Twelve Hikes
Presque Isle Park - August 21
Temps in the low 60’s
If you want to get a glimpse of what the UP (Upper Michigan) has to offer without getting to far off the beaten path, check out Presque Isle Park! It’s truly one of my favorite places.
The “Island” as the locals call it is a 323 acre forested oval shaped peninsula which juts out into Lake Superior on the northern tip of the City of Marquette Michigan. This popular and scenic park offers very diverse landscapes including rocky cliffs, sandy beaches, pebble beaches, bogs, forests and the best sunsets in area.
The UP and the Marquette area is one of those places that I feel a deep connection with. My Mother’s side of the family is from the area and I have very fond memories of my time here as a child. The ruggedness and natural beauty of this part of the country is breathtaking!
This year my sister, her kids and I took a road trip around the UP visiting Kitch-iti-kipi, Tahquamenon Falls, Whitefish Point, 5 different waterfalls and numerous light houses. The last few days were spent in the Marquette area and when in Marquette a daily visit to the island is mandatory. Even though I have visited the park many times I have never hiked all the way around the whole park. Today is the day to finally do it!
There is a 2 ½ mile trail that follows the shore around the peninsula. Certain times of the day the road through the park is closed to vehicles and this is a great time to hike without hearing any traffic. (although even when there is traffic you don’t really hear it) The best time for this hike is right before sunset - if you hike in the right direction you will arrive at Sunset Cove just in time to watch the sunset before finishing the hike.
The tradition is to grab a pasty from Jean Kay’s and head over to the Island for a picnic and wave watcing. (for those of you new to pasties, they consists of a crust filled with diced potatoes, rutabagas, carrots, onion, ground beef and yuminess!) Tonight we ate at the breakwater picnic area, good food and good views, it doesn’t get much better!
After dinner I started my hike, my nephew joined me for the first half. (and talked non-stop for that portion of the hike, it was very impressive!) We started at the picnic area by the breakwater and headed up the hill towards the graves of Charlie Kawbawgam, the last chief of the local Chippewas, and his wife, Charlotte.
Another ¼ mile or so up the trail is the scenic overlook. At this point we are at the highest part of the island where there is a platform that jets out high above the rocky cliffs of Lake Superior. The trail here follows the shore high above the lake and offers beautiful views, just be sure to stay on the trail and watch your footing as the cliffs drop off quickly!
Next stop is Black Rocks and Pebble Beach. Pebble beach is just that, a beach with pebbles, not sand. It is in a little alcove below the Black Rocks. The Black Rocks are made up of a lava type rock that is over 1 billion years old! It is a unique and beautiful natural feature that is fun to explore but honestly its best known for cliff diving. On any givin day during the summer you will find brave souls jumping from the rocks into the cold, cold, cold waters of Lake Superior.
A few 100 feet past the Black Rocks is Sunset Cove, the best place in the area to watch the sunset. On a clear night this area is packed with cars and people watching the sun set in all its glory. While enjoying the view I heard the sound of music coming from below, looking down I saw a gentleman playing his Harp on the rocks of the shore! Watching the sunset over the great lake with gentle harp music playing in the back ground – Lovely! Did I mention I love this place?
The next 1/2 mile follows the shoreline to what I like to call “Goose poop” beach or “Damn Seagulls” beach. (I’m sure you can guess why) This side of the park is in a bay, the land is low and sandy and it offers beautiful views of rocky islands.
Next stop is the old zoo area where you are almost always guaranteed to see deer or two at dusk. I saw 2 deer and 2 young raccoons this evening. Back when I was young I remember visiting the zoo, it was very small with a only a few deer and small mammals. The zoo is now long gone, all that is left is this sign. The second picture is a plaque on a picnic table that made me smile. Good advice!
After 2 + miles of hiking the ice cream shack on the edge of the park seems to be justified. Just as we sat down to eat our ice cream we saw a ship coming into the Ore dock so we ran over to watch it dock and load with ore from the trains above. It was a perfect end to a great hike and a great day! Did I mention I love this place?!
