The Manistee National Forest is a national forest located in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. It covers an area of 540,187 acres (2,190 km²). The forest was created in 1938 and joined the Huron National Forest in 1945 to make management easier, forming the Huron-Manistee National Forests. However, the two forests remain separate because their areas are not connected. People enjoy activities such as hiking, fishing, camping, boating, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and hunting in the area. The North Country Trail goes through the forest and connects with the 11-mile Manistee River Trail to create a 23-mile loop. The highest point in the Lower Peninsula, Briar Hill (1,706 ft), is located in the forest. The Manistee National Forest is not one large area but a mix of different lands, including private property and towns. The main office for the forest is in Cadillac, Michigan.

History

The Manistee National Forest is unique because it was formed from lands that were taken due to unpaid taxes and from purchases made after logging had stopped. Large areas where trees had been cut down were not good for farming, and by the 1930s, many burned forest areas still had not grown back into forests.

In the 1920s, as efforts to plant trees and protect nature grew in Michigan, a larger movement across the United States aimed to conserve remaining forests and wildlife. This movement included actions taken by the federal government, led by President Theodore Roosevelt. In 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Manistee National Forest. His main goal was to replant areas where trees had been cut down. To achieve this, he used the Civilian Conservation Corps, a program started during the Great Depression that employed young men to replant most of Michigan's empty land.

Geography

The land is mostly covered by forests growing on sedimentary rocks. A thick layer of glacial drift, up to 1,000 feet (300 m) deep, lies beneath the soil. Features such as glacial moraines, outwash plains, deltas, lake deposits, and old shorelines are often found in the area. Soils formed from these landscapes are mostly made of sand. Water from aquifers in glacial deposits flows into thousands of miles of cold streams at a steady rate all year.

The forest includes a mix of hardwood trees and pines, with red pine (Pinus resinosa) being the most common type. A notable feature of all Michigan National Forests is the presence of long, straight rows of planted red pines. These were planted by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. Many of these trees are now over 75 feet (23 m) tall and are an important source of timber. The largest connected red pine plantation in North America, called the Kellog Plantation, is located in the Manistee National Forest.

The Manistee National Forest spans parts of Lake, Newaygo, Wexford, Manistee, Mason, Oceana, Muskegon, Mecosta, and Montcalm counties. Local ranger offices are located in Baldwin and Manistee.

The Lumberjack 100, a 100-mile ultra-endurance mountain bike race, is held every year within the forest.

Dispersed camping is free on National Forest lands as long as guidelines from the USFS website are followed. Some rustic campgrounds require a reservation or a fee. A wood permit is needed to cut firewood. These permits are only valid for the Manistee National Forest and do not apply to the Huron National Forest.

Features

The Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness is a special area within the Manistee National Forest. This small area covers 3,450 acres (14 km²) and is located on the east side of Lake Michigan. It is one of the few wilderness areas in the United States with a large ecosystem of lake shore dunes. Most of the dunes are about 3,500 to 4,000 years old, and some rise approximately 140 feet (43 meters) above the lake. The dunes are mixed with trees like juniper, jack pine, and hemlock. Small water holes and marshes are scattered across the landscape, and dune grass covers many of the dunes. The beach is wide and made of sand.

Briar Hill is the second-highest point in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, standing at 1,706 feet (520 meters). It was formed by glaciers and is mostly covered with second-growth hardwood trees. There are no marked trails to the summit, which offers limited views of the surrounding area. The remains of an old steel firetower and a USGS survey marker are still present. The marker incorrectly spells the hill’s name as "Brier Hill."

Caberfae Peaks Ski & Golf Resort is located in the Manistee National Forest within the Caberfae Hills region, which receives heavy snowfall due to lake-effect weather. The resort officially opened in January 1938, making it one of the oldest ski resorts in the United States.

Several rivers flow through the forest, including the Manistee, Pere-Marquette, Pine, Muskegon, and Little Manistee rivers. These rivers were important for moving logs to mills during the logging industry and are now popular for activities like canoeing, fishing, hunting, and hiking.

One of the many hiking areas is a 23-mile loop trail that combines the Manistee River Trail and the North Country Scenic Trail. The trail can be accessed from the Red Bridge and Seaton Creek (on the Manistee River Trail) and from the Marilla and Upper River Road Trailheads (on the North Country Scenic Trail). Many hikers plan 2–3 days to complete the loop, spending nights camping in the wilderness.