Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park

Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park is definitely one of the best state parks I have visited in the United States. The section I visited contained four different waterfalls that were all amazing sights to see. The suspension bridge over the most northern waterfall is wonderful. The river opens up to Lake Superior and makes for beautiful views and amazing hikes.

It's one of the most beautiful parks! There's so much to do & see, with lots of places to camp. I advise you to go to their website and reserve your spot as far in advance as possible because they fill up fast!

Best state park in Michigan that we have been too! So many things to do and see including all the magnificent waterfalls. Really enjoyed our experience!

Great park with a lot of recreation and some amazing hikes with beautiful views. Plan your trip now.

One of the most stunning places you will ever visit. From the Shores of Lake Superior, to the hills, to inland Lakes. When I die I want to be buried in these beautiful and ancient hills

Beautiful scenery and lots of options for all types of adventures! This park is very big, so be sure to give yourself time if you want to go from one side of the park to another, and make stops through the park.

Perfect area to unplug. Cell service is sketchy, so put the phones away & enjoy nature. Beautiful sites to see, plenty of hiking, campgrounds are great.

Amazing park with old growth forests, waterfalls, and mountains. All on the shore of Lake Superior. Great hiking. Stayed at Presque Isle Campground. Rustic but ideal for the location. Little to no cell service which is a plus in my view.

Lake of the Clouds in the Porcupine Mountains was the highlight of my U.P. Trip!! You can drive to lake of the clouds and then walk up 300 feet, or hike from Big Carp River Trail or Escarpment Trail. The hikes aren't easy, since you are uphill most of the way but worth it in the end for the view. I plan to come back here at some point to see Lake of the Clouds during the fall time with the color change!

This park is a must-see in the area. There are many trails and camping opportunities. The trek to see the Lake in the Clouds is not too far from parking. There are plenty of benches along the walkway. The views are very beautiful.

Years ago I lived in Ontonagon and worked at a local paper mill, now gone. I've been to this park many times then and since and each experience was unique and wonderful. I've hiked parts of it, downhill skied in it, spent days cross country skiing through it, swam in Lake Superior next to it and camped in it. In the winter the deer yard up in the park and I've slowly skied though as many as 50 deer all huddled together sometimes only a foot or two away from them as they gently move out of the way. The trees are so massive that snow doesn't collect under them but instead slides off the branches between them and creates paths of snow several feet high to ski along. The Lake of the Clouds is beautiful any time of year as are the many waterfalls throughout the park. It's a majestic, magical place.

The Porcupine Mountains is the biggest Midwestern state park I have ever visited. It's easy to understand the magnitude of it when driving around the S Boundary Road to explore Presque Isle. After 15 minutes of driving, you look at your Google maps and the blue dot has hardly gained any ground. Suffice is to say that we did not reach to Presque Isle. My wife and I hiked around part of Lake of the Clouds. It has a lot of elevation gain in a short amount of time compared to other Midwestern trails. There was over 800 feet of elevation gain in about 3 miles. If it's a humid day, that equates to a lot of sweat. On another day, my parents joined for a hike along the Lake Superior trail. There are stunning views of the dense forest leading down to the lake. The mud and mosquitos will get more unpassable and unbearable the closer you get to the lake. Hiking at lake level can get frustrating because there are very few lake access points. There are a number of campsites but they are generally occupied and the campers think that they own the public land access points. They don't want hikers near their site even if it's to get to the lake. One tree had a knife stabbed into the trunk making the camper's presence known. Pure Michigan! We eventually found a creek bed to follow to reach the lake.

Be prepared for some of the most beautiful views in nature. Sadly due to Covid the campground area was closed. However, there is a lovely trail that leads into the forest. It has a walkway. Some parts have mini wooden bridges. There are signs with information and beautiful locations to take photos of nature. You can walk through the trail. You may see some rock boulders. The best part is that when you are entering near the park, there are chunks of rock boulders in the grass area. The road leading to the park has a scenic view of the water. We actually stopped on the side where you see shards of rocks leading to the water. We actually found one that was broken up and had a type of quartz crystal in it near the road, possibly broken from a car tire. It was super pretty. Due to the campground area being closed, you can take a different turn towards lake of the clouds, which is open to view and breathtaking.

