Spotlights
The Sylvania Wilderness and Sylvania Recreation Area, is located near Watersmeet, Michigan and is part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Combined with the adjacent Recreation Area, the 18,327 acre wilderness offers an outstanding experience for those who want to camp, fish, hike, canoe, ski or enjoy the solitude of a wilderness experience. Few Wilderness compare to Sylvania. Here you will find 34 named lakes - some with sandy beaches, others surrounded by record-sized red and white pines. This large natural area with its old growth forest and pristine lakes provides habitat for a wide range of living things. While exploring Sylvania you might see threatened or endangered plants and animals - like rare orchids, bald eagles, loons and osprey. Camping is permitted at designated sites by permit only. Permits can be obtained on a walk-in basis at the Wilderness Entrance Station or can be reserved through Reserve America on line at www.Recreation.gov. Reservations can also be made by calling toll free, 1-877-444-6777. International calls can be directed to 518-885-3639 and TDD calls to 1-877-833-6777.
The Ottawa Visitor Center is located at the junction of US 2 and US 45 in Watersmeet, Michigan. A new Ottawa National Forest film presentation showing the beautiful north woods through the seasons is shown every half hour daily during the summer months, with special interpretive programs on Thursday evenings beginning in June.. The center is fully accessible and features exhibits, interpretive association sales outlet, and a nature trail. There is no charge at this facility. The Ottawa Visitor Center has been open to the public since May 1971. The mission of the Center is to foster understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment of the natural, cultural, recreational, and wilderness resources of the Ottawa National Forest. Through interpretive programs and displays, our goal is to help build public understanding and appreciation of our natural resources that leads to safe, wise and caring use of the Forest
The Wild and Scenic Sturgeon River rushes out of the northern portion of this wilderness, over the 20 foot volcanic outcroppings of Sturgeon Falls, and through a gorge that reaches 350 Feet in depth and a mile in width. Throughout this rugged, steep Wilderness, the Sturgeon and Little Silver Rivers and their tributaries have carved falls, rapids, ponds, oxbows, and terraces. Stunning views are possible from eastern rim of the gorge. Except for a few naturally bare slopes, most of the land is forested with pine, hemlock, aspen, sugar maple, birch, and basswood. When the leaves of the hardwoods change color in the fall, they form a vivid tapestry. There are few established trails in Sturgeon River Gorge Wilderness, and the few overgrown logging roads are hard to find and follow. The North Country National Scenic Trail parallels the northern and eastern boundaries for about eight miles. Sturgeon River Campground offers nine sites on the southeastern boundary. In Spring and during peak runoff, kayaking and white water canoeing are challenging, and only recommended for advanced paddlers.
Black River Harbor Recreation Area is composed of the Campground, the Harbor and adjacent picnic grounds and waterfall observation facilities. The campground is a modern facility with flush toilets; sewer dumping station, pressurized water system, and 40 paved camping spurs. The campsites can accommodate tents, trailers, and motor homes. Seven campsites provide overlooks to Lake Superior. Each campsite is bordered by vegetation providing privacy for a quite enjoyable experience.
The Harbor offers one of the area's few access points to Lake Superior, with boating a major summer time activity. There is no launching fee; however, there is a fee for transient docking. Boat fuel is available and there is ample parking for tucks and trailers.
Tall hemlock and pine surround the Black River Harbor day use area. Picnic tables and grills are available for visitors, as well as an enclosed pavillion with fireplace, which can be reserved for special events. Access to the beach and North Country National Scenic Trail are by crossing the area's unique suspension bridge.
There are five distinct and picturespue waterfalls within the Recreation Area that you won't want to miss. All are accessible by traveling County Road 513 or by hiking the North Country National Scenic Trail northward from the Harbor parking lot or southward from Conglomorate Falls parking lot.
Three generations of McCormicks, the descendants of Cyrus McCormick, inventor of the reaping machine, held the deed to this area before Gordon McCromick willed the land to the U.S. Forest Service. McCormick Wilderness has recovered from the logging era that ended in the early 1900's. Today, you'll find a mixture of northern hardwoods and lowland conifers interspersed with small patches of towering white pine, Michigan's State Tree. Straddling the divide between Lake Superior and Lake Michigan, this region ranges from nearly level terrain to rocky cliffs. McCormick's water is what draws most visitors, with the Huron, Dead, Pahokee, and the Wild and Scenic Yellow Dog Rivers all have part of their headwaters within the wilderness. Many cascading waterfalls on the Yellow Dog make it unnavigable. The Yellow Dog is one of a few Eastern rivers designated "Wild". Eighteen small lakes add sparkle to the landscape. Trout, pike, and bass live here, but only in small numbers due to the less-than-fertile-waters. The three mile White Lake Trail connects County Road 607 to White Deer Lake where the McCormick Estate once stood. Remnants of old, unmaintained trails can sometimes be found, but the rest of the Wilderness is fairly rugged, isolated, unspoiled, and relatively difficult to access.
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