The Hiawatha National Forest is close to 900,000 acres in size and has the distinction of touching the shoreline of three of the five great lakes (Superior, Michigan and Huron). As we drove through it on Saturday we knew we'd be going back to spend more time and do a little more exploring. Obviously, there is plenty to see and do in a forest that size. One of the places we stopped for a few minutes was at Moccasin Lake. We noticed there was a trail nearby called Bruno's Run that looked interesting and we decided that would be our destination.
Sunday afternoon we drove back to Moccasin Lake by way of a brief stop at Wagner Falls, a very nice waterfall just outside Munising. Although it had been less than 24 hours and the leaves were still quite colorful it was obvious that they were now changing rapidly. In places many of the bright red, yellow and orange leaves were turning to brown, although we would occasionally hit patches that were at their peak color.
Wagner Falls
We did a little hiking on the Bruno's Run trail but found that it was a little too muddy to enjoy. Not to be deterred, we drove around the area a little and discovered Pete's Lake Recreation Area. We were able to park in an area near the boat ramp and enjoyed a nice long walk along the paved (no mud) roads near the lake. Occasionally there would be a passing car or bike but we could count both cars and bikes on one hand as we enjoyed our time among the tall trees and colorful leaves.
We barely scratched the surface of Hiawatha National Forest but Pete's Lake Recreation Area was a nice place to visit.
Monday was a kind of "stay around the house day". This was partly due to the weather and partly because we are enjoying where we are staying so much. We had a fire in the outdoor fire pit and I did a little fishing along the shore. I'm still getting shutout by the fish in Lake Superior, although that hasn't made the fishing any less enjoyable.
It's a big lake.......no fish has disrupted my fishing yet by swimming into the hook. This picture was taken shortly after we arrived. Now my fishing is done in long pants and a jacket.
Yesterday morning we hopped in the silver bullet and made the short (40 minute) drive to the Seney National Wildlife Refuge. The 95,000 acre refuge, which is managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Services, was established in 1935. Prior to the establishment of the refuge the area was described as "barren and burned out" Now it is a habitat and breeding ground for migratory birds as well as numerous other species of wildlife including moose, deer, beaver and porcupines. As a result of it being near the end of the season (it closes Oct. 20) and the pandemic, the visitors center and some areas of the refuge were closed. We knew this before heading that direction. We were still encouraged by the nice things we had heard about the trail and seven mile marshland drive that were still open. We certainly weren't disappointed.
Seney National Wildlife Refuge
The trail was a 1.5 mile pine tree lined loop trail around several ponds. Although many of the migratory birds have already packed their sunscreen and headed south for the winter there were still plenty of birds including quite a few pairs of Trumpeter Swans. These birds have a wingspan of close to eight feet, making them the largest species of waterfowl in the world. They were not only putting on a show with their takeoffs and landings but also feeding on bottom with their butts pointing skyward.
The Marshland Drive was a longer version of the hiking trail. It's a one direction, seven mile loop drive. There are numerous places to pull out along the drive as well as three observation platforms for stopping and soaking in the surroundings. Although we were hoping to see a few more animals, specifically moose, beaver and porcupine we loved our time and highly recommend that if you're in this area that you take some time to explore the peaceful, but very different, Pete's Lake Recreation Area and Seney National Wildlife Refuge.
