73,000 Acres in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula Are Now Permanently Protected

This is a huge win for Michigan.

More than 73,000 acres in the Upper Peninsula’s Huron Mountains are now permanently protected, and here’s the best part…they’re open for all of us to explore.

According to MLive, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources just finalized a whopping $20 million deal to lock in public access to this massive stretch of land, known as the Michigamme Highlands. We’re talking forests, rivers, wetlands, and wildlife habitats that can’t be developed or chopped up in the future. Again, huge.

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Obviously, this isn’t some tiny patch of land. This area includes parts of Baraga, Iron, and Marquette counties, plus access to Mt. Arvon, which happens to be the highest point in Michigan.

What Can You Actually Do in the Michigamme Highlands?

Pretty much everything you’d expect from the Upper Peninsula.

Hunting, fishing, hiking, kayaking, berry picking…all of it is on the table. There are also trails for mountain biking and horseback riding, plus miles of routes for snowmobiles and ORVs.

The land is still owned by a timber company, but they’re required to manage it responsibly, which means logging continues without wrecking the ecosystem. It also shuts the door on things like oil and gas drilling.

This move also protects black bears, wolves, moose, and a ton of other wildlife, along with trout streams and nearly 100 lakes and ponds. And yeah, that’s even with hunting and fishing still allowed.

When you think about it, this is pretty rare. Something this big is getting protected and still open to the public. Michigan definitely scored with this one.