Mackinac Wilderness
Near the end of the 1910s, Mackinac Wilderness Area had been severely logged. But nature's regeneration has allowed second-growth forest to reclaim the land, and some trees have been standing for 60 to...
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Michigan |
| Size | 11,358 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 1987, by Congress |
| Center point | 46.0631, -84.8417 |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 10) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Where to camp
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 3 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Trails
4 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 103 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Brevoort-Cedarville OHV ↗ | 36.5 | |
| Carp River Canoe Route ↗ | 31.8 | |
| Red Creek-Cedarville Snomo ↗ | 24.8 | |
| Carp River Hiking Trail ↗ | 9.6 |
Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas, refreshed September 18, 2026. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedRed Delicious Rx
23 mi from the center point · 289 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 11.7 miSt. Ignace Mission ↗National Historic Landmark
- 4.3 miMackinac Trail--Carp River Bridge ↗St. Ignace Township, MI
- 10.7 miSacred Heart-Gros Cap Church ↗Moran Township, MI
- 11 miGros Cap Cemetery ↗Gros Cap, MI
- 12 miSt. Helena Island Light Station ↗St. Ignace, MI
- 12.4 miChambers, John, House ↗St. Ignace, MI
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Mackinac Wilderness?
11,358 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Mackinac Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Mackinac Wilderness in?
Michigan.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Mackinac Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1987.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Mackinac Wilderness?
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Carp River Campground, 4.1 miles out. 3 in all are within ten miles. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit rules.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Mackinac Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 46.063, -84.842. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Mackinac Wilderness right now?
1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-09-18, the nearest Red Delicious Rx at 23 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
How dark is the night sky at Mackinac Wilderness?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 10 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.
Source: NASA Black Marble
Are there historic places near Mackinac Wilderness?
6 National Register listings within 15 miles, including St. Ignace Mission and Mackinac Trail--Carp River Bridge.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
- Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched on the wilderness each trail enters.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.