Quiet Sports

With over 80,000 acres of public land, Presque Isle County offers the visitor numerous opportunities to enjoy the peace and quiet of the North.

Thompson’s Harbor State Park, located twelve miles south of Rogers City on US 23 South, is over 5,000 acres of woods and trails that are accessible only by foot, snowshoe or cross country skis.

This property includes almost nine miles of pristine Lake Huron shoreline that looks today much the same as it did when the first explorers visited the area.

The Park is also home to several species of endangered or protected fauna, including the Dwarf Lake Iris and Pitcher’s Thistle. The lakeside bogs are unique to the area and support a wide range of plants and animals. For more information see the following website:
http://www.dnr.state.mi.us/parksandtrails/Details.aspx?id=500&type=SPRK

The geology of the County is known as “karst”, which means that there are several sizable cracks or fissures in the limestone beds underlying the surface of the land. This also supports several underground streams, and in many areas, the erosive action of the water has created sink holes, which are collapse zones. Over the years, these holes have become overgrown with vegetation, or filled with groundwater. There are several locations throughout the county where these unique geological features can be viewed.
http://www.nemcog.org/greenways/presq-info.html

That same geological formation is a repository to millions of prehistoric fossils, and a cooperative effort between the City of Rogers City and Carmeuse Lime and Stone provides the raw material for fossil hunters at the fossil park located adjacent to the Little League fields in Rogers City.

There are several bike trails located throughout the county. The Alpena to Cheboygan Trail bisects the county with over thirty miles of former rail line that will be paved with crushed limestone in 2011. The trail is open to all non-motorized traffic when the snow is gone, and to snowmobiles during the winter. The trail passes through the villages of Posen, Metz, Hawks and Millersburg and the City of Onaway.

A spur off the main trail approaches Rogers City and a connecting trail is in the planning stages. That trail will hook-up with the Huron Sunrise Trail, an eight-mile asphalt-paved trail that follows the Lake Huron Shore from the Rogers City Little League Park northwest to the Forty-mile Point Lighthouse Park. A spur trail links visitors to the Herman Vogler Natural Area and the Seagull Point Park Trail.

The Anishnabe Trail follows County Road 638 from the eastern border of Thompson’s Harbor State Park approximately 6.5 miles south to the Besser Bell Natural Area. That trail circles the abandoned village of Bell, and is open to hiking and cross-country skiing.

The Ocqueoc Bi-Centennial Trail, located approximately seven miles west of Rogers City on State Route M-68, starts at Ocqueoc Falls, the largest waterfalls in the Lower Peninsula, and follows the river through undeveloped upland forests. The trail is open to hiking and cross-country skiing.

The Black Mountain Recreational Area is located astride the Presque Isle – Cheboygan County line in northwest Presque Isle Co. contains more than thirty miles of hiking, mountain biking, and cross-country ski trails. For more information, go to:
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10365_10883-49439--,00.html

Canoeing and kayaking is gaining in popularity and the Lake Huron shoreline is a frequently-visited kayak destination. The only navigable stream in the county is the Ocqueoc and it can be followed from its headwaters in southern Presque Isle County until its discharge in Lake Huron, just beyond US 23. Most of the publicly accessible lakes in the county have parking areas and boat ramps that allow for easy loading and unloading of canoes and kayaks.
Canoe and Kayak rental is available from Ocqueoc Outfitters, located north of Rogers City on US 23 near the Ocqueoc River. http://ocqueocoutfitters.com

The Huron Blueway is being developed and will follow the entire Lake Huron shoreline of Presque Isle County. A map showing access points in the southeast portion of the county can be seen at:
http://www.eastcoastpaddlers.com/huron_blueways/images/paddle_map_10.pdf

A facility that is unique to Presque Isle County is the restored CCC Camp located just off US-23 North and Town Hall Highway at the lower end of Ocqueoc Lake. This is one of the last CCC camps remaining intact from the 1930’s and is available for group outings, family reunions, business meetings, weddings, etc. For additional information regarding this unique facility, contact the Michigan State University Extension Service in Rogers City at 1-800-334-5695, or take a look at the facility at:
http://www.msue.msu.edu/portal/default.cfm?pageset_id=28530&page_id=529000&msue_portal_id=25643

A list of all the accessible trails in Presque Isle County can be seen at:
http://www.michigantrails.us/presque-isle-county-michigan/presque-isle-county-michigan-trails.html

Given its wealth of public land, heavily wooded terrain, abundance of water and proximity to the Great Lakes, Presque Isle County is a favorite spot for bird watching. Thompson’s Harbor State Park offers over 5,000 acres that are accessible only by foot, and is a haven to all the native wildlife found in this part of the state. Southern Presque Isle County is also on the northern edge of the endangered Kirtland’s Warbler breeding range, and a large management area was developed adjacent to Tomahawk Floodwaters about ten years ago. That area is just now reaching the proper age to attract the rare songbirds.
http://www.michiganbirding.com
http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/572/overview/Kirtlands_Warbler.aspx

Tour America Bike Shop
268 N. Second St.
Rogers City, MI 49779
(989) 734-3946

Super Spoke Bike Rentals
Adjacent to the Super Scoop ice Cream Stand
253 N. Third St.
Rogers City, MI 49779
(989) 734-3861

Huron Marine Sales - Canoes and Kayaks
450 N. Second Ave.
Rogers City, MI 49779
(989) 734-2534
(989) 306-0211
Call for Appointment