Backpacker Magazine – Online Only

Winter Camping in Michigan's Porcupine Mountains

Lake effect snow and a vast virgin forest make this a spectacular winter getaway for skiing and snowshoeing

by: Eric Hansen

Tags:
• Adventures
|
• Snowshoeing
|
• Winter camping
|
• Michigan
|

---

Winter is a sure thing in the Porcupine Mountains. Cold air, borne on northwest winds, interacts with the comparatively warm water of Lake Superior, creating lake effect snow showers and a deep snow-pack. That snow drapes a notable 35,000 acre virgin forest of northern hardwoods, where sugar maple, hemlock and yellow birch are dominant. On skis or snowshoes backpack 3 miles to Union Springs, which gushes an incredible 700 gallons of water per minute. Camp under towering hemlocks, ski the nearby groomed trails or explore west 2 miles to Trap Falls.

Contact Information

Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park: (906) 885-5275, www.michigan.gov/dnr

Subscribe to Backpacker magazine
Sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter