Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park , MI
Fall Adventure
October 8th - October 10th, 2023
Explore more stunning views of Michigan with the beautiful changing hardwoods and an endless backdrop of Lake Superior as it meets the horizon. Challenge yourself to a trail less traveled away from the noise and into the sounds of nature. The Porcupine Mountains provides a place of solitude and deep adventure. Far off the grid on the shore of lake superior its remoteness is no feat of imagination. Take advantage of the opportunity to explore far out and get yourself grounded for the changing of seasons. Taste the autumn air and embrace the cycle of life as we quite down and prepare for the season of stillness and reflection. Porcupine Mountains homes a large variety of hardwood trees offering an anticipated array of fall colors. This unique rocky mountain range is comprised of some of the oldest rock formations in the world, dating over 2 billion years old. Creating a unique opportunity for high altitude mountains in the mid-west. One of the most fascinating geological features of the area is a long basalt and conglomerate escarpment parallel to the Lake Superior shore. Come feast your eyes and soul on this spectacular creation of nature.
Land Acknowledgement
We would like to acknowledge that PackRatz Adventures’ Porcupine Mountains Trip meets on indigenous land that was once Ojibwe/ Chippewa lands. The Porcupine Mountains were named by these local tribes because the silhouette resembled the shape of a crouching porcupine. This is the area we now call Porcupine Mountain Wilderness State Park. This park was created to conserve one the largest stands of old growth northern Hardwoods outside of the Anirdoacks in Northern NY. We recognize, support, and advocate for the sovereignty of Michigan’s twelve federally recognized Indian nations, for the historic indigenous communities in Michigan, for indigenous individuals and communities who live here now, and for those who were forcibly removed from their Homelands. By offering this Land Acknowledgement, we support indigenous sovereignty.
View all of our Land Acknowledgements HERE
Logistics
A brief history
The Porcupine Mountains are an ACTUAL group of small mountains that stretch across the northwestern UP of Michigan on the southwest shore of Lake Superior. This mountain range was named by the native Ojibwe tribes who inhabited the land before us. Claiming that the silhouetted view of the rock formations appeared as a crouching porcupine. These mountains were also a large site for copper mining in the 19th century. The total estimated area of the park is 60,000 acres! 31,000 acres are filled with the most extensive stand of old growth northern hardwood in North America, west of the Adirondack Mountains. The conglomerate rocks that make up this mountain range are dated to be nearly 2 billion years old, making it some of the oldest rock formations in the world. The state park was created in 1945 to protect this area's old growth. The Porkies are home to a wide array of wildlife, moose, grey wolves, white-tailed deer, coyotes, foxes, cougar, river otters, beaver, fish and so many more! It is a luscious place to live, explore and thrive. The park also provides many opportunities for humans to immerse themselves deep, explore and thrive in nature. Not only are there extensive hiking trails and shorelines to walk, along with boating, fishing and swimming, the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park also offers a variety of winter activities such as cross country skiing, snowshoeing and even skiing and snowboarding! With its location on Lake Superior this area gets hit with a LOT of lake effect snow. There is an estimated over 250 inches of snow each winter! The ‘Porkies’ are a place of all kinds of adventure and explorations, come join the fun outside with us and see what wild nature is really all about!