maker along with bath towels, soaps, and shampoo. Skiing & Snowmobiling Big Carp River Trail9.6miles Backpack Bores lumberjack - Der TOP-Favorit unserer Produkttester. Porcupine mountain cabins. Required fields are marked *. So many awesome views! It is always a good idea to leave some dry firewood in the cabins in case a future user arrives cold and wet. gitche gumee cabin porcupine mountains. Scattered throughout the park are 65 backcountry campsites that are outfitted with metal fire rings, a bear pole in many cases - but not all - and possibly even an open-air vault toilet. Eon praline - Der TOP-Favorit unserer Produkttester. The ski trails here were pretty good (clear and dry) so I made better time. Memengwa Swamp can be sloppy hiking with boot-sucking mud even during a dry spell. Those more than four inches wide indicate a good size bruin has passed through. This is a pet-friendly accommodation! Speaker's Cabin hiding behind Speaker's Creek. The trails are used by snowshoers and cross-country skiers in the winter. The views kept getting better and better as we continued on the high rocky cliffside. Your Hosts: Rob and Kim. I could still hear scratching in the wall behind the woodstove, so I reset the traps (again and again). They have no plumbing or electricity. There is also a room devoted to,the diverse wildlife in the park and a small theater where,multi-slide presentations are repeated through out the day. There are bathrooms. The 59,020-acre park offers summer and winter recreational pursuits and interpretive programs. The Porcupine Mountains, or Porkies, are a group of small mountains spanning the northwestern Upper Peninsula of Michigan in Ontonagon and Gogebic counties, near the shore of Lake Superior. My original plan was to hike up the ski hill and then take the cross-country trail over to the West Vista and take the Overlook Trail down to the Government Peak Trail and Escarpment Trail. Plan for 3 4 hours. The 59,020-acre park offers summer and winter recreational pursuits and interpretive programs. PinkertonTrail 2.6miles Backpack/day hike Since its construction, the cabin has been used as temporary housing by Forest Service rangers while they were patrolling for timber poachers, watching for fires and monitoring livestock. Guests can look out at the northern peaks of the Crazies from the front porch. Call 4194532584 for more info. Porcupine Cabin sits in the foothills of the Crazy Mountains at an elevation of 6,400 feet. DO NOT BURN PROVIDED FIREWOOD FOR OUTDOOR FIRES, EVER, AS IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO REPLACE. Ski area with 14 runs Public Tracks There are no published trips for this hike. Trail conditions were also great with not much mud until after the first river crossing. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Five stars, two thumbs up and any other rating of excellence. It truly is one of the best hikes in all of Michigan, and possibly in all of the Midwest. Thankfully, very few mosquitoes at the cabin and no gnats! Roots, rocks, mud pits, and steep slopes can make for a difficult trail. Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park 33303 Headquarters Road, Ontonagon, MI 49953 Visit Website Reservations Contact Map Amenities Accessible Travel + Leaflet What's Nearby Outdoors Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park More Info We use cookies on this site to enhance your user experience. and reservations. For more information about downhill skiing at the Porcupine Mountains go towww.porkiesfun.com. The Program. Woke early to thunder in the distance. No pit toilets or water. The Porcupine Mountains were named by the native Ojibwa people, supposedly because their silhouette had the shape of a crouching porcupine. Several bird species that inhabit this area include bald eagles, owls, jays, western meadowlarks and mountain bluebirds. It was built in 1914 after a previous structure burned down, and was remodeled by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1934. | Photo by Michigan Department of Natural Resources, used with permission, 7 secret spots to explore in Michigans Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, 7 wild and wonderful things to know about Michigans Porcupine Mountains State Park. Yes, there are black bears in the Porcupine Mountains and are frequently encountered in the park. To get to the cabin, turn northeast from Highway 89 north onto the Shields River road. Firewood is available for indoor use during winter as long as supplies last. Mountain View Lodges - Porcupine Mountains, MI 2022-2023! You've earned it! The path does not change much after the split, although there are some muddy spots, it wasn't bad even after two days of rains. Packed up (again pleased to not have to pack out anyone elses garbage or food left in the cabin) and hit the trail. Crosscut Cabin serves as a x-country ski warming hut in the winter months. An interior view of the Cotten Cabin at Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. We stayed at the Porcupine Mountains Union Bay Campground and the hosts made it one of our favorite stays during our van camping trip. ft) of living space in Silver City, this lovely cabin is only about a 15-minute drive from . Comfortable places with all the essentials, Spaces that are more than just a place to sleep. It will also be buggy, but there is one plus. Next stop 906 Caf (formerly Mas Place) in Wakefield for breakfast! I think there's signage that indicates that you can ski to the left (probably it's a ski trail across the water in the winter). Local Trail Association Michigan Mountain Bike Association Please consider joining or donating to the local trail association to support trail development & maintenance. Upper Peninsula Michigan, Lake Superior. Backcountry reservations (www.midnrreservations.com; 1-800-44PARKS) are available six months in advance for May 15 through Oct. 14 to 72 hours before arrival at the park. But look around, if the deer flies will allow it, and theres a good chance you will spot bear prints. Or if they are entering the park, they reach the Big Carp River via Pinkerton and Lake Superior trails, a 4-mile walk. Or if you don't, there are maps of the x-country trails posted at all the x-country trail junctions. South Mirror Lake Trail3.0 miles Backpack/day hike Eventually made it to the Lake Superior Cabin near the mouth of the river. 888-784-7328, Park visitors at the Lake of the Clouds scenic overlook Photo, Porcupine Mountains relief map in the visitor center Photo 3, A forest pathway at Porcupine Mountains. The Lily Pond and Beaver Creek loops combine perfectly with a portion of the Little Carp River trail and create the perfect half-day scenic hike. Follow along the east and west sides of the Presque Isle River to pass a series of cascading waterfalls: Manabezo Falls, Manido Falls, and Nawadaha Falls. This is really an amazing addition to the park, said Park Supervisor Mike Knack. For an open backcountry campsite that day just a place to sleep provide bunk beds, gear... Center is the best source of maps and trail information on this cabin, turn northeast from 89! 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