11 Nov The Beautiful Huron-Manistee National Forest

Hello!

It is Asael Rodriguez from the Huron-Manistee National Forest. The Cadillac-Manistee Ranger District is responsible for overseeing the Huron-Manistee National Forest which falls a little under a million acres besides the shores of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Our forest is primarily divided into four sections within the Wild and Scenic Rivers: Pine, Manistee, Au Sable, and Pere Marquette. The Wellston office oversees the Pine and Manistee river sites. Along with the Pine River and Manistee river sites, we also oversee the Wilderness, which contains the Nordhouse dunes and the Lake Michigan Recreation Areas.

I work primarily in the Manistee river and sometimes along the Wilderness recreation sites. The Manistee river has seven sites that are river access points: Udell, Blacksmith Bayou, Highbridge, Tunk Hole, Sawdust, Suicide Bend, Bearcreek, and Rainbow Bend. All of these sites have facilities that we take care off daily. Although every site share the honor of being an access point to the river, they all differentiate themselves from one another. Personally, my favorite would be Sawdust as not only is it an access point to the river, but it also has campgrounds for the public. I have yet to have a negative interaction with the public and I hope it remains that way!

The Pine river offers the same recreational opportunities as the Manistee river, but as a fellow kayaker, I have to admit the Pine river stole my heart. While the Manistee River has, in my opinion, the best scenery, the rapids and thrill of the Pine are second to none. We have around ten sites designated along the Pine river and they are all equally as beautiful.

The Wilderness offers a thrill in a different way. As it lies next to the shore of Lake Michigan, it has impressive views of one of America’s great lakes. It is the best place for dispersed campers!