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Hiking in the Garden of the Gods
Porcupine Mountains, Michigan
Before the rising sun drenches Lake Superior in pink and gold, you can grab one of the best seats in the house for the show. Just pull up a driftwood log along the shore at this rugged enclave in the far-western reaches of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
Beyond the beach, Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park rises to well-worn peaks blanketed in pristine woodlands. Michigan's largest state park remains a 92-square-mile high-country hideaway. Black bears, deer and other wildlife still call these stands of hardwood, hemlock and pine home.
At the visitors center just west of tiny Silver City, a film details the Porcupines' history, including its Ojibwa legacy and the copper-mining days of the early 1800s. Most visitors first head to the Lake of the Clouds overlook at the end of a path on the east side of the park. The lake gleams like a sapphire in a jewel box lined with velvet as green as the forest.
Hikers and backpackers roam the 90-some miles of trails. You also can explore the park by car, but be sure to stop and walk the short paths to swift rivers and gurgling waterfalls. Eye-popping views extend in every direction.
Halfway down South Boundary Road, which runs the 30 miles across the park, a 40-foot-tall tower rises at Summit Peak, the highest point in the Porkies. You may huff and puff along the steep trail and boardwalk that lead up the mountain, but the panorama of woods and water is worth the effort.
50 miles northeast of Ironwood, Michigan
Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park
Ontonagon County Chamber of Commerce (906/884-4735)
Upper Peninsula Travel & Recreation Association (800/ 562-7134)