Gorgeous drive through the park today, and fall colors are SO vivid right now! We appreciated all the little pull-offs near hiking trails and lakeside views! Going through the park was going back in time, you can just feel the slow place, and relax while taking in all the views! Loved that the trail to Lake of the Clouds is paved and accessible, so everyone can enjoy the STUNNING view! Told my husband that if we ended our vacation early, I'd go home happy since our goal was to see Michigan fall colors and you get that in spades from the overlook at Lake of the Clouds--might be my new happy spot. I can't recommend this place enough!

THE PORKIES!!!!!!!!! Living in Michigan all my life, it has always been my dream to come here! Like I get it okay, we don't have a bunch of mountain ranges in Michigan unlike a lot of other states that touch the Rockies or the Appalachian mountain ranges, just to name two giant swaths that span across many states in our country. But we have the PORKIES, even though it's at the very Northwest corner of the state, and unfortunately I live in the SE portion of the state, so it's been quite the dream and always felt extremely unattainable to me. But finally, I said 2021 it's HAPPENING. I'm not putting this off any more, I want to go to the Porkies already and so my friends and I made a whole trip out of it! We booked our campground in the Porkies at Presque Isle, which I would highly recommend. Presque Isle is the VIBE. It is the "rustic" camping version, so there's no electricity and only vault toilets. We stayed for 5 days in late July and just hiked and swam in Lake Superior the entire time, with one sojourn into the neighboring town one afternoon. But otherwise, it was all nature, all the time, and I wouldn't have it any other way. The Porkies were absolutely incredible! Some of the best trails I've ever been on and I absolutely loved being in and amongst the mountains! The terrain was absolutely stunning, and the state park is just SO BIG that I feel like we were only able to cover 10% of it, if even that! I'd highly recommend the Presque Isle loop trail as you hike alongside 5 waterfalls as you make your way up and down the river and you can also hike it all the way to the Lake Superior entrance/exit too, which is awesome! It's also a must to go to the Lake of the Clouds vantage point. We didn't do the full hike there because we had run out of time (there's seriously so much to do when you're here), but we did go to the overlook, which is a small loop in and of itself, with 2 different overlook points for you to appreciate. Definitely recommend that and will probably try to do the trail down to the lake on the next trip! Late July into August is definitely the prime time to go. The water temps were around 65 degrees at all times I'd say, which was definitely a little bit on the cold side, but you would quickly get used to it once you were in there. It's not going to get much warmer than that, but I wouldn't have it any other way at Lake Superior. The good thing about the lake being massive is that even on the days when I woke up early to take a little dunk into the lake at 6 am, it was still also 65 degrees! It's also the best time to go because there are less flies. Earlier in the summer, you'll be encountering black flies, which actually bite you and get everywhere. But late July onwards, we were only encountering normal flies that are harmless, just annoying because they're constantly buzzing around, but they don't bite, which is all that really mattered to me. So when we went, it was more just the standard, run of the mill mosquitoes that I was looking out for, careful to not get bit by. All in all, I absolutely loved my time at the Porkies and will definitely be coming back here soon to explore more of what this wonderful park has to offer!

Great hiking! We enjoyed all the highlights and on the last day explored 10 waterfalls. Will return!

To be honest, before our visit Porcupine Mountains was not really on my radar. I was not that familiar with this park but, oh my goodness, I am now a huge huge huge fan. There are a variety of things to see/do for a variety of activity levels and time constraints. The easiest and most beautiful option is the Lake of the Clouds scenic overlook. It's a short walk so if you're short on time or your health is not great you can still enjoy some nature and the awesome views. Yes, the hike to the overlook is a little short but there are PLENTY of trails to enjoy throughout the park if you want more of a wildlife experience or a more rounded hiking experience. In particular, my husband and I did the Lake of the Clouds hike which was a couple of miles long and went down from the overlook all the way to the base of the lake. The hike down is easy peasy, but the hike back up, since you're mostly on an incline with some rocky footing, is a bit harder. But the forests around you are beautiful all along the way and totally worth the trek. I had a mushroom guide in my pocket and had a blast checking out and trying to ID all of the cool fungi popping up along the way. We only had a few hours to explore so this hike was perfect for the afternoon. Took us about 2 hours from start to finish (with a lot of stops along the way to ID those aforementioned mushrooms). There are also hikes as long as 4-6 miles--Big Carp River Trail, North Mirror Lake Trail, etc. Plus waterfalls, river views, and Lake Superior views all throughout the hikes and the park to explore. If you want to spend a few days there they also have campgrounds, rustic cabins for rent, etc for overnighting and such. Fantastic park that I can't wait to visit again and spend even more time in.

