Michigan Islands Wilderness Area, a relatively small wilderness area of 12.5 acres (0.05 km
2.), consists of
Pismire Island,
Scarecrow Island, and
Shoe Island within the
Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge
The Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge is a designation for nine Michigan islands in the North American Great Lakes. Owned by the United States federal government, they were set aside for ecosystem protection purposes by President Frankli ...
. These three islands, which constitute part of the group of islands that make up the larger refuge, were elevated to the rank of a United States wilderness area in 1970. All three islands are noted for their infrequent human visitation and their roles as breeding grounds for freshwater
wading birds
245px, A flock of Dunlins and Red knots">Red_knot.html" ;"title="Dunlins and Red knot">Dunlins and Red knots
Waders or shorebirds are birds of the order Charadriiformes commonly found wikt:wade#Etymology 1, wading along shorelines and mudflat ...
, such as the
great blue heron.
The three islands that make up this Wilderness Area are widely separated from each other. Scarecrow Island is in
Lake Huron, and Pismire Island and Shoe Island are in
Lake Michigan.
Lake Huron
Scarecrow Island is located in
Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay is a city in and the seat of Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada. It is the most populous municipality in Northwestern Ontario and the second most populous (after Greater Sudbury) municipality in Northern Ontario; its population i ...
, a
U.S. National Marine Sanctuary in northwestern
Lake Huron. The island is situated approximately 2 miles (3 km) off shore of Michigan's
Negwegon State Park south of
Alpena in
Sanborn Township,
Alpena County.
Lake Michigan
Pismire Island and Shoe Island are located in the Beaver Island archipelago in far northern Lake Michigan. Pismire Island is located approximately 3.5 miles (5.5 km) northeast of
St. James, a harbor on the northern end of
Beaver Island, while the secluded Shoe Island is located approximately 14 miles (22.5 km) west of
Waugoshance Point.
References
{{Protected areas of Michigan
Protected areas of Alpena County, Michigan
Protected areas of Charlevoix County, Michigan
IUCN Category Ib
Wilderness areas of Michigan