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Stories in Michigan

The Legacy of the Keweenaw Peninsula

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Aerial view of a vast forest with various shades of green and bright blue fresh water in the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan on a sunny day. White, fluffy clouds dot the sky.

32,000 acres of unfragmented, climate-resilient forests and fresh water are now protected.

Keweenaw Peninsula The Keweenaw Peninsula has globally significant opportunities for nature-based carbon solutions and land and water protection, all contributing to the health of one of the world’s largest freshwater systems, the Great Lakes. © Devin Leonarduzzi/Quincy Aerial, LLC

The remote Keweenaw Peninsula features ancient volcanic rocks, cascading streams, scenic Lake Superior coastlines and lush forests that harbor globally rare plants and wildlife. Since 1982, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has worked with partners to ensure the protection of this dynamic area. With the purchase of 32,000 acres in the Keweenaw in 2022, this legacy of conservation is poised to continue.

If you haven’t visited Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, it’s something to behold. Imagine endless forests, rich in biodiversity and teeming with wildlife. It’s here, nestled along the shore of Lake Superior, you’ll find the Keweenaw Peninsula. One of the most unfragmented, climate-resilient forested and freshwater areas of the central United States, the Keweenaw provides important habitat for Michigan’s gray wolves, bobcats, black bears, pine martens and migratory songbirds. But this land isn’t just valuable to nature.

A broad-winged hawk rests on a tree stump.
Wildlife Protecting the forests of the Keweenaw Peninsula also means protecting the wildlife that depend on it to survive, including gray wolf, bobcat, black bear and raptors. © Gualberto Becerra/Shutterstock

Support Our Work in the Keweenaw

We need your help to make it happen! No gift is too big or too small. With your gift, you help keep the Keweenaw Peninsula wild and wonderful. You create opportunities for people to hike, bike and explore the outdoors. This is more than a gift—it’s a legacy.

To make a gift restricted to the project, contact our development team or send a check to:

The Nature Conservancy in Michigan
101 East Cesar E. Chavez Ave
Lansing, MI 48906
Memo Line: Keweenaw Heartlands

For thousands of years, the Keweenaw Peninsula has provided for people. It is part of the historic lands of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, who, for generations, have used it for hunting, fishing, gathering and ceremonial purposes. For the local community, nature-based recreation plays an essential role in both the economy and way of life.

In 2022, TNC completed a purchase of approximately 32,000 acres in the Keweenaw—an area of land equivalent to more than 24,000 football fields lined neatly end to end. Protecting a piece of land so large and so very significant is not achieved alone. TNC is supporting the efforts of community leaders, the State of Michigan and the many people who love the Keweenaw to develop a lasting, community-based plan and model to care for these lands and waters for future generations.

Map of the Keweenaw that outlines newly protected lands and existing protected lands.
Map of Keweenaw This map outlines the existing protected lands and the newly protected lands in the Keweenaw Peninsula as of autumn 2022.

As our state—and our planet—grapples with rapid climate change and biodiversity loss, we don’t just want to protect areas like the Keweenaw. We have to. Michigan is no stranger to species loss. Wolves nearly disappeared from the state in the 1970s, and other species have struggled to maintain a presence. By protecting the Keweenaw, we also preserve ecosystems, habitats and wildlife corridors that are necessary for biodiversity.

Protecting this area will also allow these forested lands to be managed for optimum carbon storage and climate resilience, all while providing a myriad of ways for people to connect with nature. These forests and fresh water have a big role to play in our future.

The blue water of Lake Superior along the Little Betsy Shoreline in the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
Lake Superior The Keweenaw Peninsula extends into Lake Superior, the deepest of the Great Lakes, and is home to a variety of coastal habitats. © Devin Leonarduzzi/Quincy Aerial, LLC

Visiting the Keweenaw Heartlands

The Nature Conservancy’s Keweenaw Heartlands are open to the public and we encourage you to explore the area. When visiting an area this remote, it's essential to put safety first and avoid overburdening local emergency responders. The guidelines below will help you plan for your visit. Please keep in mind, there is no cell phone coverage in much of the Heartlands. Always tell someone where you are going and when you expect to return.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Make sure to recreate responsibly by checking the weather in advance and planning for the unexpected. We recommend you add these items to your packing list:

    • Head netting
    • Bug spray
    • Enough water and food for the duration of your visit
    • Sturdy footwear
    • Hunter orange apparel (hunting season)
    • A spare tire and tire changing kit (roads can be rugged)
  • Most of the Keweenaw Heartlands is open to foot access for hiking, hunting and fishing. Designated trails and forest roads that are not gated or bermed are open to the public.