It's hard to believe you're still in Michigan when you hike this beautiful geological gem! Recently stayed at the White Birch backcountry cabin. It's a beautiful spot near the lake and not too far from either the escarpment trail or the ski hill. Also right on the cross country ski trail. It costs an absurd amount of money to spend the night in a tiny room with a wood stove that makes the place feel like the surface of the sun. We paid for wood (I assumed) but there was no wood stocked, the place had trash in it from other campers, the cooking supplies were disgustingly dirty, and the provided axe and saw where dull and broken respectively. Why we paid so much for amenities that didn't exist is beyond me - especially because they made us book a minimum of 3 days in advance so they could "prepare the place". Also, they never informed us that we needed to be there by 4:00 to get our key and we would have missed that deadline, had I not called them to confirm our plans - they never reached out to us. I get all of this if it were busy, but it was the middle of November, WAY after peak season. Come for the views, for nature, for fishing, for hiking. Don't expect good service though.

Awesome day. Anyone can find things to do and trails to walk. There is beauty at every turn. We had hoped to see fall colors. E saw many trees had changed with a few already done. Saw a bit of snow as well.

Ever since I heard there was a place called Lake of the Clouds over 20 years ago, I've been wanting to go see it. Unfortunately, the western U. P. is so remote from Detroit, it took me decades to get there. (I can't say I blame them for all being Packers fans.) Well, having planned a road trip around the possible MacGuffin of a Smelt Parade in Duluth, Minnesota (yes!), it fell upon me to plan a vacation around this endeavor, and the Porcupine Mountains and the fabled Lake of the Clouds were about the first thing I thought of. It's beautiful country, and the Lake of the Clouds is indeed stunning, along with the vista that spreads out around it. I had to laugh at the machismo of the Yelper who complained that you can drive almost right up to it. Personally, I enjoy hiking; I did the three miles down to Lake Superior and back. But I don't see why somebody who's very young or elderly or not in the best of shape should be denied this awesome sight. It not like the road goes right up to the edge of the cliff or anything either... It's about a half mile or so down to the Lake of the Clouds itself. It's not anywhere near as impressive from that vantage point. It's still a lovely lake and all but it's not the most scenic of hikes. I started off on one of the looong trails but found it very muddy, and having only one pair of shoes along for the trip, doubled back to hike the path down to Superior I had spied driving in. That path also had muddy spots, but they were easier to circumnavigate, or had boards spanning them. They were a few spots with fallen trees that had to be ducked under, climbed over or gone around which made for an extra challenge. Not to sound too much like a pussified city person here, but the trails here could use a little work. I know there's hundreds of miles of them, and spring is probably the worst time for fallen trees and the budget is tight and all, so the trees blocking the way I didn't mind so much, but some planks over the hardcore mudbog spots of that other trail would be killer! Part of me wanted to think the Porcupine Mountains were really more like big hills and Michigan wanted to claim some mountains so they just gave 'em to us. But those suckers really ARE mountains! Three miles of steady rise in elevation on the way back up from Lake Superior convinced me of that good. Superior is beautiful and formidable. It's a lake for contemplating, lying on a big flat rock you can hop to a few feet off shore. It's a lake for maybe dipping your toes in but not swimming. Fortunately, I remembered this from childhood and had no such delusions. I ate beef jerky and enjoyed some serenity by the great unsalted sea. I would have liked to have camped, maybe kayaked somewhere in the area, but I had a long way to go and contented myself with some late morning to mid afternoon hiking. If I make it back up to the U. P. I'd like to explore the Keweenaw peninsula then and maybe I can check out more of this great park before or after that.

