Hiking trails on the Ottawa National Forest offer something for everyone. The woods are old growth hardwood - very different from the BWCA. Interactive map of Sylvania Wilderness Area with campsites, portages, and a route time and distance calculator. What makes fishing the Sylvania special is the combination of the wilderness setting and the act of angling itself. During a week-long trip to Michigan with my parents, we liked this area so much we kept coming back day after day. Visitors can camp in 50 designated campsites within the Sylvania Wilderness. Just across Wisconsin’s northern border in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan is an area called Sylvania Wilderness. Backpacking defined as: Multi-day trips into the wild, unpopulated, areas of the world. On any given day, on a single trail, you can experience so much. I was driving toward Langford Lake campground, and I took US-2 from Watersmeet and made a left onto CR 527. © 2021 Pocket Outdoor Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. For additional information on the Sylvania Wilderness and Recreation Area, please contact the Sylvania Wilderness and Recreation Area entrance station at 906-358-4404, the Ottawa National Forest Visitor Center at 1-906-358-4724 or the Ottawa National Forest Watersmeet Ranger District at 1-906-358-4551. The portage trails are like hallways through stands of old-growth white pine, hemlock, yellow birch, and sugar maple, while the lakes are vast rooms, each with a unique shape and atmosphere. They are located in the Sylvania Wilderness area in the Ottawa National Forest. Some content on this page was disabled on January 9, 2017 as a result of a DMCA takedown notice from James M. Clem. Located in the Ottawa National Forrest on the Western end of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula near the town of Watersmeet, the Sylvania Wilderness Area is part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Located entirely within the Ottawa National Forest, Sylvania offers 18,000 acres of pristine lakes and old-growth forests. It was a beautiful summer afternoon when my parents and I arrived at Clark Lake, one of the thirty-four named lakes in the Sylvania Wilderness. There’s no single hike that defines Vilas County, and that’s what makes hiking here so special. If overpowering stillness is your thing, try the old-growth forests in Oregon's Bull of the Woods Wilderness. Many of the lakes are connected […] National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mammals, by John O. Whitaker Jr. (Knopf, 800-733-3000; $19). Sylvania Wilderness is essentially a mini boundary waters, with numerous lakes and excellent canoeing/kayaking opportunities. Visitors enjoy endless canoeing, fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing opportunities.RecreationSylvania's abundant lakes provide plentiful non-motorized boating, canoeing, … The larger lakes are connected by portage trails, allowing for many days of exploration. Now fully protected, the Tract, located in Ottawa National Forest, is Michigan's most pristine wilderness area, with one of the last and largest remaining stands of virgin northern hardwood forest and water as clear and cold as the sky of a September morning. The Sylvania Wilderness encompasses 18,327 acres of primitive lands and is part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Sylvania is a designated Wilderness Area within the Ottawa National Forest in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, near the town of Watersmeet and on the Wisconsin border. The Sylvania Wilderness and Sylvania Recreation Area, is located near Watersmeet, Michigan and is part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. It’s nice to have a long weekend to enjoy the outdoors, but we often find the easy-to-reach destinations in south-central Wisconsin to be extremely crowded on holiday weekends. It is home to 34 scenic glacial lakes and has more than 25 miles of hiking trails. Backpacking; Day Hiking . This has been the most frequented location in my top 10 list. The Sylvania Outfitters can organize canoe, kayak, fishing, and camping experiences for people of all ages and experience levels. The Sylvania Wilderness area offers a limited hiking experience, but one that is quite special due to the substantial old growth forest. Gas motorboats are not allowed on any of the lakes in the Sylvania Wilderness Area with one exception. It also has a nice network of hiking trails and multiple backcountry campsites. The Sylvania Entrance Station is about a seven-mile drive west of Watersmeet, Michigan, just off U.S. Highway 2. They are located in the Sylvania Wilderness area in the Ottawa National Forest. The Forest Service will not be liable for any activity involving this information. Located in the Ottawa National Forrest on the Western end of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula near the town of Watersmeet, the Sylvania Wilderness Area is part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. › Sylvania Wilderness › Clark Lake Trail. A visitor to Sylvania experiences the forests and lakes of the Northwoods as they were prior to European settlement. 