Sylvania Wilderness | Clark Lake, Michigan

Just across Wisconsin’s northern border in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan is an area called Sylvania Wilderness. Located entirely within the Ottawa National Forest, Sylvania offers 18,000 acres of pristine lakes and old-growth forests.

It was a beautiful summer afternoon when my parents and I arrived at Clark Lake, one of the thirty-four named lakes in the Sylvania Wilderness. They had brought their kevlar canoe and I had my Eddyline kayak. We stopped at the ranger station first to buy our day passes. It costs $5 per boat, each day. After that, we drove to the parking lot at the north end of Clark Lake, hauled our boats down to the beach, and headed out for a day on the water.

Clark Lake is a great place to paddle since motorized boats aren’t allowed on it. Not only that but the water is crystal clear, the bottom is sandy, and there are a number of beaches where you can stop and rest. We ended up following the shoreline from one end of the lake to the other, where the biggest beach is. We pulled our boats up on shore and relaxed in the sun.

After a couple of hours, we packed up our things and took a slow paddle back across the lake. On our way, we spotted a deer and a giant eagles nest centered perfectly in between the treeline.

This was such a fun little day trip! I’m looking forward to exploring more of the Sylvania Wilderness later this year!

Tip: Bring bug spray if you go anytime before September otherwise the black flies will most likely chase you away. I find that Repel Sportsman Max works best.