Deer Park Lodge

UP Lighthouses

If you're at all interested in the world of Great Lakes maritime, or you just really like picturesque scenes along the shore, you should plan on seeing a few Upper Peninsula lighthouses on your next trip up.

The Crisp Point Light, featured in the time lapse video (above) is about an hour east of Deer Park Lodge. The grounds are always open, and the lighthouse itself is open mid-June to September from noon to 5:00 PM. Visit the Crisp Point Light Historical Society for more information.

Au Sable Light Station has been lighting the coast of Lake Superior since 1874, and is a fine example of a complete, totally restored light station, including auxiliary buildings. It's 12 miles west of Grand Marais, in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. The light is operated by U.S.C.G. and the National Park Service. Creative Commons photo by Kelly Krupka

The Whitefish Point Light, is near the little town of Shelldrake. It was first lit in 1861 and is still in operation as an active aid to navigation. It's managed by the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society. NPS photo by Ralph Eshelman

This is just a short list. You could spend much of a summer visiting all the lighthouses and stations of the Great Lakes.  There's plenty of information available to get you started. Here are a few excellent resources provided by the National Park Service, Russ Rowlett of the University of North Carolina (who knew), and a list of accessible lighthouses put together by michigan.org.

NPS: Historic Light Stations - Michigan Lighthouses

UNC: Michigan Lighthouses: Upper Peninsula

Michigan.org: Accessible Lighthouses

Tahquamenon Falls State Park

Tahquamenon Falls State Park encompasses close to 50,000 acres stretching over 13 miles, and is the second largest state park in Michigan. Most of this is undeveloped woodland without roads, buildings or power lines. The centerpiece of the park, and the very reason for its existence, is the Tahquamenon River with its waterfalls. The Upper Falls is one the largest waterfalls east of the Mississippi. It has a drop of nearly 50 feet and is more than 200 feet across.

Tahquamenon Falls State Park is less than an hour away form Deer Park Lodge and makes a nice day trip. Here's a map with directions.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Sandstone cliffs, beaches, sand dunes, waterfalls, lakes, forest, and shoreline beckon you to visit Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Hiking, camping, sightseeing, and four season outdoor opportunities abound. The Lakeshore hugs the Lake Superior shoreline for more than 40 miles. Lake Superior is the largest, deepest, coldest, and most pristine of all the Great Lakes.

The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Visitor Center is just under two hours away from Deer Park Lodge. Here's a map with directions, but check with us for alternate routes based on time of year, and which part of the area you want to visit.

Two Hearted River

Immortalized by Ernest Hemingway for its beauty and wilderness, the Two Hearted River is known for excellent fishing of Brook and Brown Trout, Steelhead, and Coho. There is good access to the scenic beauty of the area, including a suspension bridge across the river mouth leading to a great view of Superior.

The Two Hearted is a designated Wilderness River under the state's Natural Rivers Program, which defines a wilderness river as "a free-flowing river", and is also a popular destination for hikers, campers, and canoers. A canoe livery service is operated at Rainbow Lodge, near the mouth of the river, from late April through October.

Lake Superior

The beautiful, undeveloped shore of Lake Superior, popular for quiet walks, rock hunting, or more vigorous activity, is just minutes away. Miles of sand dunes and tumbled rocks, including some of the world's oldest agates, and plenty of room to roam await you.

If you were able to walk the entire shoreline of Lake Superior, your trek would cover 2,726 miles. About 90% of that shoreline is forested and relatively uninhabited. The south shore of the lake near Deer Park Lodge is a great place to sample its beauty and grandeur.

Did you know?

Lake Superior, at 350 miles long and 160 miles wide, is so large you can't see across it. With a surface area of nearly 32,000 square miles it is the world's largest freshwater lake. So large, in fact, it could contain all the other Great Lakes plus three more lakes the size of Lake Erie.

It contains enough water (three quadrillion gallons) it could flood all of North and South America to a depth of one foot.

There are 58 species of orchids native to the Lake Superior basin. In North America, only Florida has more.

Many shipwrecks in Lake Superior are now protected in bottomland preserves and accessible to recreational divers.

Learn more about Lake Superior and the rest of the Great Lakes

Seney National Wildlife Refuge

The Seney National Wildlife Refuge is a nationally acclaimed refuge protecting over 95,000 acres which provide habitat for migratory birds and resident wildlife. The diverse wetland and upland habitats are home to over 200 species of birds and a great variety of mammals, amphibians, reptiles, fish, and invertebrates.

The USGS has a very comprehensive Bird Checklist for the refuge.

Muskallonge Lake

We are fortunate to have close to 300 feet frontage on Muskallonge Lake. This is a beautiful spring fed lake which is close to 800 acres in size.  Muskallonge is a relatively shallow lake that holds good numbers of perch, pike, walleye, small mouth bass, rock bass, brown bullheads and white suckers. 

Muskallonge is considered more a fishing lake for smaller boats and motors. We see very few big power boats or jet ski's on the water, which makes for peaceful days at the beach and pleasant boating on the lake.

Two thirds of the property surrounding Muskallonge is owned by the state, including nearby Muskallonge Lake State Park, thus there is very little development. Hemlock and pine dominate the forest. Lake and forest scenery abound. The beach is gently sloping and sandy, making it ideal for swimming and beach games. We feature waterfront cabins, a boat dock, and small boat rentals.