Backpacking in the Porcupine Mountains

Background/Logistics

The week of June 22nd, 2020, we decided to do some overnight backpacking in the Porcupine Mountains (aka Porkies). Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park is about three hours west of our home in Au Train, Michigan. At 60,000 acres, it is one of the largest wilderness areas in the Midwest. Domonick and I visited in the winter and yurt camped. We knew we wanted to visit again without snow pants! Reservations are required for backcountry campsites May 15 to October 14. We reserved a campsite for Monday night at “LC-3” which is just west of Lily Pond. We hiked a 35-mile loop and saw most of the west end of the park. Visit here for a park map.

Day 0

We drove to the Porkies on Sunday, arriving around 4pm. We visited arguably the most popular part of the park, Lake of the Clouds. What a view!

Afterwards, we did the short Summit Peak hike. There is a lookout tower with a sweeping view of Lake Superior and the surrounding hills. We saw a storm rolling towards us in the distance and decided it was time to find a place to camp. Dispersed camping is not allowed in the park, but we read about a small campsite off of a section of Boundary Road that is not in the park. We found the aforementioned spot, which didn’t look like a well established site. We soon found out the mosquitoes were out in full force. With the impending storm, unlevel ground, and flying bite-machines, we decided to sleep in our Ford Explorer.

Day 1 (16.3 miles)

We visited the ranger station at the Presque Isle Scenic Area in the morning and checked in for our camping reservation. We began our hike on the Lake Superior Trail and were impressed with the waterfalls on the Presque Isle River.

 

There were many steep ups and downs that were reminiscent of the Long Trail in Vermont (Domonick and I thru-hiked this gem in 2017). There were also many blow downs and I can’t say this was the best maintained trail we’ve been on. We passed by Speaker’s cabin (there are many cabins in the park that you can reserve in advance) and shortly after enjoyed lunch on the shores of Lake Superior with our national bird.

We hung a right near the Little Carp cabin and followed the North Country Trail (NCT). There were a couple shallow creek crossings where we couldn’t rock hop, so decided to take our shoes off and walk across barefoot. [Side note: In larger, fast flowing bodies of water, we recommend keeping shoes on! Early on during our thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail in 2016, I made the mistake of taking my shoes off during one of the many river fords. I lost my balance, fell in, and got banged up before Domonick was luckily able to yank me up before I was swept away.]

We got into camp shortly before dinner. There was a bear pole to hang our food, fresh water at the neighboring Little Carp River, but unfortunately no pit toilet.

Day 2 (18.6 miles)

We passed Lily Pond shortly after we started hiking, and Mirror Lake after that. We had a little respite from the mosquitoes in the middle of the night, but after a good night’s rest, the mosquitoes were as feisty as ever. Bug nets were a life saver on this trip.

This section of trail was very scenic, well maintained, and much more traveled than the prior day’s trail. We crossed paths with several other backpackers and day hikers. We veered left at the Correction Line Trail. There were a couple more shoe-less creek crossings, but the fresh water felt good on our tired feet. We saw plenty of frogs, wildflowers, and a large family of ducks.

We met up with the Big Carp River Trail and continued west, breaking for lunch at the mouth of the Big Carp River. This was probably the busiest section of trail, for good reason. It was incredibly scenic with picturesque camping sites and a handful and nice-looking cabins. After lunch, we made our way back towards our car on the Lake Superior Trail, really enjoying the walk by the shoreline. We arrived at our car in the late afternoon.

Bonus!

Before heading back home, we stopped for a visit at O Kun de Kun Falls. It looked like the trail was rebuilt quite recently, with a lovely gravel path. The waterfall was wonderful!

Summary

We loved backpacking in the Porcupine Mountains and it is one of my new favorite places to visit. We are so fortunate to live so close by. I would like to visit again and backpack on the east side of the park. Domonick and I liked it so much that we are thinking of adding the Porcupine Mountains to our line-up of guided backpacking trips in the coming years!

The Upper Peninsula is full of beauty. The Porcupine Mountains, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Hiawatha National Forest, Keweenaw Peninsula, and Isle Royale are definitely in our top five. We would love to share the beauty of our backyard with you, whether it’s on a sunset hike or guided backpacking trip. We can’t get enough of exploring this wonderful place!

Happy Trails,

Carolyn (co-owner/guide)