An introduction to Sylvania backcountry

The Ottawa National Forest’s Sylvania Wilderness Area is vast and beautiful and there’s a trail on the park’s west side that’s a perfect introduction to this wild place. It’s a trail with a secret to share: this is a wilderness that’s as easy and accessible as it is wild. Steps from where you parked your car you’ll be walking down a soft dirt path, into a beautiful dense forest. Continue down this trail, about a mile, and you’ll find the shore of Whitefish Lake, one of the Sylvania’s beautiful wild lakes. From here, you can continue hiking on side trails or just enjoy the wild beauty of Whitefish Lake. To get to the trail from Land O’ Lakes, head West on Highway B for 8.7 miles until you reach Thousand Island Lake Road. Turn right and head north for 3.2 miles. You’ll see a parking area on the right, and the trailhead, where your Sylvania backcountry adventure begins.

Hours
Open year-round.

Contact
Phone: 906-358-4551
Address: E23979 U.S. Highway 2 East, Watersmeet, MI 49969
Website: www.fs.usda.gov/ottawa