10,000 Acres at the Tip of the Keweenaw Are Now Public Land for Good
Some of the biggest Keweenaw news in years landed over the weekend. In the Nov. 8 Daily Mining Gazette, Graham Jaehnig reports that the Michigan DNR has finalized its purchase of nearly 10,000 acres at the very tip of the peninsula, known locally as the Keweenaw Point State Lands. The DNR bought the land from The Nature Conservancy, which had been holding it temporarily, and closed on Nov. 5.
The Short Version
The parcel is forest, wetland and culturally significant land, and it borders Fort Wilkins Historic State Park to the south. The DNR will manage it as part of the state park system. The roughly $11.2 million price was covered by grants from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund and the Land Exchange Facilitation Fund. DNR Director Scott Bowen said the land “will now forever be in public ownership and accessible.”
It’s one piece of a bigger story. The full Keweenaw Heartlands tract is about 32,400 acres. It went up for sale on the private market in 2021, and The Nature Conservancy stepped in during 2022 so it wouldn’t get split up and the trail networks would stay open while public money came together. The other roughly 22,000 acres are still held by the Conservancy. The plan is for the state to buy that land too, with a new county authority board helping decide how it’s managed. The Conservancy says that will likely take another year or two.
What Changes If You’re Visiting
For most visitors, the big news is that the wild end of the Keweenaw stays wild and stays open. But the DNR’s announcement spells out a few rules worth knowing before your next trip up past Copper Harbor:
- Bring a Recreation Passport. It’s now required to access these 10,000 acres, the same as at a state park.
- ORV riders, you’re still good. Existing designated motorized trails stay open, and the state forest roads, including the routes out to High Rock Bay, stay open too.
- Camping is more limited. Camping and fires are now allowed only at designated spots, under state park rules. Dispersed camping continues on state forest land nearby, but not on this parcel.
- Hunting is allowed. The Natural Resources Commission approved hunting on the Keweenaw Point State Lands on Oct. 14.
Our Take
A lot of our guests come up for exactly this kind of land: deer camp in November, side-by-side trips in summer, or just a long drive to the end of the road to watch Lake Superior. Big private tracts in the Keweenaw have been changing hands for years, and every one of those sales raised the same worry about locked gates. Seeing the tip of the peninsula put into public hands for good is a real win for locals and visitors alike.
The camping change is the one to plan around. If you used to throw a tent up anywhere out near the Point, check the DNR’s designated sites first, or make a cabin your home base and do the Point as a day trip.
Read the full story at The Daily Mining Gazette: DNR acquires ‘Tip of the Keweenaw’. The DNR’s own announcement, with the full list of rules, is at michigan.gov/dnr.
Heading up for hunting season or a winter trip to the Point? Our Calumet and Chassell stays make an easy base for Copper Harbor day trips. Book direct at vaultventures.co and skip the platform fees.