The Grand Island National Recreation Area is a national recreation area in

Hiawatha National Forest Hiawatha National Forest is a National Forest in the Upper Peninsula of the state of Michigan in the United States. Commercial logging is conducted in some areas. The United States Forest Service administers this National Forest; it is physical ...

under jurisdiction of the

U.S. Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency inc ...

. Located on Grand Island,

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...

offshore from Munising, Michigan, the Grand Island National Recreation Area covers approximately of

Lake Superior Lake Superior in central North America is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. and the third-largest by volume, holding 10% of the world's surface fresh wa ...

woodland. Grand Island's glacier-cut lake shoreline measures approximately in length. The island's maximum dimension is from north to south. Grand Island was designated a national recreation area by the U.S. Congress in 1990 after the U.S. Forest Service purchased the island from its former owner, Cleveland Cliffs Iron Co.

Lake Superior

Lake Superior dominates the Grand Island biotic environment. Even in high summer, the lake's temperature rarely rises above .

Geology

Grand Island's geology is an extension of the

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicat ...

strata of the adjacent

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is a U.S. National Lakeshore in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, United States. It extends for 42 miles (67 km) along the shore of Lake Superior and covers . The park has extensive views of the hilly sho ...

. Island

cliffs as tall as in height plunge down into the lake. A perimeter trail skirts much of the island's shoreline.

History

Native Americans quickly found the

fisheries Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life; or more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place ( a.k.a. fishing ground). Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farms, ...

around Grand Island to be a resource for seasonal and year-round living. Artifacts from as early as 3300 years before the present (1300 BC) have been found.

Tourism

Grand Island National Recreation Area is served during summer months by a tourist

ferry A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water ta ...

and island tour bus. The ferry ride, which is less than long, shuttles between a dock on M-28, northwest of Munising, and Grand Island's Williams Landing. Ticket fees and an admission fee to the island are charged. During the summer months, the ferry makes several trips to the island each day.

A small portion of Grand Island, the Thumb, remained privately owned as of 2012. The Thumb contains the historic 1868 Grand Island East Channel Light or 'East Channel Light', on the eastern ship channel from Lake Superior into the port of Munising. The lighthouse remained in operation until 1913. The privately owned lighthouse can be viewed from Sand Point on the mainland, within the

, or may be viewed from the water.

Recreational opportunities

The U.S. Forest Services recommends that visitors enjoy

camping Camping is an outdoor activity involving overnight stays away from home, either without shelter or using basic shelter such as a tent, or a recreational vehicle. Typically, participants leave developed areas to spend time outdoors in more nat ...

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from fish stocking, stocked bodies of water such as fish pond, ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. ...

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

hunting Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...

mountain biking Mountain biking is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and pe ...

, and

trapping Animal trapping, or simply trapping or gin, is the use of a device to remotely catch an animal. Animals may be trapped for a variety of purposes, including food, the fur trade, hunting, pest control, and wildlife management. History Neolithi ...

on Grand Island, subject to state license laws. There are 17 campsites within the Grand Island NRA. The largest animal with a breeding presence on the island is the black bear, from which campers must protect themselves. Rockclimbing is strongly discouraged because the island's dramatic sandstone cliffs are friable and crumbly. The Grand Island Trail Marathon has been held on the island every July since 2005, with the exception of 2020 due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

. The event has featured in the past a 2K race for children and a 10K race. In recent years, the event has included

half marathon A half marathon is a road running event of —half the distance of a marathon. It is common for a half marathon event to be held concurrently with a marathon or a 5K race, using almost the same course with a late start, an early finish or shortcut ...

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

, and 50 km races.

References

External links

Hiawatha National Forest - Grand Island Recreation Area

Hiawatha National Forest Facebook

Hiking Michigan excerpt
{{USNRAs National Recreation Areas of the United States Protected areas of Alger County, Michigan Hiawatha National Forest Protected areas established in 1990 1990 establishments in Michigan