Marquette Island Nature Preserves
All dogs must be on a leash!
And please clean up after your pooches while using the trails. Learn More
Size
Aldo Leopold Preserve - 1,683 acres
Sheppard-Hardy - 42.5 acres
Catherine Seiberling Stewart - 192 acres
Wilderness Bay - 22 acres
Kathy Bricker Nature Lover Preserve - 130 acres
Frontage
Nearly 5 miles of Lake Huron frontage combined.
Land Description
In 1993, the northern shore of Lake Huron was designated a “Last Great Place” by The Nature Conservancy, a global leader in natural land conservation. The Les Cheneaux region is at the very heart of this natural wonder of the world.
Trail Description
Accessible only by boat (or over the ice in winter) with the most comfortable access to the Aldo Leopold Preserve through Leopold Landing at Duck Bay. Trail signs are found for a roughly 1.25 mile trail loop close to Duck Bay, but you can go further up the island and preserve on old two tracks. Trails are not regularly maintained, however, and in many places you will go through dense conifer forests with seasonally wet regions. It is one for the adventurous!
History
None of the Marquette Island preserves would have been made possible without the generosity, perseverance, and love of the islands shown by many, including the J.A. Woollam Foundation, the Les Cheneaux Foundation, Les Cheneaux Club, and many others. Significant funding for the Catherine Seiberling Stewart Preserve was provided through the North American Wetland Conservation Act Program. The Kathy Bricker Nature Lover Preserve was protected in 2022 in honor of LTC's first Executive Director.
Directions
From the Mackinac Bridge, follow I-75 north about 14 miles to M-134. Take M-134 east 13 miles to Hessel. You can reach the islands from launches in Hessel or further east in Cedarville. Only accessible by boat.
Check out the plants and animals found at this preserve using the iNaturalist guide below. Help us document more with iNaturalist.org and eBird.org.
