This year during our fall color tour of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
(U.P for shore), we are spending a couple of days exploring the
Porcupine Mountains Wilderness
State Park - "Porkies" for short.
Park Map
The 59,020 acre park was established in
1945 to protect a large stand of old-growth forest. In
1972, Michigan passed the Wilderness and Natural Areas Act. This act
gave the “Porkies” a new name - the Porcupine Mountains
Wilderness State Park. In 1984, the park was designated a
National Natural Landmark due to its natural and historical value.
It is one of 12 such designations in the State of Michigan.
If you are like me, you can’t help but wonder how places get their
names and the Porcupine Mountains certainly begged to be asked that
question. If you didn’t know, here’s the answer …
