, dedicated to the workers of the early logging industry, is located within the eastern part of the forest near
Oscoda. The Huron–Manistee National Forests boast an extensive network of waterways, with over 1,800 miles of rivers and 17,000 acres of lakes. The natural features within these waterways create diverse fish and wildlife habitats while offering many outdoor recreational opportunities. The Huron-Manistee National Forest is home to eight substantial river basins: the
Pine,
Manistee,
Little Manistee,
Pentwater,
Big Sable,
Pere Marquette,
Muskegon, and White Rivers. The nationally known
Pere Marquette and
Au Sable Rivers offer quality
canoeing and
fishing. Additionally, over of trails are available for hiking. The Huron-Manistee National Forests offer a vast range of outdoor activities, including hiking, camping, hunting, and fishing. Visitors also enjoy picnicking, canoeing, snowmobiling, scenic drives, off-road vehicle adventures, and harvesting natural resources. A wood permit is required to cut firewood. The
Manistee National Forest portion is located in northwest lower Michigan. It has varying but largely sandy terrain covered with trees. There are numerous lakes and frontage on
Lake Michigan. The area is popular for fishing,
camping,
boating,
snowmobiling,
cross-country skiing and
hunting. The
North Country Trail passes through it. It has a total area of . In descending order of land area it lies in parts of
Lake,
Newaygo,
Wexford,
Manistee,
Mason,
Oceana,
Muskegon,
Mecosta, and
Montcalm counties. There are local
ranger district offices located in
Baldwin and
Wellston at the historic Chittenden Nursery location. The Manistee National Forest is not one continuous mass but is broken by private property and towns. Much of the land had been abandoned by logging companies after being logged off a century ago. The
Lumberjack 100, a 100-mile
ultra-endurance mountain bike race is held annually within its bounds. The
Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness is a unique feature in the Manistee portion. This relatively small area of , situated on the east shore of Lake Michigan is one of the two designated
wilderness areas in Michigan, and one of few in the U.S. with an extensive lake shore
dunes ecosystem. Most of the dunes are 3500 to 4000 years old and some stand about higher than the lake. The Nordhouse Dunes are interspersed with woody vegetation such as juniper, jack pine and hemlock. There are many small water holes and marshes dotting the landscape and dune grass covers many of the dunes. The beach is wide and sandy. There are two trailheads to access Nordhouse Dunes: from the north at the
Lake Michigan Recreation Site and from the south off
Nurmberg Road. The
Huron National Forest portion is in northeast lower Michigan. It has a total area of . It lies in parts of
Oscoda,
Alcona,
Iosco,
Crawford, and
Ogemaw counties. There are local ranger district offices in
Mio and
Oscoda. The Huron-Manistee National Forest offers approximately 6,997 miles of primitive scenic roads as well as 3,730 miles of forest system roads designed for off-road motor vehicle use. The
Bull Gap ORV Trail is located in the Huron portion of the forests. It contains of
ORV trails. The Huron-Manistee National Forest is home to five federally listed threatened and endangered species, including the
Bald Eagle,
Indiana bat,
Karner blue butterfly, and
Pitcher's thistle. ==See also==