This is a really amazing park, with lot's of waterfalls, running water, deep thick woods with tall trees, a nice mountaintop with amazing views for miles. Walking trails galore! As you walk through it you're energized by your surroundings, and cleansed of the madness of the cities. Would definitely recommend driving to the peak and walking around those trails, and also the presque isle falls on the way out. The roads weren't the greatest, but the sounds and sights were, so it's well worth the trip no matter where you're coming from.

Beautiful park! Went and saw some waterfalls, I had a great time even in the pouring rain. Definitely should be put on the bucket list.

First off I want to apologize for what I'm about to do. Because I MUST give this place a very true and Brutally honest review. I wanted to like this place. Heck,, I was excited to drive 10 hours from Detroit just to arrive at a darn tourist trap. I'm a bit of a snoot specially when I'm getting my #rei1440project on. Beautiful picturesque views, scenery, rivers, waterfalls, etc. Being that this place is constantly being featured in hiking magazines is something of a draw. But what they don't tell you is that the hike from the parking lot to the overlook at Lake of the Clouds is less than 1000 ft. A bit of a letdown, specially when we bring some really serious day packs and is expecting to WORK a little for a beautiful view like that. There's that Summit Peak which is very pretty,, but at only 0.5 mile hike from the parking lot is a joke. My walking stick was mad at me because he was barely utelized. What I'm trying to say is,, people with loafers reaching great outdoorsy destinations like those is a bit offensive to me. Presque Isle river was very pretty,, at least that one was a bit more serious hike than the last other two that are constantly being featured in commercials and magazines. I drove 10 hours to arrive at a tourist trap. I'm definitely not impressed. Just go to Munising,, their trails are a lot more challenging, not insulting.

I'm not really quite sure how to rate a state park, because it nature but this park is very nice. There are lots of amazing natural beauties to be explored here. Am if Its not in the park it's near it. The camp ground (union bay) is also very nice. The lake in the clouds is gorgeous. If you visit up here check that out. The water falls are also really cool. There is a trail that hits 3 of the water falls sand finished with a suspension bridge that leads to none other than Lake Superior! This walk is long and we unknowingly walked about 3.5-4 miles, when we thought it would be 1 mile and there are well over 100 stairs. But it was a beautiful hike. We also found beaches all around the park and one by mineral river which has an old shipwreck site, which is sometimes visible. About 30 minutes away from the park there is also a mine tour which is very interesting and fun. You can pick you level and length if tour. I highly recommend this. This park is lovely and shows off the true beauties of Michigan!

Fantastic nature here! Don't expect anything like the Rockies or PCT, but it's one of the best places in the Midwest to hike and enjoy views. You can see a bunch of waterfalls as well as gorgeous Lake of the Clouds. While waterfalls aren't high, it's definitely worth seeing the latter lake - you can drive up all the way to the observation decks and make sure you see it during the sunset.

Camping in Michigan is one of my favorite things. This park has so much to offer for any nature enthusiast. There are miles of hiking trails, waterfalls, slides and cascades, and if a state park campground isn't your thing there are multiple cabins, yurts, and backpack sites you can hike out to. We were able to find several hikes more appropriate for kids (age 7-13) that are incredibly peaceful and jaw-dropping at the same time. Please, be mindful of all of the work that goes into maintaining this area and don't add to the erosion problem despite that strong urge to hike down into a gorge or river bed when it's straight down hill. You'll have to head out to Ontonagon for gas and a larger grocery store, so plan ahead. Taking snacks and water along on your hikes is a must. We had some biting black fly issues even in August which I think is due to a late, wet spring. There are a lot of bears up here but we weren't lucky enough to see one. I highly recommend. This is one of the best Pure Michigan has to offer.

