Trails
Seney National Wildlife Refuge has over 12 miles of trails located off the main campus, at the Show Pool Shelters and off of Robinson Road. The Whitefish Point Unit has an elevated boardwalk which takes visitors through cobblestone deposits and stunted jack pines out to the tip of the point. All trails are open year round to nature enthusiasts, photographers, hikers and runners. In the winter the trails off of Robinson Road, the Northern Hardwoods Trail System is groomed for Nordic skiing. Snowshoers are welcome but we ask they not step in the ski tracks. We ask you leave your four legged friends home when the ski trails are groomed, the holes their paws make in the snow reduce skiing enjoyment.
Trails
Tip-of-the-Point Trail
Open Season: Year-round. Daylight use only.
Location: Whitefish Point Unit. Trailhead near north edge of the parking lot.
Length: 0.25 miles (one way)
Surface: Hard. Surface Type: Wooden board walk.
Grade: Average 1%
Cross Slope: Average 1%
Trail Width: Minimum 48 inches, Average 60 inches
Information: This trail takes you nearly out to the end of the peninsula that reaches into Lake Superior. The boardwalk allows visitors an opportunity to see the fragile jack pine dune habitat without disturbing it. As you walk slightly above the sand and cobblestone, watch for a variety of dune plants near the ground and scan the trees for a perched birds. The jack pines which normally grow to 100-feet in height are stunted here, often growing to only about 20-feet tall. The point acts as a natural funnel for migrating waterbirds, passerines, and raptors making this a great trail for birders during migration. Start your hike at the Whitefish Point Bird Observatory. They have several bird feeders and benches located at the back of the building. Migratory and resident birds feast at these feeders and frequent sightings include blue jays, evening and pine grosbeaks, sparrows, nuthatches, and others. The end of the boardwalk offers a view of the lake and the shorebird shack. If you have binoculars or a spotting scope you may be able to locate the endangered piping plover nesting on the beach or see a wide variety of waterfowl using the water just off the point. In the spring be prepared for lots of mosquitoes!