Beauty on the bend
First-time backcountry camping at the Porkies
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Editor’s note: This article was originally published in Showcasing the DNR, a publication of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources
ONTONAGON COUNTY -- We're carefully walking single-file across a narrow, wood-planked bridge at the south end of Mirror Lake - steps from where we're about to pitch our tents for the night - when Katie Urban slows to a stop and looks out at the calm, aptly named body of water whose shores are lined with towering old-growth hemlock, white pine and a mix of hardwoods.
"You might hear a strange sound in the middle of the night," she says, leaning slightly against her smooth, hand-carved Smokey Bear walking stick clutched in her right hand.
Before she can say more, I'm picturing mischievous raccoons scurrying and sniffing after dusk. Or possibly - hopefully not - a mama black bear, picking up a scent and investigating the half dozen tents our group of backpackers will use for sleep here in the backcountry, beneath a black velvet night sky dotted with stars.
But Katie's explanation is unexpected: "You might hear the slap of a beaver's tail on the water," she says as we take in the scenic, seemingly untouched view before us, the just-starting-to-turn maple trees casting crimson reflections across the water's still surface. "It can be pretty loud."
Beaver tail-slapping, Katie goes on to share, is a classic alarm signal - a defensive warning used when a beaver detects a predator, another beaver or a human near its lodge or territory.
It's yet another interesting nature tidbit shared during our three-day beginner backpacking trek at Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. "Oh, that is 100% park interpreter," she laughs, saying it's simply how she's wired. "We just can't help ourselves - that's pure, 100% nerd energy. 'While we are here, let me talk about this!'"
I'm grateful to have such knowledgeable backpacking guides in Urban and her co-guide Sarah Anderson, park interpreter at Tahquamenon Falls State Park on the eastern end of the U.P.
"Backpacking is an activity that helps build self-confidence and our sense of self," Anderson said as she reflected on this most recent backpacking trip offered through the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Skills Academy. "Completing a trip feels like a huge accomplishment and a way to deeply reconnect with nature and friends. If you're not afraid of getting a little dirty, are open to learning new things and challenging yourself, joining a class or tagging along with an experienced companion is a great way to find out if backpacking is for you."
The beginner backpacking trip at the Porkies is one of numerous offerings available through the DNR's Outdoor Skills Academy. Whether you're wanting to try something new in Michigan's great outdoors and need help getting started, or you're looking to brush up on your skills and learn tips and tricks from the pros, the Academy can help.
A list of required and recommended items was provided to us beforehand, and while I'm confident about most items we've packed - water bottles, headlamps, a compact camping cook kit, weather-appropriate clothing, broken-in hiking shoes, for example - I am worried about our older backpacks we'd bought years ago (and rarely used) and the yoga mats we're thinking might suffice for sleeping pads.
In the kindest way possible, Urban nixes the yoga mats ("Nope, not even close," she smiles, pointing to a blue tarp on the ground that she and Anderson have coined "the tarp of shame" and where we are to set all of our not-suitable-for-backpacking items).
Thankfully, plenty of gear, including inflatable, insulated sleeping mats, is available from the DNR for any of us to borrow. In addition to the sleeping pads, we end up borrowing a couple of backpacks Urban suggests we try as well as a two-person tent that, unlike ours, has a full rain flap. "You're going to want this on your tent," she explains, pointing out how our tent's rain flap only covers the very top of the tent.
Another notable item that ends up on the "tarp of shame," from one of our fellow hikers: a full-size hammer. There's no need for this, our guides tell the group, because it weighs too much and we can use a rock instead for a task like pounding tent stakes into the ground.
This first evening, we pitch our tents and sleep close by, in the group-use site across from Lake Superior, after practicing setting up camp and going over ways to filter water that we'll need in the backcountry. We also discuss plans for breakfast in the morning: hello, hot coffee, oatmeal and freeze-dried chorizo and eggs!
Throughout this trip, our group will hike just under 6 miles total, with most of these miles spread over Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. Following a must-see stop at Lake of the Clouds to take in the iconic, panoramic views of the park, we head for South Mirror Lake Trailhead and begin our trek toward the interior. What I'm struck by the most is the peacefulness that washes over me with each step on the trail.
Eventually, we reach our campsite for the night - an area nestled between a ridge and the lake - and we're told to find a spot where we'd like to set up our tent. My husband Joe and I choose a flat spot near the shoreline and get ourselves settled for the evening, though before we sleep Urban tells us we'll be learning to "throw a bear bag."
Black bears are among the wildlife calling the Porkies home, though with the right precautions we likely will not run into any. This means packing up any food or other scented items each night (even something like Chapstick) and placing it in a bag that we learn to hang from a site's bear pole or tree branch that is 10 feet away from the tree and 10 feet off the ground.
One of my favorite parts of the trip is learning how to safely gather water - a flowing body of water is the safest - and filtering it so we can drink it. With its 60,000 acres of old-growth forest, roaring waterfalls, Lake Superior shoreline, rivers, trails and ridges, it's easy to see why the Porkies - Michigan's largest state park - is a haven for backpacking.
In the past year, between Sept. 1, 2025, and Aug. 31, 2026, more than 7,400 people obtained backcountry permits at the Porkies, said Mike Knack, park manager. This includes approximately 3,700 backcountry campers and 3,700 people who stayed in the park's cabins and yurts.
"The Porkies is a great space because you can come and be alone and enjoy being in nature," Urban said. "We have wilderness - we are a wilderness state park, and you have to be prepared for that space because it can be dangerous - but you're not completely alone; you're seeing other people on the trails. And even if you're miles in the backcountry, [park staff] could still get to you. It's a good transition park if you're looking to go from camping for a few nights to something else like out West, where you're putting in more miles and not really seeing people."
On the final morning, when we made our way along South Mirror Lake Trail back to our parked vehicles, I told myself to savor each remaining step. I knew I wouldn't soon forget this adventure - and I'm also looking forward to backpacking again, hopefully very soon.
Both beginner and intermediate backpacking trips are being planned for the coming year, though no dates have been set yet. Learn more about upcoming Outdoor Skills Academy classes, including future backpacking trips, at Michigan.gov/OutdoorSkills.
"For me, backpacking has been a great way to connect with people, grow my confidence, and reset my nervous system," said Anderson, who is excited to guide future trips. "But I needed other people to show me the ropes when I was getting my start. I get immense satisfaction seeing other people build those skills that will allow them to create their own positive experiences in the future."