Huron-Manistee National Forests
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Huron-Manistee National Forests are actually two national forests combined in 1945 for administration purposes and which comprise almost 1,000,000 acres (4,050 km²) of public lands, including 5,786 acres (23 km²) of wetlands, extending across the northern lower peninsula of Michigan. The Huron-Manistee National Forests provide recreation opportunities for visitors, habitat for fish and wildlife, and resources for local industry. The headquarters for the forests is in Cadillac, Michigan.
[edit] History
The Huron National Forest was established in 1909 and the Manistee National Forest in 1938. In 1945, they were administratively combined, although they are not adjacent.
[edit] Features
The Huron-Manistee boasts thousands of lakes and miles of sparkling rivers streams. The nationally-known Pere Marquette and Au Sable Rivers offer quality canoeing and fishing.
Over 330 miles (531 km) of trails are available for hiking on the Huron-Manistee National Forests.
The Manistee portion is located in northwest lower Michigan. It has varying but largely sandy terrain covered with trees. There are numerous lakes and frontage on Lake Michigan. The area is popular for fishing, camping, boating, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and hunting. The North Country Trail passes through it.
The Manistee Forest is not one continuous mass but is broken by private property and towns. Much of the land had been abandoned by logging companies after being logged off a century ago.
The Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness is a unique feature in the Manistee portion. This relatively small area of 3,450 acres (14 km²), situated on the east shore of Lake Michigan is one of the few wilderness areas in the U.S. with an extensive lake shore dunes ecosystem. Most of the dunes are 3500 to 4000 years old and some stand about 140 feet (43 m) higher than the lake. The Nordhouse Dunes are interspersed with woody vegetation such as juniper, jack pine and hemlock. There are many small water holes and marshes dotting the landscape and dune grass covers many of the dunes. The beach is wide and sandy, excellent for solitary walks and sunset viewing.
The Huron National Forest portion is in northeast lower Michigan. Its southern boundary is approximately at the latitude of Manistee's northern boundary.
