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Fort Wilkins Historic State Park

bird's-eye view of land with buildings and water

Fort Wilkins Historic State Park

The DNR is in the process of developing a new general management plan for Fort Wilkins Historic State Park at the northern tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula. The process typically takes one year to complete and is in the beginning stages. The project is facilitated by Beckett & Raeder Inc., of Ann Arbor. Public and stakeholder input will be a critical part of the process.

A park's general management plan defines a long-range (10- to 20-year) planning and management strategy to protect and preserve the site’s natural and cultural resources and provide access to land- and water-based public recreation and educational opportunities.

The DNR is also working on a general management plan for the Keweenaw Point state-managed lands, which includes DNR-managed state forest lands and a portion of The Nature Conservancy-owned Keweenaw Heartlands. Together, the lands would comprise nearly 20,000 acres and be managed by the DNR as one unit.

About the park

Fort Wilkins Historic State Park features a modern campground, trails, a historical fort with a living history program, two 1860s lighthouses on Lake Superior and much more. Visitors can enjoy a quarter mile of rocky Lake Superior shoreline, Lake Fanny Hooe and a sandy beach on Lake Manganese. The park features a restored 1844 army military outpost, including 19 buildings, with a living-history program provided by the Michigan History Center. Visitors can experience a look back at life on the northern frontier during the mid-1800s and a time when soldiers were stationed in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Noah's Ark Charters provides Copper Harbor Lighthouse boat tours. Passengers board at the Bella Vista Motel dock.

Public input opportunities

The public was invited to learn about and share feedback on new draft general management plan for Fort Wilkins Historic State Park via an online public survey throughout October and November. The public comment period is now closed.

Thank you to those who took the time to provide valuable feedback. The DNR is carefully considering your comments and will incorporate them into a draft plan for each property. We anticipate releasing the revised draft plan for public review in May 2025.

Resources

Contact

For more information, contact Debbie Jensen, park management plan administrator for the DNR Parks and Recreation Division, at JensenD1@Michigan.gov.