    Help us take care of this property by packing out what you pack in and leave no trace!

    • Off-trail use of motorized vehicles is not permitted.
    • No cutting or removal of vegetation without permission (berry picking and mushrooming are permitted).
    • No transportation, handling, dumping, or disposal of liquid, solid, natural- or man-made waste, refuse or debris.
    • No bonfires, fireworks or other fires as they are a threat to the land and wildlife.
    • No permanent ground blinds or tree stands.
    • Camping is not allowed on the Heartlands at this time. Dispersed camping with a permit and camping in designated campgrounds on state land is encouraged.
  • Any gates you come across control access to private property that is not part of the Heartlands or are there because of a public safety concern. Please be safe and considerate by respecting closed gates.

  • The Keweenaw Heartlands are open for hunting and fishing to individuals with a current State of Michigan or Tribal Hunting or Fishing License. Individuals must follow all applicable hunting and fishing rules and regulations. Off trail motor vehicle access, camping, tree cutting and permanent structures are not allowed in the Keweenaw Heartlands.

    If you’re visiting these lands during hunting season, please take all necessary precautions. You can review the Department of Natural Resources safety recommendations for hunting season here.

  • Have questions about the reserve? Contact us at keweenaw@tnc.org.

Nature Preserves in the Keweenaw

TNC has been active in the Keweenaw Peninsula for decades. We currently own and manage three nature preserves in the area: Mary Macdonald Preserve at Horseshoe Harbor, Helmut & Candis Stern Preserve at Mt. Baldy and Bete Grise Wetlands Preserve.

However, our impact goes far beyond our preserves. TNC has helped conserve approximately 15 miles of Lake Superior shoreline—practically the entire tip of the peninsula! This includes a collaboration with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources on a momentous project in the early 2000s, which protected more than 6,200 acres and five miles of the Montreal River. We continue to work with public and private partners on innovative protection solutions.

View of the surrounding forest and Lake Superior from the top of Mt. Baldy in Michigan.
Helmut and Candis Stern Preserve
Nature Preserve
Helmut and Candis Stern Preserve at Mt. Baldy is home to the largest and least disturbed of only a handful of balds remaining in Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula.
Water between two large rock formations, covered in lichen and other plants, along the shore of Lake Superior in the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan.
Mary Macdonald Preserve at Horseshoe Harbor
Nature Preserve
TNC's Mary Macdonald Preserve encompasses 1,200 acres, including five miles of Lake Superior shoreline, in Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula.
Trees along a shoreline are reflected in the water's edge at Bete Grise Preserve in Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula. .
Bete Grise Wetlands Preserve
Nature Preserve
The 62-acre preserve consists of just over 4,000 feet of shoreline along Lake Superior leading to dune and swale wetlands, and 1,000 feet of frontage on the Mendota Ship Canal.

Nature Preserves in the Keweenaw Peninsula

Protecting the Peninsula

TNC’s work to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends is grounded in science and time-tested best practices. Land protection—through purchasing land, establishing conservation easements or assisting partners with their protection efforts—helps us achieve this mission. But land protection is just one strategy among many that TNC employs to benefit people and nature.

  • Three silhouettes of leafy trees.

    Forest Protection

    Protect and restore forests that provide habitat for diverse wildlife and songbirds and support healthy freshwater systems, from headwater wetlands, lakes and streams to the Great Lakes.

  • An icon of a rising temperature on a thermometer.

    Nature-Based Climate Solutions

    Promote nature-based climate solutions that support healthy forests and sequester and store forest carbon, which is necessary to help meet Michigan’s emission reduction goals and achieve carbon neutrality.

  • Silhouette of three people.

    Partnership

    Partner with the community on projects that balance the needs of people and nature. The Keweenaw Peninsula is fast becoming a regional and national outdoor recreation hub.

