Porcupine Mountains

Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)[1]
A vista in the Porcupine Mountains
A vista in the Porcupine Mountains
Map showing the location of Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park
Map showing the location of Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park
Location in Michigan
Map showing the location of Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park
Map showing the location of Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park
Porcupine Mountains (the United States)
LocationOntonagon / Gogebic counties, Michigan, United States
Nearest townOntonagon, Michigan
Coordinates46°46′52″N 89°40′51″W / 46.78111°N 89.68083°W / 46.78111; -89.68083[2]
Area59,020 acres (23,880 ha)
Elevation1,447 feet (441 m)[2]
DesignationMichigan state park
Established1944[3]
AdministratorMichigan Department of Natural Resources
WebsitePorcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park
Designated1984[4]
Lake of the Clouds.
Autumn color and Lake Superior.

The Porcupine Mountains, or Porkies, are a group of small mountains spanning the northwestern Upper Peninsula of Michigan in Ontonagon and Gogebic counties, near the shore of Lake Superior. The Porcupine Mountains were named by the native Ojibwa people, supposedly because their silhouette had the shape of a crouching porcupine.[5] They are home to the most extensive stand of old growth northern hardwood forest in North America west of the Adirondack Mountains, spanning at least 31,000 acres (13,000 ha). The area is popular among tourists, especially Lake of the Clouds in the heart of the mountains, and is part of Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park.[6]

The Porcupine Mountains were the site of copper mining in the 19th century. One of these mines is the Nonesuch Mine, which operated sporadically from 1867 to 1912. Because of its copper mining history, the state park is a cooperating unit of Keweenaw National Historical Park.

  1. ^ "Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park". IUCN. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
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