1992 Backpacking Michigan's Sylvania Wilderness The Sylvania Wilderness is a small wilderness of 18,327 acres within Michigan's Ottawa National Forest. One of the best options is the 2-mile. From there, a 9-mile loop connects Loon, Florence, Big Bateau, Cub, and Deer Island Lakes and their portage trails. In Michigan's Trap Hills, you'll find space to wonder and wonder, and quiet rock outcrops with panoramas so wide you'll be blinking in disbelief. Hiking trails run throughout and it is easy to walk to any of the lakes. Electric motors are allowed in the Wilderness Area on Crooked Lake only. You will notice an immediate difference between hiking this trail and most of the other trails in the Ottawa National Forest. A few Crooked Lake property owners and their guests are allowed to take their gas motorboats into the wilderness area on Crooked Lake. It's one of the best hiking spots in the upper Midwest. Special rules apply to preserve Sylvania’s wilderness character and natural condition. We have these permits available for our guests. Within its borders lie 34 lakes set against a backdrop … Hiking backpacks The Sylvania Wilderness: Solitude and Smallmouth. Sylvania has been described as a mini-Boundary Waters, so I always wanted to kayak there but ended up backpacking instead. Because the Sylvania Wilderness is a wild place, you’ll want to be prepared for your hike. You will notice an immediate difference between hiking this trail and most of the other trails in the Ottawa National Forest. If you haven’t been to the Sylvania Wilderness, I highly recommend it. I well remember the first time I suffered from otter envy. Sylvania Wilderness: Sylvania Wilderness Cabins- a little off - See 11 traveler reviews, 15 candid photos, and great deals for Watersmeet, MI, at Tripadvisor. Look for the Sylvania section on the Michigan DNR’s fishing regulations that come with your license. Here you will find 34 named lakes – some with sandy beaches, others surrounded by record-sized pines. Looking for a really wild time? The portage trails are like hallways through stands of old-growth white pine, hemlock, yellow birch, and sugar maple, while the lakes are vast rooms, each with a unique shape and atmosphere. Within its borders lie 34 lakes set against a backdrop … Paddlers can see far below the surface while gliding across the exceptionally clear water. Combined with the adjacent Recreation Area, the 18,327 acre wilderness offers 34 … Sylvania used to be a hunting and fishing club and the portages are the old roads that used to connect the lakes. Into the Wilderness moderate (26) Sylvania Wilderness. Six of the lakes are over 250 acres in size, and the water is so clear you can see to a depth of 30 feet. A good pair of boots is a good idea, especially in the spring … Sylvania is located entirely within the bounds of the Ottawa National Forest, and is currently being managed as a wilderness area as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System by the U.S. Forest Service. I was skiing across a frozen lake in northern Michigan's Sylvania Wilderness one fine February day, and I came upon some strange marks in the snow. The area even receives it's own special section in the Michigan Fishing Guide. Winter, ever since, has become prime time for me to find otters and watch their slithering, skidding, sliding antics. One can see virgin northern hemlock-hardwood forest and towering red and white pines standing like sentinels along the shorelines. Mar 28, 2016 - Sylvania Wilderness, Michigan--old growth forests and wild animals, including bears and wolves! The Forest Service reserves the right to correct, update, modify, or replace GIS products without notification. Sylvania Wilderness (6.5 hours from Chicago) Another scenic destination for Upper Peninsula camping is Sylvania Wilderness, in the Ottawa National Forest near Watersmeet, Michigan. The catch and release, barb less hook fishing regulations in many of these lakes have … Jul 14, 2016 - Sylvania wilderness in watersmeet, Michigan. Six of Sylvania’s 35 named lakes are over 250 acres in size. Another popular riding route is the 22-mile Eagle River-Land O’ Lakes Bike Route. I have taken college student on many week-long canoeing adventures and weekend backpacking and winter camping trips there. comprised of rolling hills