Clark Lake and Clark Lake Trail

Adjacent to the motor-free Sylvania Wilderness Area, at the north end of motor-free Clark Lake, the Ottawa National Forest provides two boat launches, a campground and a delightful day use area with convenient auto access to Sylvania's quiet and its natural beauty. Most of Clark Lake is in the wilderness area. A shady lawn with picnic tables leads down from the parking areaa and bathhouse to a long, sandy beach, a picnic area, changing house with showers, and a parking lot.

Mark Hobbs

Clark and Loon lakes have long sand beaches, reached by canoe or the Clark Lake foot trail. The Hobbs kids from Wisconsin love to hang out on the beach, listen to loons, and see the occasional eagle and mersanger — all birds that thrive with no power boats.

The 8-mile trail around the Clark Lake, Sylvania's largest, gives an easy introduction to the Sylvania Wilderness Area without camping or using a canoe or compass. For a shortened hike, start at the swimming beach and go west (counter-clockwise). Soon you'll be in a shady ares of huge hemlocks and maples, then you'll pass beautiful wetlands. Watch out for roots that make it easy to trip. You're likely to hear the haunting cry and yodel of a loon. A pair of loons nests on every Sylvania lake. You may see or hear pileated woodpeckers at work on old trees looking for insects, and hear summer woodland songbirds like warblers and red-eyed vireos. Bald eagles and ospreys perch over the lake, scanning for fish to swoop down on and catch. Barred owls are often heard at night: "Who-cooks for you, who-cooks-for-you."

The trail is one of 36 U.P. natural areas featured in Michigan Watchable Wildlife, in book form or online at www.michigan.gov/dnr/; go to "wildlife and habitat," then "viewing wildlife" for photos and details.

Other access parking is at Crooked Lake and other places on Sylvania's periphery. (See map.) Of course, these more accessible areas are close to roads and not as quiet as the less accessible interior lakes and trails. But they're much, much quieter than comparable facilities elsewhere.

Day-use registration is required year-round. $5/day/vehicle use fee, or $20/season. A self-registration pipe is at every entrance.

The main entrance is off County Road 535, which intersects with U.S. 2 about 3 miles west of Watersmeet. The contact station by the entrance station is staffed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays, Central Time between May 15 and September 30. Contact station: (906) 358-4724. www.fs.fed.us/r9/ottawa/ Call about handicap accessibility. Dogs are permitted on a 6-foot leash.

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