A Quick 48 Hours: The Porcupine Mountains

Stained Glass limited-edition, signed and numbered prints by Jennifer Drinkwater. Twenty percent of all sales will support Friends of the Porkies, a non-profit 501 (c)(3) whose goals are to inspire appreciation of wilderness by promoting, supporting, and enhancing the resources and the visitor experiences at the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. — *Stained Glass* open-edition, signed and numbered prints by Jennifer Drinkwater. Twenty percent of all sales will support Friends of the Porkies, a non-profit 501 (c)(3) whose goals are to inspire appreciation of wilderness by promoting, supporting, and enhancing the resources and the visitor experiences at the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park.

If you find yourself in need an off-the-beaten road trip, might I suggest the Porcupine Mountains in northern Michigan?

A Quick 48 in The Porkies

The Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, or the Porkies as they’re commonly called, is home to the largest old growth forest east of the Mississippi in the United States. Once 150,000 acres, it now stands at roughly 38,000 acres in the Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan along Lake Superior. I spent an afternoon interviewing Nancy Franz, Iowa State University Professor Emerita of Education, about Michigan’s Porcupine Mountains - her favorite place on the planet. Nancy was kind enough to provide some suggestions on what to do and see in Porkies. If you are also a Porkies aficionado and have strong opinions about what’s listed here, leave those strong opinions in the comments.

Best views:

Lake of the Clouds
Summit Peak
The mouth of the Presque Isle River
Union Bay Beach.

Best Campgrounds:

Union Bay (full hook ups and showers),
Presque Isle (rustic-only water and outhouses)
Union River Outpost (outhouse only but beautiful river)
Ontonagon Municipal Campground (great sites on Lake Superior)

Soul Biorhythm limited-edition, signed and numbered prints by Jennifer Drinkwater. Twenty percent of all sales support Friends of the Porkies. — *Soul Biorhythm* limited-edition, signed and numbered prints by Jennifer Drinkwater.
Twenty percent of all sales support Friends of the Porkies.

Favorite Trails:

Escarpment Trail
Union Mine Trail
East and West River Trails
Pinkerton Trail (this is Jennifer - I always think of Deadwood when I see anything Pinkerton)
Visitor Center Nature Trail

Favorite Eats:

Foothills in Silver City
Syl’s in Ontonagon

Favorite Lodging for non campers (In order of most to least rustic):

Porcupine Mountains State Park Cabins in Ontonagon: hike in, outhouse, bunks, no potable water.
Mountain View Lodges near Silver City: modern cabins on the lake with wifi and full kitchens.
Americinn in Silver City: hotel with restaurant

Anything else nearby a must see or do? This is the blind leading the blind on this one, since I’ve never been to the Porkies (yet).

Want the condensed list? Download a free PDF of great ways to spend A Quick 48 Hours in the Porkies.

Interested in my interview with Nancy Franz about her experiences in the Porkies? Learn more here.

White Pine Religion limited edition, signed and numbered prints by Jennifer Drinkwater. Twenty percent of all sales support Friends of the Porkies. — *White Pine Religion* limited edition, signed and numbered prints by Jennifer Drinkwater.
Twenty percent of all sales support Friends of the Porkies.

LOOKING FOR A FEW OTHER OFF-THE-BEATEN-PATH ITINERARIES THIS YEAR? CHECK OUT MORE PLACES TO SPEND A QUICK 48 HOURS:

ABCD, tips, A Quick 48, communityJennifer DrinkwaterOctober 11, 2021blogComment

THOUGHTS