Ottawa National Forest

The nearly million-acre Ottawa National Forest is on the western end of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, an area known for big snows and friendly people. Elevations range from 600 feet at Lake Superior to more than 1,800 feet in the Sylvania Wilderness, a dramatic rise for the country's Upper Midwest.

The northern regions of the forest contains dozens of hills dotted with lakes and interwoven with rivers and waterfalls. Deer, foxes, snowshoe hares, timber wolves, bald eagles, loons and songbirds are some of the forest's wildlife. Bear, coyotes, fisher and other wildlife are also plentiful but may require more patience and a sharper eye to see.

The Ottawa's 500 lakes, nearly 2,000 miles of rivers and streams, 200 miles of hiking and backpacking trails and 2,000 miles of snowmobile trails provide ample opportunity to fish, canoe, hike, cross-country ski and snowshoe.