Baraga Plains Tag | Jacob Emerick's Blog

Volcanic Plugs of Ottawa Forest

The Ottawa National Forest includes almost one million acres of lakes, rivers, waterfalls, and forested hills of the Western Upper Peninsula. Stretching from the Peshekee Highlands north of Champion to the Michigan-Wisconsin border, the forest contains the Sturgeon River Gorge, McCormick Tract, and Sylvania Wilderness Area. Among its treasures are some unique geologic features to Michigan - three volcanic plugs.

Google image of the three Volcanic Plugs

A volcanic plug is the remains of an ancient volcano. Once a volcano becomes dormant and succumbs to the powers of erosion, only the toughest rocks, the hardened volcanic plug, will remain. The size and condition will depend on the type and age of the volcano, and chances are that it will not be in an ideal chimney shape.

The most popular volcanic...

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• mt kallio
• haystack mountain
• silver mountain
• baraga plains
• ottawa national forest

Sturgeon River

Winding through Baraga and Houghton County, the Sturgeon River is a large, well-known river system. Driving from Marquette to Houghton on US-41 brings drivers over the river twice, first at Canyon River Falls and then at the Sturgeon River Sloughs. These two spots, combined with the Sturgeon River Gorge, are popular hiking and adventuring locations for tourists and locals alike.

Sturgeon River's sweeping path

One of the most surprising facts about this river is the location of its headwaters near Herman, MI. In fact, the Silver River of Baraga County and Sturgeon River share the same system...

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• waterfalls
• nestoria swamp
• baraga plains
• river system
• ottawa national forest