A pair of kayaks take in a beautiful sunrise over Lake Superior as they wait for their paddlers in Isle Royale National Park in Michigan.

Photo: Adam Jewell

Seney National Wildlife Refuge in Michigan was established in 1935 for the protection and production of migratory birds and other wildlife. Today the Refuge is comprised of a rich mosaic of marshes, swamps, bogs, grasslands, and forests. Nearly two-thirds of the Refuge is classified as wetland. And it’s clearly a beautiful place with a fresh coat of snow.

Photo: Craig Pierzchanlski

Sandstone cliffs, beaches, sand dunes, waterfalls, lakes, forest, and shoreline beckon you to visit Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan. Hiking, camping, sightseeing, and four season outdoor opportunities abound. The Lakeshore hugs the Lake Superior shoreline for more than 40 miles. Lake Superior is the largest, deepest, coldest, and most pristine of all the Great Lakes.

Photo: National Park Service 

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan is one of 4 national lakeshores and 10 national seashores that are managed by the National Park Service and famous for their beaches. Although not as famous as Cape Cod or Cape Hatteras National Seashores, Good Morning America viewers voted Sleeping Bear Dunes the “Most Beautiful Place in America.” The beautiful beaches of Sleeping Bear Dunes got their namesake from the Legend of Sleeping Bear, which tells the story of three bears driven by a fire into Lake Michigan. Along the way the two cubs grew tired while the mother swam ahead to shore. Once she got there she waited for her cubs, but they became too tired and could no longer swim and drowned near the shore. The Great Spirit Manitou then created two islands to signify the two bear cubs and a dune to represent the mother bear. Today the Sleeping Bear Dunes is the perfect place for relaxing on the beach or floating in the water. With l.2 million visitors, it contributed $120.5 million to Michigan communities in 2010. Nationwide, coastal national parklands alone provided $3.5 billion to local economies while coastal wildlife refuges provided at least $900 million.

Photo: National Park Service

The Kirtland’s warbler, an endangered species, is a songbird that nests in young jack pine stands. Until 1995 Kirtland’s warblers had only been known to nest in the northern part of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. Today, they also nest in the Upper Peninsula, and since 2007, have nested in Wisconsin and Canada. They migrate from their nesting grounds to the southeastern coast of the United States on their way to wintering grounds in the Bahamas.

Photo: Joel Trick, USFWS 

Seney National Wildlife Refuge is a great place to watch wildlife, get out into nature and go exploring. Winter, spring, summer and fall, come out and enjoy them all. Located in the middle of the beautiful Upper Peninsula of Michigan, there are so many ways to experience the Refuge. Whether you would like to drive the self-guided auto tour, stop by the Visitor Center, walk our trails, go hunting or fishing, take photographs, canoe, kayak, snowshoe, ski, or partake in a special event or program, the Refuge is a wonderful place to visit.

Photo: Atlee Hart - USFWS