 ENVIRONMENTAL |
 ON the TRAIL |
 LOCATION |
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Pere Marquette River | ||||
| Exact Location: Lake County- North Country Trail crossing on South Branch Road at Upper Branch Bridge. | ||||
The main branch of the Pere Marquette River is 67 miles long and begins south of Baldwin where the Middle Branch and Little South Branch of the Pere Marquette join. The watershed drains 740 square miles in Lake, Newaygo, Mason and Oceana Counties, half of which is Lake County. It is the longest river in the Lower Peninsula with no dams or impoundments. It is canoeable over its entire length. Designated as a National Wild and Scenic river from The Forks (where the main branch rises) to Custer Bridge, quotaed permits are required for watercraft of all types, including tubes, and hours are restricted. Camping within the river corridor is allowed only at designated sites. 12 Sulak Road Campsites are just off trail east of the trail crossing. Elk Campground is walk-in or paddle-in only, and is about a half mile west (downstream) of Upper Branch Bridge.
Known as a premier trout stream for both brook trout and brown trout, the Pere Marquette is also popular for catching steelhead, salmon, sucker, and pike. Also see: Upper Branch Bridge Elk Campground | ||||
Sources: Michigan DNR Recreation.gov personal experience | ||||
| Every effort is made to provide up-to-date accurate information, but errors are bound to occur. Please contact explorer@exploreNCT.info about errors, corrections or additions. | ||||
| Main Index MI Lower Peninsula Index |
| The North Country National Scenic Trail is 4800 miles long, spanning eight states. For more information, visit the North Country Trail Association |
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