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Three generations of McCormick's, the descendants of Cyrus McCormick, inventor of the reaping machine, held the deed to this area before Gordon McCormick willed the land to the U.S. Forest Service. McCormick Wilderness has recovered from the logging era that ended in the early 1900s. Today, you'll find a mixture of northern hardwoods and lowland conifers interspersed with small patches of towering white pine, Michigan's state tree. Moose have been reintroduced here and are relatively common sights by Michigan standards. Other forest dwellers include black bears, pine martens, otters, minks, foxes, deer, squirrels, and hares. Bird-watchers enjoy loons and woodpeckers as well as thriving populations of many other feathered species.
Straddling the divide between Lake Superior and Lake Michigan, a region ranging from nearly level terrain to rocky cliffs. McCormick's water is what draws most visitors, with the Huron, Dead, Peshekee, and the Wild and Scenic Yellow Dog Rivers all have part of their headwaters within the wilderness. Many cascading waterfalls on the Yellow Dog make it un-navigable. The Yellow Dog is one of few Eastern rivers designated "Wild." Eighteen small lakes add sparkle to the landscape. Trout, pike, and bass live here, but only in small numbers due to the less-than-fertile waters.
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