McCormick Wilderness
Three generations of McCormicks, the descendants of Cyrus McCormick, inventor of the reaping machine, held the deed to this area before Gordon McCormick willed the land to the U.S. Forest Service. McCormick Wilderness has recovered from the logging era that ended in the early 1900s. Today, you'll find a mixture of northern hardwoods and lowland conifers interspersed with small patches of towering white pine, Michigan's state tree. Moose have been reintroduced here and are relatively common sights by Michigan standards. Other forest dwellers include black bears, pine martens, otters, minks, foxes, deer, squirrels, and hares. Bird-watchers enjoy loons and woodpeckers as well as thriving populations of many other feathered species.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
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| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Michigan |
| Size | 16,861 acres |
| Designated | 1987, by Congress |
| Center point | 46.69° N, 88.00° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 10) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Forest Service recreation site
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.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 2 recreation sites inside this wilderness, among them 1 backpacking, 1 day hiking. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 3 miYellow Dog Falls ↗Day hiking · January 1 to December 31
- 4 miMcCormick Wilderness ↗Backpacking · January 1 to December 31
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
6 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 16 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| N C T McCormick Wilderness ↗ | 7.8 | |
| White Deer Lake | 3.5 | |
| Yellow Dog Falls | 2.6 | |
| Lower Baraga Lake | 1.2 | |
| Margaret/Bulldog Lake Portage | 0.4 | |
| Upper Baraga Lake | 0.2 |
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
- WildfireCraig Lake 1
9 mi from the center point · 606 acres · 90% contained
- WildfireRidge
19 mi from the center point · 496 acres · 50% contained
- WildfireSilver Leaf
32 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
- 7.5 miTruck Line Bridge No. 1 ↗Michigamme Township, MI
- 7.6 miCohodas, Sam, Lodge ↗Champion, MI
- 11.9 miVista Theater ↗Negaunee, MI
- 13.2 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 McCormick Wilderness?
16,861 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages McCormick Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is McCormick Wilderness in?
Michigan.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was McCormick Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1987.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How do I get to McCormick Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 46.686° N, 88.000° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near McCormick Wilderness right now?
3 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Craig Lake 1 at 9 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Are there historic places near McCormick Wilderness?
The National Register has 4 listings within 15 miles, including Truck Line Bridge No. 1 and Cohodas, Sam, Lodge.
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.