  • Silhouette of three evergreen trees.

    Sustainable Forest Management

    Demonstrate sustainable forest management practices on TNC’s working forest reserves in Michigan and share that expertise with Keweenaw partners.

TNC’s History in the Keweenaw Peninsula

Timeline of Conservation Work



1975
The Lake Superior shoreline at Bete Grise Wetlands Preserve in the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
Lake Superior Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. © Gina Nicholas

1975

Work Begins in the Keweenaw

TNC begins our work in the region with the purchase and transfer of more than 5,900 acres at the base of the Keweenaw Peninsula to the U.S. Forest Service, to become part of the Ottawa National Forest.


1982

1982

Mary Macdonald Preserve at Horseshoe Harbor

Member Mary Macdonald helps TNC establish our 1st preserve in the Keweenaw, with a gift of 500 acres of land. This becomes the 1st piece of the Mary Macdonald Preserve, which TNC has since expanded to 1,200 acres.

×

1997
The Keweenaw shoreline at dawn.
Conservation Easements Conservation easements are one way to protect land. These legal agreements restrict future development on a property and protect its conservation value in perpetuity. © Ron Leonetti

1997

Conservation Easement in Houghton County

TNC acquires one of our first conservation easements on the Keweenaw Peninsula, on 328 privately owned acres in Houghton County.


2001

2001

Helmut & Candis Stern Preserve at Mt. Baldy

The Helmut & Candis Stern Preserve at Mt. Baldy is established in the Keweenaw, thanks to generous donations from the Sterns.

×

2002
The Lake Superior shoreline lined by trees at Horseshoe Harbor in Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula.
Keweenaw The Keweenaw has globally significant opportunities for nature-based carbon solutions and land and water protection, all contributing to the health of one of the world’s largest freshwater systems, the Great Lakes. © Harold E. Malde

2002

DNR Partnership

TNC works with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and other partners to protect more than 6,200 acres at the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula—one of our largest protection projects in Michigan to date.


2004
A stream of water runs through a sandy and rocky area and into a body of water in the Keweenaw Peninsula.
Bete Grise Wetlands Preserve Located in the beautiful Michigan Keweenaw, Bete Grise boasts nearly one and a half miles of high-quality sand beach along Lake Superior, possibly the longest in the Keweenaw. © Jason Whalen/Big Foot Media

2004

Bete Grise Wetlands Preserve

Ensuring that its stunning beach remains open to the public, TNC protects the 64-acre Bete Grise Wetlands Preserve as part of a much larger cooperative effort with the Houghton-Keweenaw Conservation District.


2005
Red and yellow-leafed trees in the woods in the Keweenaw Peninsula.
Bete Grise Wetlands Preserve The 62-acre Bete Grise Wetlands Preserve consists of just over 4,000 feet of sandy shoreline along Lake Superior leading to dune and swale wetlands, and 1,000 feet of frontage on the Mendota Ship Canal. © Jason Whalen

2005

Supporting the Houghton-Keweenaw Conservation District

From 2005 to 2016, TNC helped the Houghton-Keweenaw Conservation District protect more than 3,300 acres in areas surrounding our Bete Grise Wetlands Preserve.


2013
Landscape scenic view of grassy, wildflower-filled fields from the summit of Brockway Mountain in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
Migration Flying across the vast waters of the Great Lakes can be perilous. Places like the Keweenaw Peninsula and Whitefish Point provide migrating birds with a place to rest and refuel before traveling onward. © Jason Whalen/Big Foot Media

2013

Eagle Harbor Township Acquisition

Every year, birders record thousands of migrating raptors from the summit of Brockway Mountain. In 2013, TNC helps Eagle Harbor Township acquire 320 acres that include this migration site, keeping it open to the public.


2020
Rocks jutting out of Lake Superior on the Mary Macdonald Preserve shoreline under a blue sky. The preserve is located in the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
Mary Macdonald Preserve at Horseshoe Harbor Along the shoreline, a rocky ridge creates a barrier for inland species and slower-growing plants. Just inland from the rock beaches, forest thrives in this cool, moist climate. © Jason Whalen/Big Foot Media

2020

Mary Macdonald Preserve Expansion

TNC’s Mary Macdonald Preserve reaches its current size of approximately 1,200 acres, which includes four miles of Lake Superior shoreline.


