49 - Helpful Area Information

The Ontonagon County Chamber of Commerce mails information and publicizes lodgings and events for all of Ontonagon County, including Ontonagon, the Porkies, White Pine, Ewen, Bruce Crossing, and Trout Creek. (906) 884-4735. Ask about the county's 350 miles of snowmobile trails. All county roads (but not all Ottawa National Forest roads) are open for four-wheelers. . . . From Memorial Day thru September volunteers staff the Tourist Information Center next to the Ontonagon County Historical Society Museum, 10-5 daily. For Porkies events, lodgings, and more at the Porcupine Mountains Convention and Visitors Bureau. . . . Inspiration for a Porkies trip is on the website of the late Dan Urbanski, Porkies' appreciator, enthusiast, and photographer par excellence. Open "Wilderness Diary," "Photo Collections," and "Icons of U.P. Highways."

PUBLIC LAND: The Ottawa National Forest has extensive holdings through the central part of Ontonagon County. Its Ontonagon District Office is at 1209 Rockland Road/U.S. 45. Open weekdays from 8 to 4 Eastern Time. (906) 884-2411. It's stocked with many handouts and nature pamphlets.

FISHING CHARTERS and REPORTS: Greig's Taxidermy and Tackle (906-884-2770) gives fishing reports, charter referrals on Lake Superior, the Ontonagon River, and inland lakes, info about shore fishing. Open May 1-Sept. 1 daily except Tuesday. 117 River Rd./M-64 across from marina on way to Porkies. . . .Guided fishing trips with Scott's Guide Service (906-884-4866; 800-884-4866). See seasonal fishing advice, overview on http//Xwww.westernup.com/scotts/fish.html.

LODGINGS TIPS
Cottages on the water are in limited supply. Call early for best availability. It's good to call early for fall color season and Christmas week, too. Similarly, call a year ahead to reserve wilderness cabins and yurts in peak seasons, summer and winter. . . . After Labor Day, when kids are back in school but before fall color season, is a wonderful, unhurried time with good availability. Weather is iffy starting in late September; it could be balmy, or it might even snow. . . . Early spring after snowmelt—April— there's excellent availability. It's great for waterfalling, and some early wildflowers. Spring means you get wildflowers and no crowds if you can deal with the blackflies that come in mid May. June is considered a spring month, too.… Lodgings somewhat farther away from the Porkies, in White Pine, won't book so soon.

EVENTS
For exact dates and a full calendar, look on ontonagonmi.org. For Folk School workshops, the late August Porcupine Mountains Music Festival, winter festivals, and other Friends of the Porkies events, call (906) 885-5275. . . . Ontonagon holds an impressive Labor Day Festival and parade on Sunday before Labor Day. Marty's Drum & Bugle Corps from Bessemer puts on a show. . . . The Ontonagon County Fair comes to Greenland usually on the last weekend of July . . . In the Old Victoria Restoration the Craft Fair is the third Sunday of August. . . . The Ewen Log Jamboree is on the third full weekend of September. . . In summer the Adventure Mountain Stock Car Race in held at the Greenland fairgrounds alternate Fridays. Call (906) 884-9668 or visit WUPY101.com

PICNIC PROVISIONS and PLACES: Virtually all restaurants offer takeout meals, of course. The county's supermarkets with substantial deli sections are Pat's Foods on M-38 on the outskirts of Ontonagon, and the Settler's Co-op on M-28 at U.S. 45 in Bruce Crossing.
♦ In Ontonagon, the township park on Lake Superior just northeast of town has a beautiful beach and view, with picnic tables and shade beneath tall pines.
♦ Ontonagon's Riverfront Park across the river from downtown by the marina has a boardwalk but no shade.
♦ On M-64 halfway between Ontonagon and Silver City, Green Park has a pretty picnic spot by the Lake Superior beach.
♦ In Silver City some picnic tables are nestled in the woods where the Iron River meets Lake Superior.
♦ The Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park has picnic tables along the entrance road by Lake Superior, at the Lake of the Clouds overlook, at the Presque Isle Rivermouth campground, and by the parking lot near Summit Peak (less scenic).
♦ A few miles south of Rockland and Mass City, there's a delightful rest stop and picnic area where U.S. 45 crosses the Baltimore River, an Ontonagon tributary. A marker commemorates the Military Road between Green Bay and Fort Wilkins at Copper Harbor.

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