Seney Wilderness

gov/refuge/seney/">Seney National Wildlife Refuge . All of the Wilderness is in the state of Michigan. In 1970 the Seney Wilderness became part of the now over 110 million acre National Wilderness Preservation System.

At first glance the entire Refuge appears wild, but in fact much of it is carefully managed to provide habitat for a diversity of wildlife. However, if you keep looking you will notice the western one-third of the Refuge contains no roads or man-made structures. This is the Wilderness area, the second largest in the state of Michigan.

Here you may see a bald eagle perched in a giant pine tree, or glimpse the reclusive gray wolf. The area is also home to moose, black bear, coyote, bobcat, white-tailed deer, fox, mink, marten, fisher, otter, beaver and muskrats. Birds include the yellow rail, sandhill crane, spruce grouse and a variety of songbirds Once the land of Seney lay beneath an ancient lake.

When the lake disappeared, winds swirled sand from its bottom into dunes. Eventually these became covered with trees and brush to form a string of islands in the midst of a vast bogland. Today, most of the Seney Wilderness is "string bog," puncuated with pine islands.

The bogs support unusual vegetation such as the carnivorous pitcher plant. On the islands you will find large red and white pines that have survived countless fires and the logger's axe.