For people with an interest in wildlife, the enormous 95,212-acre refuge southwest of Seney is a magical place where it's easy to get an intimate look at many different northwoods wildlife habitats. Motorists driving along a special road built on dikes may see bald eagles, trumpeter swans, and loons in their natural habitats. Bicyclists use the nearly 60 miles of mostly flat back-country roads. Signs of elusive wolves and moose who use the Refuge may be seen in the back country. Birders intent on expanding their lists of rare or uncommon birds sometimes drive thousands of miles to spot the yellow rail or black-backed woodpecker found here. Seney may be the very best place to see woodcock in the entire United States.
Hints for finding wildlife to watch are conveyed through excellent interpretive displays in the Visitor Center and through signs along the trails and wildlife drive. Knowledgeable staff and volunteers can direct visitors to unusual habitats such as bogs and recently burned areas. Common birds include mergansers, ring-necked ducks, trumpeter swans, goldfinches, and pine warblers, which can often be heard along the tour route.
 | | At the northern edge of the Seney National Wildlife Area, along M-28, motorists can see the marshy grasses and water-tolerant conifers of the Great Manistique Swamp. The flat swampland provided a straight, level right of way for the Soo Line, the U.P.’s principal rail line, built with Canadian money to connect Duluth with Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. | THE REFUGE STORY
The story of the Seney National Wildlife Refuge is told in a well-written display at the Refuge's Visitor Center. The Refuge is a vast (150 square miles) and peaceful wetland between Munising and Seney that drains into the Manistique River. From 1881 to 1900 the area was logged off. Fires swept many cutover lands, including the Great Manistique Swamp, part of which is in the Refuge. A decade later, land speculators started to drain the land to develop it for farming. They failed and left. Most of the land reverted to the government for nonpayment of taxes during the Depression.
In 1935, an intricate system of dikes and spillways created thousands of acres of open pools for waterfowl at the Refuge. The project was accomplished with funds from duck stamp purchases and labor from the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and Works Projects Administration (WPA), two make-work projects of Franklin Roosevelt's administration. CCC crews planted aquatic plants favored by ducks and geese: pondweed, bulrushes, duck weed, wild rice, wild celery, and more.
Today the Refuge is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to encourage waterfowl production. Controlling water levels creates wet and dry cycles that mimic nature. (Because the pools are manmade, wet-dry cycles can't occur naturally.) Controlled fires imitate the beneficial effects of lightning-caused fires. For instance, fire is used to prune back and maintain sedge meadow habitat for the secretive yellow rail. The heat of fires causes jack pine cones to open and release seeds, thereby allowing new growth.
Though wildlife management is the Refuge's main purpose, much has been done for visitors. The Visitor Center and seven-mile Marshland Wildlife Drive have become popular Upper Peninsula attractions. The Refuge's back roads and dikes have been opened to hikers and bicyclists. Fat-tire bikes work best. Nearly 60 miles of biking and hiking trails are ideally suited for viewing wildlife. Canoeing is encouraged along the Manistique River.
PLANNING YOUR VISIT
Plan your visit to the Refuge so you'll be able to view wildlife in the early morning or evening, when birds and mammals are most active. The wildlife drive and trails are open from sunup to sundown. Over 200 species of birds and 50 species of mammals, including the eastern timber wolf, have been recorded here. The outstanding Visitor Center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week from May 15 to October 15. A bird list is available at the Visitor Center, along with a map and guide to the Refuge. Brochures are available after hours at the display in the Visitor Center parking lot. In the off-season, information is available at the main office next door.
MAIN VISITOR ATTRACTIONS
• VISITOR CENTER. Excellent displays, a knowledgeable staff, and the Seney Natural History Association's small bookstore make this a good first stop for orientation. Exhibits include an interactive mural in whichj viewers look for hidden wildlife (kids love this challenge), a display on refuge management techniques, tips for wildlife observation, and "The Sounds of Seney"with 32 wildlife sounds. A multi-projector slide/tape introduction to the Refuge, 14 minutes long, tells visitors what they can expect to do and see at Seney. The loon exhibit invites visitors to hear the loon's four main calls while seeing a beautiful diorama of a loon with a chick on its back. A short video shows loons in action. Loons are plentiful in the Refuge because it meets their three main requirements: 1) clean water; 2) quiet, undisturbed nesting islands; and 3) a good supply of fish to eat.