and clear, deep glacier-formed lakes.The 34 named landlocked lakes are fed by springs, precipitation, and bogs, and many of the lakes have sand beaches. Sylvania Wilderness is an 18,327 acres (7,417 ha) protected area located a few miles west of Watersmeet Township, Michigan.Sylvania is located entirely within the bounds of the Ottawa National Forest, and is currently being managed as a wilderness area as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System by the U.S. Forest Service.. Grab your passport and head to Canada, where the mountains are big, the views stretch beyond your imagination, and you can't fling a moose pellet without hitting some kind of wildlife. Skinny Ski calls it the Watersmeet Ski Trails, so I will follow accordingly. Much of Sylvania’s appeal comes from its magnificent trees, many of them 300 to 400 years old. Visitors enjoy endless canoeing, fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing opportunities. Interactive map of Sylvania Wilderness Area with campsites, portages, and a route time and distance calculator. Camping is allowed only at the designated sites. Commonly found fish include large and small mouth bass, lake trout, walleye, northern pike, crappie, perch, bluegill and sunfish. Car camping is also available in … What's good for elk is good for backpackers on Michigan's High Country Pathway. They could be called a myriad of names. Sunny beaches, cool forests, and a birder's paradise along the shores of Lake Michigan. Electric motors are limited to an equivalent of 48lbs of thrust or 4hp. The campsites are intended to also be used by the canoers and kayakers, so all of them have access to a lake. Combined with the adjacent Recreation Area, the 18,327 acre wilderness offers 34 named lakes. The Sylvania Wilderness and Sylvania Recreation Area, is located near Watersmeet, Michigan and is part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. They could be called a myriad of names. A subreddit dedicated to backpacking in the wild places on earth - where people are few, cell signal is nil, and Mother Nature still reigns. Setup a base camp and made a snow shelter. What's good for elk is good for backpackers on Michigan's High Country Pathway. In Sylvania the campsites are assigned, the lakes are small, and the portages are easy. Loons and eagles are often seen and heard. Sylvania, with 18,000 acres of pristine, otter-friendly forest and 36 named lakes, is an ideal place for a weekend trip in search of the furry funhogs. The campsites are intended to also be used by the canoers and kayakers, so all of them have access to a lake. The trail system begins at the Sylvania Outfitters located in Watersmeet, Michigan. Hiking With Michigan's Elk Herd. Winter Camping in Sylvania Wilderness Area. Fishing for huge fish with no one around. A subreddit dedicated to backpacking in the wild places on earth - where people are few, cell signal is nil, and Mother Nature still reigns. Leave your motors and wheels behind and enjoy the solitude of this fantastic 19,000-acre wilderness area. Special fishing regulations apply on most Sylvania’s lakes (Crooked Lake is exempt from these special regulations) so the unique resource with its older and larger fish can be maintained. Sylvania Wilderness (6.5 hours from Chicago) Another scenic destination for Upper Peninsula camping is Sylvania Wilderness, in the Ottawa National Forest near Watersmeet, Michigan. OBSERVED: I was camping at the Clark Lake campground in Sylvania Wilderness and went exploring the backroads of the Ottawa Natl Forest on a Saturday morning. Cross-country travel is also another challenging opportunity that is offered. 03 Monday Jun 2013. Life's Awesome! Visitors can camp in 50 designated campsites within the Sylvania Wilderness. Sylvania Wilderness Backcountry Camping The Sylvania Wilderness encompasses 18,327 acres of primitive lands and is part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Within its borders lie 34 lakes set against a backdrop … Posted by suplgw in Uncategorized ≈ Leave a comment. This 8.2-mile Sylvania Wilderness overnight loops around a glacial lake with sandy beaches and huge virgin-growth trees. To my amazement, this dot-dot-dot-dash pattern repeated itself for more than a mile as the otter, taking several running steps for momentum and then bellyflopping forward, hopped and slid to the next fishing hole. The Sylvania Wilderness encompasses 18,327 acres of primitive lands and is part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Visitors enjoy endless canoeing, fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing opportunities. There were several bounding paw prints followed by a 20-foot-long skid mark. 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