The Echo Lake Preserve, in Marquette County, Michigan, is owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy. The Nature Conservancy works worldwide to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. The Echo Lake Preserve is about 20 minutes northwest of Marquette, Michigan, near the shore of Lake Superior. Visitors year-round can enjoy outdoor activities from snowshoeing in from the highway in the winter to hiking and carry-in canoeing in the summer. Early May and late July through October are the best times to visit this preserve to take advantage of Upper Michigan’s beauty while avoiding biting insects—if you come in the midsummer months, be sure to bring insect repellent and protective gear. Now, join me on this tour to learn some of the unique history that has shaped this preserve, as well as what The Nature Conservancy is doing to protect it and places like it.
Sample Stories
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3_Species of Interest
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The habitat of the 480-acre Echo Lake Preserve is rich and varied: from diverse, long-standing forests, to dramatic granite peaks and outcroppings. Because the surrounding area has limited human development, it provides a relatively large, unbroken landscape for wildlife. This includes species such as bobcats, moose, river otters, and black bears that love those red oak acorns! If the ground is soft or covered with snow, you might spy the tracks of some of these species.
You may even encounter signs of the elusive Echo Lake wolf pack, one of the most famous wolf packs in the Upper Peninsula. While their tracks can look similar to those of a very large dog (more than 3.5 inches long), they tend to travel along more direct lines, with hindfoot and forefoot prints close or overlapping. And the Echo Lake pack has a lot of ground to cover--the Echo Lake Preserve is just a small part of their extensive territory.
In an Ojibwe story about the creation of the world, the first human that walked the earth was lonely, until the wolf--ma’iingan--was sent as a companion. Together they traveled all over the land, naming the plants and animals, until everything had a name. When they were done, and they went their separate ways, the Creator told them that in many ways they were alike. They would be respected, and misunderstood, in the same ways. What would happen to one, would also happen to the other. So, if the wolf ever disappeared from the earth, humans would again suffer from deep loneliness, and ultimately pass from existence as well.
**** Credits for Sound Effects:
Wolf Howl - NPS & MSU Acoustic Atlas/Jennifer Jerrett
6_Peninsula – Echo Lake
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How did Echo Lake get its name? From here, you can see the answer toward the south-west end of the lake—60-foot granite cliffs that drop straight down into Echo Lake’s clear waters. The echoes from these cliffs are what gave Echo Lake its name.
Notice the complex ins and outs of the lake’s shoreline, creating multiple bays and rocky points. Some of these are filled with water lilies. Underwater, plenty of logs and trees have settled over time. These features help create high quality fish habitat and cover. If you’re lucky, you may spot a great blue heron wading in the shallows, keeping an eye out for dinner.
Many different species of birds love to gather here, especially during the spring and fall migrations. Look for colorful waterfowl such as the bufflehead duck or several types of merganser duck diving in Echo Lake’s clear waters.
Here, overlooking the lake, it is easy to see why the Echo Lake Preserve is so popular with both people and wildlife. This popularity does have its consequences, and that is why The Nature Conservancy depends on the help of visitors like you to minimize human impact on the preserve. The recreational and economic benefits of Michigan’s northern forests are vital, and prioritizing low-impact recreation and sustainable forest management will help us see their benefits and resiliency continue long into the future.
From here, you can walk out to the tip of the peninsula before you head back to the trail split at the Woollam Rock. If you have not made the climb to the overlook and would like to, you can turn left at the junction; otherwise, turn right to return to the parking lot the way you came.
