Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park
Michigan’s largest state park protects extensive old-growth forest, Lake Superior shore, waterfalls, ridges, remote cabins, and the famous Lake of the Clouds overlook.
Artwork inspired by Armand Merizon
The Porkies are not a roadside overlook with optional woods attached. Steep ravines, long distances, mud, roots, river crossings, and rapidly changing weather create genuine backcountry consequences beyond the paved escarpment viewpoint.
Use Lake of the Clouds for orientation, then choose one watershed or ridge rather than chasing every waterfall. Carry navigation and layers even on short trails, and check closures, bridges, hunting seasons, and black-bear food rules.
- Scale
- About 60,000 acres
- Old growth
- About 35,000 acres
- High point
- 1,958-foot Summit Peak
Quick guide
- Begin with
- Lake of the Clouds
- Look closely at
- Look for Summit Peak
Balance famous overlooks with real backcountry scale
- See Lake of the Clouds
- Use the overlook to orient escarpment, forest, and inland lake
- Then leave the road
- A short trail quickly changes the experience from viewpoint to wilderness
- Check trail reports
- Mud, bridges, snow, and water crossings vary sharply
- Reserve lodging
- Cabins, yurts, and campsites are destinations, not guaranteed backup
Good to know
GPS reception and online trail estimates do not replace a map; several routes are slower and rougher than their mileage suggests.
Notice these
- Lake of the Clouds
- Summit Peak
- Presque Isle River