Laughing Whitefish Lake Preserve

George Shiras III took the first photographs of wildlife at night here. His photos were featured in National Geographic and won the grand prize at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair © Richard Baumer

Why You Should Visit
Laughing Whitefish Lake lies in western Alger County, along the Laughing Whitefish River, six miles from its mouth at Lake Superior. This 1,728 acre preserve includes three-quarters of the lake as well as over 1,000 acres of surrounding wetlands and upland forest. Bald eagles and loons, along with more common animals like the black bear, river otter, beaver, leopard frog and a host of warblers, thrushes and woodpeckers frequent the area. The varied habitats here - marsh, cedar and alder swamp, hemlock-hardwood forest, and beech-maple forest - all work in unison to support these creatures.

Location
Alger County in the Upper Peninsula

Hours
Open year-round, dawn to dusk

Conditions
Visitors to this preserve may find spring and fall most appealing because of the prevalence of Neotropical migratory birds and the profusion of colorful wildflowers in the spring and the beautiful reds, oranges, and yellows of the autumn foliage. The preserve's self-guided trail allows you to learn as you go. At the trailhead, you will find a pamphlet containing blocks of information corresponding to each of a series of numbered markers along the trail. If a visit is planned during the summer months, remember to bring insect repellent, as bugs can be intense from May through August.

How to Prepare for Your Visit
Please see "Preserve Visitation Guidelines"

Directions
From Munising, take M-28 west for approximately 22 miles and turn south (left) on Deerton Rd.
From Marquette, take M-28 east for approximately 15 miles and turn south (right) on Deerton Rd.

• Follow Deerton Rd. 1.5 miles till it dead-ends at Deerton-Onota Rd. Turn right and travel 0.1 miles to Peter White Road (you will cross a small bridge over the Laughing Whitefish River).
• Turn left onto Peter White Road & reset your odometer. You’ll cross the river once, and then at 1.2 miles you’ll cross the river again – Whitefish Lodge will be on your right.
• Continue another 0.8 miles where you’ll turn left at a sign for Peter White Road.
• Continue 0.9 miles to a small parking area (only room for a couple of cars) on your left with a steel gate. Park here and hike in around the gate and cross the river. Trail begins on the east side of the river.

What to See: Plants

• Rich Conifer Swamp: A ground water influenced, forested wetland dominated by northern white cedar and occurring on organic (peat and muck) soils, often referred to as cedar swamp. Seasonal water level fluctuations are common with water levels being highest in the spring and lowest in late summer and fall.
• Northern White Cedar: When toppled by wind, a portion of its root system typically remains intact, and new roots form where branches come in contact with the ground. As the new root system takes hold, the upward-facing branches begin to grow, eventually forming a straight, closely packed row of trees.
• Mesic Northern Forest: The leading dominant of this community is sugar maple which thrives on moderately well drained to excessively drained deep soils. Sugar maple is typically found in association with beech, basswood, yellow birch, and red oak. The ground and shrub layer is diverse in compositional variation, having relatively few shrubs but supporting many perennial herbs like wild leeks.

What to See: Animals

• Black-backed Woodpecker: These year-round residents are one of only two woodpecker species with three toes. Their call note sounds like ‘churt’ or ‘kyik’ while the rattle call is probably the most distinctive, consisting of three parts: Scream, Rattle, and Snarl, used as a communication aid in establishing territories.
• Red-shouldered Hawk: Adults can be distinguished by the reddish coloration of their underparts and wing linings and their five to six narrow, white tail bands. Their call during the breeding season is distinctive, a loud, rapidly repeated ‘kee-yer’ though it is closely imitated by blue jays.
• Black Bear: As opportunistic feeders, Michigan's only bear species take advantage of many seasonally available foods. In the spring, they enjoy new green vegetation after leaving their dens. Summer foods include insects and wild berries. Nuts and acorns are the best fall foods when preparing for their winter's sleep. Adult males weigh between 150-400 pounds and measure about three feet high when on all four feet and about five feet when standing upright.

Why the Conservancy Selected This Site
This site was a generous donation from Phyllis Reynolds to honor her late husband, Max Reynolds, Jr. The land has been revered for its natural wonders since the Reynolds’ earliest relatives first set foot here. The family goes back as far as Peter White, one of the earliest founders of the city of Marquette. White first acquired the property and built his wilderness camp there in the early 1800s. Later, White’s son-in-law George Shiras III used the lake to successfully test his newly invented method of photographing wildlife at night. Laughing Whitefish Lake became famous when the pictures were featured at the 1900 World Exposition in Paris and in National Geographic magazine as the first night photos of wildlife ever taken in the world. Max Reynolds, Jr. was the nephew of George Shiras III.

What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing
Work was recently completed on a self-guided “George Shiras III Discovery Trail” through a portion of the preserve. This trail is a mile long loop marked by numbered signs and outlined by woody debris. The trail has an accompanying interpretive brochure which describes plants, animals, and historical markers of interest along the trail route. Visitors can also see better views of Laughing Whitefish Lake thanks to volunteer help in building an obervation platform along the trail.

Sources for information include MNFI and MDNR.