Worth the eight forty Scratch this off the bucket list Wish there was more time Ahhhhh, splendid isolation. Normally, my favorite months to travel are May and September. Close enough to summer, but without all of the crotch droppings running around. Don't think it makes much of a difference which month you go here. It is so off the beaten path that you can go at any time and not see another person for long stretches of time. The $8.40 is for a non-Michigan resident vehicle day pass. I think the only places the pass is required are at the Lake of the Clouds and the trails by the waterfalls. Made the mistake of not getting the pass at the Visitor Center on the way in. The guard at the gate was cool and let it slide. Said just buy one on the way back out - I did. Lake of the Clouds is one of the cooler things I have seen in the Midwest. Not breathtaking like Estes or Yellowstone, but serene and peaceful and awe-inspiring in its own Midwestern way. Easily accessible. Quick 300 feet from the parking lot to the Lake. The falls, on the other hand...you can access the nearest set of falls from the parking lot within 100 yards. However, if you want to get the full experience and see all that there is to offer, you need to hike some seriously steep terrain. Leave the old and the young behind. I worked up a serious sweat on a day in the high 70's with a stiff breeze. While I am not a big fan of kids clogging up tourist destinations, I felt like like a kid in a candy store traversing the trails in the Porkies. Here's to never growing up!

For years I have been itching (no pun intended, the bugs weren't bad at all) to get to the Porcupine Mountains and finally... the day came. A 7+hour drive from Chicago, but it was worth it. There are 100+ miles of trails, each offering pretty different terrain and views. We did a 3 night trip that covered 23 miles, it was perfect. We checked in at headquarters and received a trail map and a lecture about not using bear poles that are leaning because the bear has probably been there recently... (yikes, got it). While the backcountry campsites are not reservable you still have to register as backcountry campers ($14/night). All backcountry campsites have fire rings and bear poles which make life a lot easier. If you can't find a backcountry campsite you are allowed to camp wherever you want, you just can't have a fire and need to figure out how to rig up your own bear bag. Tip: If you park along the county road (M-107) instead of starting in the State Park parking lot you will save yourself a daily parking fee! We hiked into the park from M-107 (eastern edge of the park), along the Lake Superior Trail. The first site was vacant but still in the middle of the woods. We were hoping for a shoreline site so we carried on. We came across the 3rd site in which was marvelous. Private, on the rocky shores of Lake Superior, complete with rock slab seating around the firepit fit for 10 -- the spot was perfect. The second night we continued along Lake Superior Trail and ended up in a more populated area, right near where Lake Superior Trail meets Little Carp Trail. The campsites along this stretch are definitely more out in the open (you can see them from the trail) and closer to one another. This area of the park was busier than I anticipated, probably because it was Labor Day weekend and everyone had the same idea as us. Fortunately we were able to get another campsite and hunker down for the night. The third night we hiked along the Big Carp River trail which I really enjoyed. The trail took us through old pine forests and along the river. We found campsites along the Big Carp River trail, just past the Correction Line Trail. There are three campsites along there, the 2nd and 3rd are definitely the best. Be sure to fill up on water here because from this point forward the trail goes up and you will not have access again until you reach the Lake of the Clouds observation area. Our final day we continued along Big Carp River trail towards the Lake of the Clouds. All I have to say is TOTALLY worth it! The views were incredible and unfortunately the photos don't do it justice. There are three campsites up here, offering a pretty panoramic view as long as you're not afraid of heights. BOTTOM LINE: I wish it were closer, there is so much more to this park I'd like to explore! We ran into a lot more people along Lake Superior but things were pretty quiet on the in-the-woods trails. There are also rustic cabins & yurts you can rent ahead of time, if that strikes your fancy.

So far not loving the campground. Compared to other Michigan state parks the camp sites are extremely tight. The bath house is absolutely disgusting, with human feces smeared in all the shower stalls ( the staff wasn't concerned and told me it would not be cleaned for another 8 hours). The park itself seems nice, doing more exploring tomorrow. I will update the review if my impression of this place changes.

