Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park — Attraction in Carp Lake Township

Our trip to the Porkies was planned for September 21st, 2025, for a 5-day 31 MI backpacking loop. We made Backcountry camping site reservations online ($20 per night for a site for up to 6), which took a little getting used to, but was pretty easy. Check in on a Sunday morning at the visitor center was very a good experience, a beautiful Visitor Center and a smooth process to turn a reservations into permits. We started out along m107 at the Government Peak Trailhead and walked the Escarpment Trail, a little of the Lake Superior Trail, Little Carp, river Trail, North Mirror Lake Trail, and the Government Peak trail. towards Lake of the clouds. There were several beautiful overlooks of the Lake of the clouds area where we could see the tips of the trees starting to change color and it was beautiful. The trails we chose took us along rivers with waterfalls, Lake superior, Lake of the clouds, and Mirror Lake Trails were well marked and easy to follow. There are plenty of steep up and downs, but we found those we're tiring but not that. There are large sections of Muddy marshy area so be ready, and River Crossings, so be ready to get your feet wet. Based on what we saw, the park is well kept. There are many more trails to explore, and the area around Lake Superior is quite beautiful. I highly recommended. Actually, I probably shouldn't be telling you all of this! If the park becomes more popular, reservations may be harder to get:-) do check out the website, because they do have cabins near the road and near the lake available for rent as well as cabins and Yurts in the backcountry. There are several places for swimming access to Lake Superior. Good...

I stayed at Presque Isle Campground on September 8, 2012 as a staging ground for a backcountry trip in the Porkies. The campground is beautifully situated, mostly shaded, and very quiet. As a backcountry camper, I don't like to be near RV's and the rustic nature of the campground (only pit toilets and hand pumped water) kept most of the RV's away. In addition, no generators are allowed on the north side of the campground. We stayed at campsite #2 - it was large, shaded, with obstructed views of Lake Superior. The walk-in sites were tempting, but we knew we'd be doing enough backcountry camping soon enough. Not necessarily a drawback, but something to be aware of is that the campground is a good half-hour away from anything resembling food, gas, or supplies - so be prepared before you head in. Also, the water is from an old style hand pump, so it's really a two person job and a tad annoying when trying to fill up for a big trip. For backcountry campers, you can get all your permits at the office there, so you don't have to drive all the way up to the north end visitor center. Bring cash or check and don't expect too much information, as there are no rangers at...

We spent a full day here and half of a second day. I'd recommend starting at the visitor center near the NE entrance and getting your bearings. From this, we were able to sketch out activities for 8 hours on day 1 and 4 hours on day 2.

We did the Nonesuch Trail (about 2 miles round trip with stops for viewing ruins, a small falls and the river) - taking about 1.5 hours.

We did the Union Mine Trail (about 1.3 mile loop with stops for waterfalls, historic signs, and ruins) - taking about 1.5 hours

We did the Lake in the Clouds (about 1/2 mile loop) - wooden trail with great overlooks - took 30 minutes

We did the Escarpment trail one-way (4.3 miles) which was extremely scenic and likely the best trail in the park - took 2.5 hours.

We did Summit Peak (about 1 mile round trip) which took us to a tower at the highest point of the park - about 30 minutes (elevation gain)

We did the Presque Isle Trail and Falls - several intertwined trails - covered about 2.5 miles - took about 2.5 hours.

We did some stops along the beach at the...