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News from the Keweenaw Peninsula Posted Oct. 4, 2004 Text and map © 2004 Michigan Department of Natural Resources, courtesy Ann Wilson, DNR communications representative, Office of the Press Secretary, Marquette; Marty Nelson, DNR Baraga unit manager; Ronald Yesney, DNR West U.P. recreation specialist. Photos © 2004 Keweenaw Now.

Keweenaw Point Advisory Committee recommendations, p. 2

Maintenance and Enforcement

1. Committee strongly endorses the creation of a new Conservation Officer position primarily for Keweenaw County. This person should live in the Mohawk - Calumet area. Primary duties will be to patrol newly acquired lands at the tip of the peninsula including the lakeshore by boat, enforce snowmobile regulations, hike and mountain bike the non-motorized trails, assure camping regulations are being followed, ATV use restricted from beaches and other shoreline areas plus existing snowmobile trails during non-snow season and similar duties. All hunting and fishing regulations will also be enforced as well as unregulated camping and logging.

2. Keweenaw Point lands are to be managed as a working forest with a strong recreation component by Forest, Mineral and Fire Management Division (FMFM) of the DNR. Existing logging roads and trails will be maintained for future timber harvest as well as fire protection and other possible emergency access. Committee proposes to have the DNR create one or two positions to be located at Fort Wilkins State Park but funded by FMFM for the management and maintenance of Keweenaw Point lands. This includes primitive campsite maintenance and construction, toilet maintenance at parking areas, garbage pickup from all areas visited by recreational users, construction of hiking and mountain biking trails and non-motorized primitive campsites (with assistance from those user groups) and other duties as may arise plus assisting Fort Wilkins State Park in a maintenance capacity when use on Keweenaw Point lands is low. This will require a new level of cooperation and coordination between FMFM and the Parks and Recreation Division of the DNR.

Motorized Access

The following is a list of recommendations for motorized recreational trails:

A. The State would sign and manage existing roads according to state forest management rules. 

Note: This applies only to EXISTING roads.

B. Establish a motorized loop through the site to provide access to the five preferred shoreline destinations to snowmobile trail specs, including campsites on Schlatter's Lake.

High Rock Bay and Keweenaw Point are noted as preferred areas mainly because of ice formations during the winter. This area is largely conglomerate so vehicle impact would be minimal.

After some discussion, and before a motion was made, it was noted to list the 5 destinations. Add "….1) High Rock Bay, 2) Keystone Bay, 3) Fish Cove, 4) W. side of Montreal River, and 5) Keweenaw Point."

At the Aug. 3, 2004, KPAC meeting in the Mohawk School, Don Kauppi of the Keweenaw Tourism Council points out the five Keweenaw Point destinations requested by the motorized trail committee in their recommendations. (Photo by Michele Anderson)

It was agreed the gates would be placed at 1) the junction to Schlatter Lake campsite and 2) Union Creek. This limits the trail from the Schlatter Lake campsite to Keweenaw Point then on to Union Creek to snowmobile use only -- not open to ATVs in the summer.

C. Establish a parking area at the final curve of the road to High Rock Bay and declare a 100' setback "commons" area along the shore from the curve to East Point.

"Commons Area" term was decided on because other verbiage would have the area fall under predetermined rules, regulations and management practices.

D. Create a parking lot approximately 100' from the water at Keystone beach, west of Union Creek, for all the public to access the beach.

E. Create motorized spur trail to level area, approximately ¼ mile behind beach at Fish Cove.

F. Create motorized access to Hoar Lake for camping at two sites.

G. Create a motorized spur trail to 50" specs as per state forest land rules to west area of the mouth of the Montreal River to end at approximately 600' from river outlet.

Map showing proposed motorized trails in yellow. Click on map for bigger map. (Map © 2004 Michigan DNR, courtesy Marty Nelson, DNR Baraga unit manager, and Ann Wilson, DNR communications representative, Office of the Press Secretary, Marquette.).)

Go to KPAC Recommendations, p. 3, Non-motorized

Return to KPAC Recommendations, p. 1, Camping

*Editor's note: Keweenaw Now is providing this Michigan Department of Natural Resources information as a public service.