Free brochures describe the Refuge's policy and opportunities for hunting and fishing. Northern pike, bullheads, and perch offer anglers a challenge. Get information on the nature trail, wildlife drive, and back roads (closed to vehicles). Visitors can borrow binoculars, a bird guide, and a flower guide at no cost. Open May 15-October 15, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (906) 586-9851. Free admission. Handicap accessible: marginally.
• PINE RIDGE NATURE TRAIL. A 1.4 mile loop with interpretive signs takes visitors along high, dry pine ridges that weave through the pool system. It's an easy walk, but there are some low hills and uneven ground. A boardwalk traverses a marshy area that's excellent for viewing songbirds. Spring and summer wildflowers are abundant. It's a peaceful experience except for nearby road noise. Panels show how wildlife uses plants along the trail. The trail begins at the Visitor Center. Parking at the Visitor Center and nature trail is plowed through late March. Handicap accessible: no.
• MARSHLAND WILDLIFE DRIVE. This seven-mile self-guided auto tour on a one-way gravel road connects three observation decks in favorite habitats where trumpeter swans, loons, osprey, and bald eagles can sometimes be seen. Deer, beaver, turtles, waterfowl, and wading birds are also plentiful. Spotting scopes are provided at each observation deck free of charge. Binoculars can be borrowed at the visitor center. Interpretive signs are quite informative. The fishing loop adds 1 1/2 more miles and one fishing platform to the drive. The speed limit is 15 mph. Narrow clearances and car traffic on thewildlife drive make it more enjoyable for bicyclists to use back roads instead. They'll see more wildlife on back roads, too.
The Wildlife Drive starts near the visitor center and ends on M-77, just south of the main Refuge entrance. It's open from May 15 through October 15, daylight hours only.) During nesting season the drive is closed to motorized vehicles to leave birds undisturbed. However, it is not closed to walkers or bicyclists. During peak migration season some areas may be closed to all visitors. Check for info at the Refuge office. Handicap accessible: decks and scopes are barrier-free.
• BACKCOUNTRY PATHS along dikes and service roads offer hikers and bicyclists nearly 60 miles of prime wildlife viewing. Intersections are clearly marked so users can easily plot their routes and see where they are on the Refuge map. Surfaces are varied. In most conditions hard-packed gravel and sand work fine for bikes with narrow tires, but mountain bikes would be better, especially after rain.
• NORTHERN HARDWOODS CROSS-COUNTRY SKI AREA. Ten miles of groomed trails are usually skiable from mid or late December through March. Trails are normally groomed just before and after the weekend. Trails start at the parking lot 1/2 mile west of M-77, 1/3 mile south of the blinking light in Germfask. For snow conditions, call (906) 586-9851.
• SNOWSHOEING is permitted anywhere except on the ski trails. It's not a good idea to snowshoe across pools.
• CANOEING can be done on the Refuge's rivers. The Manistique River is the only conveniently reachable stream section that can be canoed during the allotted daylight hours. Canoeing is not allowed on the Refuge pools or marshes.
Canoe rentals are available at Big Cedar Campground (586-6689) on M-77 just south of Germfask and Northland Outfitters (586-9801) on the north edge of Germfask off M-77. (It also rents kayaks and mountain bikes.)
There are three popular places to put in: Northland Outfitters (see above; it also rents canoes and kayaks); Big Cedar Campground (see above), and the pretty picnic area on M-77 about a mile south of Germfask. (The latter site is very steep.) People with their own canoes are welcome to put in at the canoe liveries for a $5 fee if they leave their cars there.
Canoeists end up at the 10-campsite Mead Creek Campground of Lake Superior State Forest on County Road 436 south of the Wildlife Refuge (see below). NOTE: in summer, the numbers of canoeists keep wildlife away, notes one frequent user. For best wildlife viewing in summer, get out early in the morning.
Although there are no picnic tables, grills, or trash cans on the Refuge, picnicking is allowed. Bring a blanket, take your trash home with you, and don't light any kind of fire.
The main entrance to the Refuge is on M-77, 2 miles north of Germfask and 5 miles south of Seney. (906) 586-9851. The website is part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website: www.midwest.fws.gov/seney/index.html Between May 15 and October 15: Marshland Wildlife Drive is open between sunrise and sunset. Visitor Center is open 9- 5. Visitor use of the Refuge is limited to daylight hours. In winter, the visitor center parking lot is plowed through late March. The entrance to the ski trails is off the parking lot west of M-77, half a mile south of Germfask. Free admission. Handicap accessible: visitor center, viewing platforms along wildlife drive, indoor & outdoor toilets.
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