Les Cheneaux Islands are a group of 36 small islands, some inhabited, along 12 miles of Lake Huron

Lake Huron

Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...

 shoreline on the southeastern tip of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan

Upper Peninsula of Michigan

The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is the northern of the two major land masses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan. It is commonly referred to as the Upper Peninsula, the U.P., or Upper Michigan. It is also known as the land "above the Bridge" linking the two peninsulas. The peninsula is bounded...

 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The name is French

French language

French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...

 for "the Channels", noting the many channels between the islands in the group. They are about 30 miles north and east of the Straits of Mackinac

Straits of Mackinac

The Straits of Mackinac is the strip of water that connects two of the Great Lakes, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, and separates the Lower Peninsula of Michigan from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It is a shipping lane providing passage for raw materials and finished goods, connecting, for...

 and about 35 miles south of Sault Ste. Marie

Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan

Sault Ste. Marie is a city in and the county seat of Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is in the north-eastern end of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, on the Canadian border, separated from its twin city of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, by the St. Marys River...

. The islands are a popular resort and boating and kayaking

Kayaking

Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving across water. Kayaking and canoeing are also known as paddling. Kayaking is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle...

 area. The nearby communities of Hessel and Cedarville on the mainland offer marinas, camping, lodging, restaurants, and shopping. The Les Chenaux Islands Antique Boat Show & Festival of the Arts has been held on the second Saturday of each August since 1976 in Hessel. It is the world's largest antique wooden boat show.

Overview of Area

The named islands include:

• Bear Island
• Birch Island
• Boot Island
• Burnham Island
• Coryell Island
• Cove Island
• Crow Island
• Dollar Island
• Echo Island
• Eagle Island
• Goat Island
• Goose Island
• Government Island, federally owned, administered through Hiawatha National Forest
  Hiawatha National Forest
  Hiawatha National Forest is a National Forest in the Upper Peninsula of the state of Michigan in the United States. Commercial logging is conducted in some areas. The United States Forest Service administers this National Forest; it is physically divided into two subunits, commonly called the...
  
  , primitive campground
• Gravelly Island
• Haven Island, known for the occupants consumption of Dixie Chili.
• Hill Island, connected by causeway and bridge with the mainland
• Holsinger Island
• Island No. 8, connected by bridge with the mainland via Hill Island
• La Salle Island
• Little Island (Also known as "Skunk Island" to locals)
• Little Joe's Island (Also known as White Loon Island)
• Little La Salle Island
• Lone Susan Island
• Long Island
• Marquette Island
  Marquette Island
  Marquette Island is the largest of the 36 islands in the Les Cheneaux archipelago of northern Michigan, United States. Located in Mackinac County on the north shore of Lake Huron, the island has a small summer population. It is 6.5 miles long and 3.5 miles wide...
  
  , the largest of all 36 islands
• Penny Island
• Rodger Island
• Rover Island
• St. Ledger Island
• Strongs Island
• Winona Island

The island chain forms many bays, harbors, and inland lakes, including:

• Bass Cove Lake
• Bush Bay
• Cedarville Bay
• Duck Bay
• Flower Bay
• Government Bay
• Mackinac Bay
• Marquette Bay
• McKay Bay
• Mismer Bay
• Muscallonge Bay
• Peck Bay
• Prentiss Bay
• Sand Bay
• Scammons Harbor
• Sheppard Bay
• Urie Bay
• Voight Bay
• Wilderness Bay

From Lake Huron, there are four major entrances to access the islands:

• East Entrance (Between Boot Island and Strongs Island)
• Middle Entrance (Between Marquette Island and Little La Salle Island)
• West Entrance (between Point Brulee and Marquette Island, main entrance to Hessel)
• The fourth entrance, though unnamed on official charts, is often known as "Yacht Entrance," named for the many yachts that access Government Bay for overnight anchorage.

Les Cheneaux Ensign Class: Fleet 31

The Les Cheneaux Islands are home to fleet 31 of the Ensign Class. The fleet sails out of the Les Cheneaux Yacht Clubhttp://www.lcyachtclub.org located on Marquette Island

Marquette Island

Marquette Island is the largest of the 36 islands in the Les Cheneaux archipelago of northern Michigan, United States. Located in Mackinac County on the north shore of Lake Huron, the island has a small summer population. It is 6.5 miles long and 3.5 miles wide...

. It is the largest fleet of ensigns worldwide, featuring 64 boats sailing as of summer 2008. Fleet 31http://www.lescheneauxensignclass.com hosted the 2008 Ensign Class Region V Championships on July 10-12, 2008. Fleet 31 was selected by the Ensign Class Association to host the National Ensign Regatta in 2010.

External links

• Les Cheneaux Welcome Center
• Les Cheneaux Chamber of Commerce
• Les Cheneaux Ensign Class Fleet 31