TNC to Host Two, Unique Guided Hikes on Keweenaw Peninsula in August

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is hosting two, unique guided hikes in the Keweenaw Peninsula in August, part of a “Heart the Heartlands” series of events to highlight the specialness of the forest that stretches across the Keweenaw Peninsula.

“We have held dozens and dozens of meetings with community members and leaders about the Keweenaw Heartlands since we first explored purchasing the land in 2021, but those meetings have been indoors, said Julia Petersen, Keweenaw Peninsula project manager for TNC in Michigan. “This fall, we’re taking a break from the folding chairs and PowerPoint presentations and taking people into the Heartlands to show why this place is so important to protect.”

The first hike, Thursday, Aug. 22, from 3-6 p.m., will take attendees up to the Helmut & Candis Stern Preserve at Mt. Baldy. The hike up Mt. Baldy, co-hosted by the Keweenaw Hiking Trails Association, will be a 6.5-mile mile out-and-back trail hike with approximately 869 feet of elevation gain. Although strenuous for some hikers, the hard work is worthwhile because at the top, beautiful, sweeping views of the Keweenaw Heartlands await.

The second hike, Saturday, Aug. 24, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. will take hikers from forest to the rocky shoreline of TNC’s Mary MacDonald Preserve at Horseshoe Harbor. Although the furthest point north in mainland Michigan, this preserve is TNC’s most visited in the state, and for good reason. These five miles of shoreline tell a story more than a billion years old of volcanic rock shaped by the waves and winds of Lake Superior. It’s home to nearly a dozen threatened or rare species and geological formations only found at the tip of the Keweenaw.

Registration is required for both events. You can register for the hike at Mt. Baldy here and the hike at Mary MacDonald here.

“These guided hikes at TNC preserves differ in terrain and type of hike, but they both have something in common: they’re connected by the Keweenaw Heartlands,” said Emily Clegg, director of land and water management for TNC in Michigan. “I would encourage anyone who loves the Heartlands forest, or who is just getting to know the Heartlands project to join us on Aug. 22 or Aug. 24—or both—to learn more about why this area is vital to both people and nature, and how TNC and the community are working together to protect it.”

The Mary MacDonald Preserve at Horseshoe Harbor was established in 1982 and has grown to cover more than 1,200 acres including five miles of Lake Superior shoreline. The Helmut and Candis Stern Preserve at Mt. Baldy towers 730 feet above Lake Superior and offers spectacular panoramic views of Lake Superior and the Keweenaw Peninsula. Both preserves are considered flagship preserves for TNC and while adjacent to the Keweenaw Heartlands will remain owned and managed by TNC.

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) purchased the Keweenaw Heartlands, which includes more than 32,000 acres of land, in two separate sales, one closing in late October 2022 and the second just before Christmas 2022. 

While in TNC ownership, the land remains open to the public under the Michigan Commercial Forest Program and on community tax rolls. TNC, as the temporary owner before these lands are in public ownership, is working closely with the region’s communities to plan for the future of the Heartlands and ensure long-term protection of this forest for raptors and other wildlife.

You can find more information about our “Heart the Heartlands” series and view upcoming events on our event poster, or learn more about the Keweenaw Heartlands project here.