Etta and I drove up to the Porcupine Mountains, on the coast of Lake Superior, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The folks get a little more redneck, more of a redstate feeling, in the UP. When we arrived at the State Park visitors center, I admitted to feeling anxiety about the UP wilderness: it scared me last summer on our tubing trip down the river that took six hours. We visited the Lake in the Clouds, an 800ft hike from the parking lot. It was beautiful. That's pretty much my limit in nature. The ranger at the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park visitors center recommended 2 other short walks. The first would have been to the highest point in the Porkies, Summit Peak, and then a drive to the Western edge of the park, to see the waterfalls by the Presque Isle River. Unfortunately, despite being snake-bitten by Upper Peninsula wilderness before, I talked Etta into what I thought would be an easy 2 mile hike on the Overlook Trail. Mid July is black fly season by Lake Superior, and those monsters were out in force in the woods. The Overlook Trail has a huge incline and decline in elevation, yet no overlooks. I was in full on survival mode for the first two miles: after that the despair kicked in. Were we going to live? Would we ever get out of the woods? Where was the overlook? The name of the trail only reminded me that I had overlooked the advice of the park rangers. Etta was right at home: she's a little Indian girl. She found edible ferns, picked branches from a Golden birch for tea, and best of all, tolerated my misery. I should have stuck to the car hiking. The best part was taking a dip in freezing cold Lake Superior after the hike. It was one of the most refreshing moments of the summer, and totally worth the hour and a half drive up from the Northwoods of Wisconsin.

Visited from Madison, WI to have a little weekend getaway during quarantine and there could not have been a better destination! Lake of the Clouds is absolutely stunning, one of the most beautiful views I've seen in my life-- especially in the midwest. It definitely lived up to the hype! We spoke with a park ranger first before starting our treks here as we only had the day and wanted to cover the must-see's in that time. We ended up doing ten miles total and I felt like we got a lot out of our time. We decided to start with the Lake of the Clouds look out and then upon recommendation headed to the Union Mine Trail which is a little loop on the Eastern end of the park. This trail did not seem to be a popular one which was surprising to us as we found it to be very beautiful and green. Much of it is along a river/creek with many mini waterfalls. Definitely recommend this loop as it was only a little over a mile and was a very simple hike to start with! Next we headed to the Summit Peak scenic area. Per recommendation by the park ranger, we did a loop that ended up being a little over 5 miles or so and utilized 4 of the trails. We started on the Summit Peak side trail after seeing the breathtaking view of the tallest peak in the park, we took that up to the Mirror Lake trail which leads directly into Mirror Lake. From there we took the Little Carp River Trail down to the Beaver Creek Trail which led us back to our vehicle. There were many spots where you walk on boards among all four trails through swamp/marsh areas, it was overall a fairly easy hike though! Did not find it to be strenuous really at all. It was beautiful to be surrounded by the woods and you never see any other hikers in this vast park. I would say to be very conscious of looking for trail signs if you do take this route however, because if you are switching from 4 different trails it could be easy to miss a trail sign when you are supposed to turn off. We ended our day with the last 4 miles in the Presque Isle River Scenic Area. We started on one side of the Presque Isle River and hiked along the water where you will see three beautiful waterfalls! As some mentioned, they are not huge but they are all uniquely stunning. We crossed over the bridge and hiked back along the other side of the river which I recommend doing because both sides provide unique views. The west side is easier to hike with boardwalks and stairs. The east side is a bit more strenuous, with some pretty steep trails. We also took the trail down to Lake Superior and sat on the beach for awhile. There was absolutely no shortage of views and the Porcupine Mountains were definitely the highlight of our UP/Northern Wisconsin trip. The bugs however, were HORRENDOUS. I would recommend bringing plenty of repellent with you, we had to reapply it multiple times throughout the day.

I don't think I can expound too much on all the other rave reviews of this park. My wife and I brought the pup and went up her for a relaxing day to experience the Porcupine River and lake superior and had a great time hiking on the trails along the river and enjoying a Bells Ale on the rocks near the Manido Falls. We were here in June and didn't have too many bug issues (spray applied of course) but we also didn't hike into the back-country so I can't really comment on anything involving that or Lake of the Clouds. You might be able to get a more isolated experience there, as we definitely ran into more people than we maybe expected but we loved the river and Lake Superior, how could you not?

Went on a hiking trip Nov 13-15. The trails were in terrible shape. There where no bridges on most of the river crossings.The trails were poorly marked. When we went to pay for our passes the park worker didnt say anything about the lack of river crossing, and how most of the trails were flooded and in terrible shape. Then after we finally made our way out, the roads were not plowed at all. We got stuck on the main road out.