2020
Landscape scenic view of Helmut and Candis Stern Preserve in the Keweenaw Peninsula located in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
Helmut and Candis Stern Preserve at Mt. Baldy The preserve accommodates an amazing array of bird species that pass over the site during their annual migration. © Jason Whalen/Big Foot Media

2020

Helmut and Candis Stern Preserve Expansion

TNC adds 200 acres to the eastern edge of the Helmut & Candis Stern Preserve that not only increase its acreage to its current 1,700+ acres, but also connect it to Michigan Audubon’s Lake Bailey Wildlife Sanctuary.


2022
Aerial view of a forest of trees in the Keweenaw with a winding river and dirt road running through it.
Keweenaw Heartlands The area is recognized by TNC as a global priority for both biodiversity and climate resiliency and an opportunity to protect an extraordinary region for both nature and people. © Devin Leonarduzzi/Quincy Aerial, LLC

2022

Keweenaw Heartlands Preserved

In 2022, TNC announced the purchase of 32,000 acres in the Keweenaw Peninsula known as the Keweenaw Heartlands.

The Future of the Keweenaw

The Keweenaw Peninsula has globally significant opportunities for nature-based carbon solutions and land and water protection, all contributing to the health of one of the world’s largest freshwater systems, the Great Lakes. It is also a focal point for issues faced by forests around the world, and by the communities that depend on them—from habitat fragmentation to economic instability.

TNC hopes to continue to support the Keweenaw community as it builds a future around the sustainable use and management of the rivers, lakes and forests of this globally unique landscape and the outdoor recreation and environmental services (like carbon sequestration) that it offers.

A black bear eats berries in an area of dense, green vegetation.
Black Bears in the Keweenaw The black bear is Michigan's sole bear species. While the majority reside in the Upper Peninsula, their numbers are growing in the northern Lower Peninsula. © Wild.NZ/Shutterstock

TNC has been talking with local leaders and interest groups to listen and learn more about their goals and plans, and to provide support where we can. This includes exploring potential forest protection projects and partnerships that could continue to provide for local sustainable timber and recreational economies.

The Keweenaw Peninsula represents an opportunity for both learning and impact: the solutions we develop together here could be shared with other communities pursuing a resilient, nature-based future, across the Great Lakes and beyond.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • TNC’s land protection efforts are for conservation purposes that benefit the community. We protect Michigan’s lands and waters for people and nature, which includes public access to TNC-owned lands where feasible.

  • Conservation easements are one way to protect land. These legal agreements restrict future development on a property and protect its conservation value in perpetuity. In exchange, the property owner may receive tax benefits. The easement holder—either a unit of government or a qualified conservation organization such as TNC—acquires certain rights and obligations to uphold the easement terms.

  • In late 2022, The Nature Conservancy in Michigan (TNC) announced the purchase of approximately 32,600 acres of working forestland near the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula in Keweenaw County, known as the Keweenaw Heartlands. This purchase from The Rohatyn Group was completed with the support and input of community leaders, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and many people who love the Keweenaw.

    TNC and DNR have convened a planning committee to develop a long-term governance and management plan for the Keweenaw Heartlands. As the interim owners while these plans for the property are developed, TNC will steward the property and lay the foundation for its continued conservation and sustainable use as part of a resilient Keweenaw community.

    These lands help define the identity of Keweenaw County and its residents. They contain many sites of unique ecological, historic, cultural and scenic beauty that help make the peninsula so beloved by the thousands who live and visit here. Through this project, the Keweenaw Heartlands will be sustainably managed and kept available for the public to access and enjoy for generations to come.

    For the latest updates, meetings and more, visit the Keweenaw Community Foundation website.

  • TNC’s land protection efforts are for conservation purposes that benefit the community. We protect Michigan’s lands and waters for people and nature, which includes public access to TNC-owned lands where feasible.

    1. Resilient, diverse and connected forests that contribute to climate solutions.
    2. A collaborative, community-centered approach to conservation.
    3. Thriving local economies based on healthy lands and waters.