Huron Islands Wilderness
The Huron Island Wilderness is located on and makes up the entirety of the Huron National Wildlife Refuge. Created when President Theodore Roosevelt designated the small islands a national bird sanctuary to protect large colonies of nesting gulls, all eight of the Refuge’s islands are now managed as wilderness. Of these islands, only Lighthouse Island is open to public access. The eastern-most island is known as Cattle Island in memory of the livestock marooned there in 1860 when a cargo ship, the Arctic, ran aground. This incident prompted the construction of a lighthouse on the Lighthouse Island, also known as West Huron Island. The lighthouse was completed in 1868 and remains active within the Wilderness.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| State | Michigan |
| Size | 146 acres |
| Designated | 1970, by Congress |
| Center point | 46.95° N, 87.97° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 6) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Where to camp
No federal campground is within ten miles of the boundary in the Campsite Atlas index. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from trails and water, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit and group-size rules.
Fire nearby
- WildfireCraig Lake 1
24 mi from the center point · 606 acres · 90% contained
- WildfireRidge
30 mi from the center point · 496 acres · 50% contained
- WildfireSilver Leaf
42 mi from the center point · 12 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- under 0.1 miHuron Islands Lighthouse ↗Big Bay, MI
- 11.8 miAvon Township Hall ↗Skanee, MI
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Michigan
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
- Explorer's Guide 50 Hikes on and Around the North Country Trail - Michigan and WisconsinThomas Funke, 2016Find at Bookshop.org
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Huron Islands Wilderness?
146 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Huron Islands Wilderness?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Huron Islands Wilderness in?
Michigan.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Huron Islands Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1970.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How do I get to Huron Islands Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 46.952° N, 87.969° W. Keweenaw National Historical Park is 28 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Huron Islands Wilderness right now?
3 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Craig Lake 1 at 24 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Which national parks are near Huron Islands Wilderness?
Keweenaw National Historical Park (28 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Huron Islands Wilderness?
The National Register has 2 listings within 15 miles, including Huron Islands Lighthouse and Avon Township Hall.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.