Mackinac Wilderness
By the late 1910s, the Mackinac Wilderness had been extensively logged, but natural regeneration has allowed a second-growth forest to reclaim the land, with some trees now standing for 60 to 80 years. In the northeastern section, a dense forest of northern hardwoods grows along low ridges, with stands of birch and aspen. The rest of the Wilderness is characterized by large wetlands, bordered by sand ridges, shallow bogs, and marshes interspersed with small clumps of trees. Busy beavers frequently dam the drainages, forming seven major ponds. In the northeast, seven-acre Spring Lake sits at the edge of the wetlands, serving as the headwaters for Spring Lake Creek.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Michigan |
| Size | 11,358 acres |
| Designated | 1987, by Congress |
| Center point | 46.06° N, 84.84° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 10) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground
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
None of the 3 federal campgrounds within ten miles sit inside the boundary. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Trails
4 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 103 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Brevoort-Cedarville OHV ↗ | 36.5 | |
| Carp River Canoe Route ↗ | 31.8 | |
| Red Creek-Cedarville Snomo ↗ | 24.8 | |
| Carp River Hiking Trail ↗ | 9.6 |
Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas. This trail list was copied from Trailhead Atlas on November 1, 2026 and is copied again on each weekly run. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedPaula Red South Rx
21 mi from the center point · 147 acres
- PrescribedRed Delicious Rx
23 mi from the center point · 289 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
- 11.7 miSt. Ignace Mission ↗National Historic Landmark
- 4.3 miMackinac Trail--Carp River Bridge ↗St. Ignace Township, MI
- 10.7 miSacred Heart-Gros Cap Church ↗Moran Township, MI
- 11 miGros Cap Cemetery ↗Gros Cap, MI
- 12 miSt. Helena Island Light Station ↗St. Ignace, MI
- 12.4 miChambers, John, House ↗St. Ignace, 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 Mackinac Wilderness?
11,358 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Mackinac Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Mackinac Wilderness in?
Michigan.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Mackinac Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1987.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Mackinac Wilderness?
Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities, and the managing agency page has the permit rules. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Mackinac Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 46.063° N, 84.842° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Mackinac Wilderness right now?
2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Paula Red South Rx at 21 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Are there historic places near Mackinac Wilderness?
The National Register has 6 listings within 15 miles, including St. Ignace Mission and Mackinac Trail--Carp River Bridge.
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.
- Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched on the wilderness each trail enters.
- 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.