Nordhouse Dunes, Part 1

So like I wrote in my last post, I went on a little trip this past weekend and it was to the Manistee National Forest, with most of my time in the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness. The forecast was incorrect because there were no thunderstorms - but it got the windy, cold, rainy part right. The consistent rain throughout the weekend did help keep the crowds down since I saw all of one person when I would usually expect to run into a couple groups. However, I did see a couple of the largest porcupines I've ever seen, several herds of deer, multiple bald eagles, and two piping plovers - an endangered species. A sampling of photos:


The first portion of the trail was pretty standard for the Midwest: narrow trails, mixed trees, modest terrain, and many small creeks. The forest had been heavily harvested in the past so I might casually describe its appearance as a "new growth" forest. A unique feature is how sandy it is, which seems to lend itself to "sandslides" along the various ridges and cliffs, such as here.


I actually started outside of the Nordhouse Dunes area and hiked my way to it through the forest. As the established trail petered out, it opened up into open sand dunes and pristine beaches. Once in the dunes though, I made my way towards the beach to avoid disturbing the area. I'm not sure what the official rules are, but I know dunes in Michigan are relatively fragile and I'm not about to go tearing around in there - especially in such a small wilderness area.


Another reason to be careful. This is a well-tagged Piping Plover, an endangered species here. This is the first time I've ever seen one outside of the Manitou Islands, which also has sandy, pebbly areas by water (the bird's preferred habitat). Only 30 years ago, the population of this sub-species was barely a few dozen. Anyway, they make lay their eggs on the ground so you have to watch for them when moving around the beach here; it's all too easy to step on a nest.


Big Sable Point Lighthouse. The lighthouse, which is still functional and relied upon, is a tourist attraction but it was closed at the time so there were no visitors. But as I explored the area, a friendly volunteer keeper stepped out and gave me a little tour. He even waived the $2 fee to climb to the top of the lighthouse, although I ended up donating some funds anyway.


Real nice view to the north, looking at the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness, from the top of the lighthouse. During this little break, the rain let up and so I decided to get going. I wanted to backtrack to scout some potential sites I passed earlier which I had put into my GPS (to my joy, dispersed camping was permitted in certain areas).

I'll continue my trip summary later.