Marissa B. knocked it out of the park with the logistics of this place, so if you're looking for solid details, check out her review! We planned a four-day trek into the park which was perfect. It gave us enough time to see a bunch of different areas (marsh, swamp, ridge, escarpment, overlook, Lake of the Clouds) without having to be absolute slave drivers on the trail. And, you know... after four days you start really smelling bad and feeling like you'll never be clean again. For the most part, trails are well marked with blue diamonds- a freaking godsend considering that the trails are in pretty bad shape. We did way more bushwacking than we were expecting- there were downed trees all over the place, and the trail kind of disappeared in a lot of the areas along Big Carp River Trail because it was "an intermittent stream bed" which in May in the Porkies means SWAMPTASTIC. Another perk is that while the backcountry campsites were all taken on our third night (you can imagine our horror/exhaustion/temptation to wail), the park is down with folks camping anyplace they like for the night, as long as you don't make a fire. Donezo. We found a nice area next to a stream, just off the trail, which turned out to be a slug colony. Have you ever had slugs in your socks? It's divine. The only thing I'd say that was sub-par, honestly, was Lake of the Clouds. The hike leading up to that point was GLORIOUS, and staying on the escarpment was an incredible camping experience, but you can't actually GET to the lake itself and if you're hiking there after three days on the trail, you pop out looking like a wild animal in the midst of fat biker dudes and screeching tourists drowning each other in bug repellent. Not the best entree back into civilization. Overall, it was quiet, and peaceful, and beautiful untouched forest, and where else can you camp almost DIRECTLY on Mother Lake Superior? It was heaven.

Decided to take the couple hour drive up to Michigan to see the Porkies. It had been years upon years since I'd been up here as a young child. The excitement to see the Lake of the Clouds was just as high now as it was then. And I'm happy to admit it was just as beautiful and breathtaking as I remembered it. As we drove up the mountain to see it the colors of the trees were splendid. The lady we bought our day pass from was super helpful and gave us lots of ideas of what to see and do while in the area. The trail to see the "view" was an easy walk and plenty of area for everyone to see. Wish we would've had more time to hike the trails in the area but didn't. Beautiful, well taken care of park.

Beautiful views and well-marked trails with lots of options! Did the Little Trout 12 mike loop and spent nearly 6 hours hiking it--so many views, but muddy in spots...

Its a beautiful place. We went to the Porkies for the July long weekend. We were 4 of us driving from Chicago. Its a good 7 and a half hour drive - but oh so worth it. I am a big fan of Upper Peninsula and have visited various spots. But the porcupine moutains took my breath away. Its a beautiful state park (way bigger than the regular state parks in Il or Wi) There was greenery all around, with wild flowers growing all around the park. The shores of Lake Superior provide great beaches and spots to view some spectacular sunsets. First day we visited the visitor center and mapped out a plan for our stay. We started out to the Lake of the Clouds - this is a definite must do in this park. THe view from there are outstanding. Endless stretches of green and forest - until the eyes can see. After this we did a hike to the Trapp Falls. Its a great hike, within the forest. There was practically nobody on the trail and we enjoyed the falls. After that, we did the Overlook trail - this one was tougher than the prev one, with a lot of incline and descent. The next day we drove to the Presque Isle river area and hiked and saw three water falls and walked along the Presque Isle river. Its a beautiful location, and the trail is not tough at all. You can take your time at the water falls and do it at a leisurely pace. After that we drove to the Overlooked and Greenstone waterfalls trail head and did that one too. On the next day, on our way back to chicago - we stopped at the Bond Falls in the Ottawa National Forest - this is another must do in this location. Beautiful Falls and easily accessible. I wish we had more time that we could spend in the state park and explore it even more.

If you love hiking, this is a great park to visit. There are many challenging trails with beautiful views. The escarpment trail is breathtaking but be prepared for a lot of up and down hiking,loose rocks and an 11 mile hike there and back. Union mine trail is an easy walk along an awesome trail. Lake Superior is right at the edge of the park with great beaches.

Amazing forests and scenery. Worth the drive to this unique and well preserved forest and lake country! Lots of wildlife to be seen, including deer and moose as well as birding.