Pere Marquette State Forest

Pere Marquette State Forest
IUCN category VI (protected area with sustainable use of natural resources)

Map showing State Forests in Michigan.

Location Lower Peninsula, Michigan
Coordinates 44°03′N 85°47′W / 44.05°N 85.78°W / 44.05; -85.78Coordinates: 44°03′N 85°47′W / 44.05°N 85.78°W / 44.05; -85.78
Governing body Michigan Department of Natural Resources

The Pere Marquette State Forest encompasses lands in Michigan’s northern Lower Peninsula, on the western side of the state. Counties within the Pere Marquette are: Leelanau, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Mason, Lake, Osceola, Oceana, Newaygo and Mecosta.

There are several trail-ways in the Pere Marquette, the longest of which are the Muncie Lake Pathway, at 11.5 miles (18.5 km) in length; the VASA Pathway, at 16.7 miles (26.9 km); and the Cadillac Pathway, at 11.3 miles (18.2 km). The trails are well suited to biking, hiking and cross country skiing.

The North Country Trail includes 65 miles (105 km) within the Pere Marquette, and over 1,500 miles (2,400 km) in Michigan as a whole.

It is named after French explorer Jacques Marquette, who founded the first European settlement of Michigan in 1668.

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 7/5/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.