Huron Islands
Encyclopedia
The Huron Islands are a group of eight small, rocky islands in Lake Superior
, located about three miles offshore from the mouth of the Huron River in northwestern Marquette County, Michigan
. Together they comprise the Huron National Wildlife Refuge, which was established by President Theodore Roosevelt
in 1905. The Wildlife Refuge is also known as the Huron Islands Wilderness and is a unit of the Seney National Wildlife Refuge
. The underwater area around the islands is part of the Huron Islands unit of the Marquette Underwater Preserve
and several shipwreck
s can be visited by divers
.
Only one of the islands, known as Lighthouse Island or West Huron Island, is open to the public, and is accessible only by private boat for day use. This island is the site of the historic Huron Island Light
, built in 1868. The lighthouse
still operates, but is now fully automated.
There is a walking path from the boat landing site on the south end of the island to the lighthouse. The path continues beyond the lighthouse to the structures and cliffs on the far north end of the island. The entire path is just over 1/2 mile long. The path from the lighthouse to the north end of the island is quite rustic and is often overgrown with brush.
The larger islands are sparsely forested with pine and birch. The smaller islands are bare granite outcroppings, and home to a large colony of herring gulls
. Bald eagle
s also nest here.
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
, located about three miles offshore from the mouth of the Huron River in northwestern Marquette County, Michigan
Marquette County, Michigan
-National protected areas:* Hiawatha National Forest * Huron National Wildlife Refuge* Ottawa National Forest -University:Northern Michigan University is a four-year university, established in 1899, located in Marquette, Michigan, on Michigan's Upper Peninsula...
. Together they comprise the Huron National Wildlife Refuge, which was established by President Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
in 1905. The Wildlife Refuge is also known as the Huron Islands Wilderness and is a unit of the Seney National Wildlife Refuge
Seney National Wildlife Refuge
The Seney National Wildlife Refuge is a managed wetland in Schoolcraft County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It has an area of 95,212 acres . It is bordered by M-28 and M-77. The nearest town of any size is Seney, Michigan...
. The underwater area around the islands is part of the Huron Islands unit of the Marquette Underwater Preserve
Marquette Underwater Preserve
The Marquette Underwater Preserve was established in 1990 to promote conservation of the submerged historical resources in Lake Superior near Marquette, Michigan. The Preserve is composed of two separate units, the Marquette Unit and the Huron Islands Unit. The Marquette Unit extends along...
and several shipwreck
Shipwreck
A shipwreck is what remains of a ship that has wrecked, either sunk or beached. Whatever the cause, a sunken ship or a wrecked ship is a physical example of the event: this explains why the two concepts are often overlapping in English....
s can be visited by divers
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
.
Only one of the islands, known as Lighthouse Island or West Huron Island, is open to the public, and is accessible only by private boat for day use. This island is the site of the historic Huron Island Light
Huron Island Light
Huron Island Light is a lighthouse on Lake Superior near Big Bay, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Huron Islands Lighthouse in 1975. It is on one of the Huron Islands .- History :...
, built in 1868. The lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
still operates, but is now fully automated.
There is a walking path from the boat landing site on the south end of the island to the lighthouse. The path continues beyond the lighthouse to the structures and cliffs on the far north end of the island. The entire path is just over 1/2 mile long. The path from the lighthouse to the north end of the island is quite rustic and is often overgrown with brush.
The larger islands are sparsely forested with pine and birch. The smaller islands are bare granite outcroppings, and home to a large colony of herring gulls
American Herring Gull
The American Herring Gull or Smithsonian Gull is a large gull which breeds in North America. It is often treated as a subspecies of the European Herring Gull but is now regarded as a separate species by some authorities.Adults are white with gray back and wings, black wingtips with white spots,...
. Bald eagle
Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
s also nest here.
External links
- Huron National Wildlife Refuge
- Huron Island Light Station at Seeing the Light
- Huron Island Light at NPS Inventory of Historic Light Stations
- Huron Islands Wilderness