The Wildcat Falls Community Forest is now established, and we welcome the community to visit!

The Wildcat Falls Community Forest is a unique and very scenic 200-acre project where visitors can enjoy a diverse forest that includes classified old-growth, stream and pond habitats with a waterfall, seep springs, vernal pools, and rock outcrops.

With great community support, the Northwoods Alliance established the WFCF to 1) ensure perpetual public access to Wildcat Falls and the special features around it and promote rewarding non-motorized recreation; 2) permanently protect and responsibly manage the broad range of habitats on the property, which will ensure that the diverse aquatic and terrestrial flora and fauna continue to thrive; and 3) establish a model of a community-managed forestland, providing an opportunity for community members to directly engage in the management of a forestland and recreational area.

click here for a printable visitor guide

Directions and visitor resources

Driving directions: From Watersmeet, Michigan, drive north on US Highway 45 to County Road 206 (Sucker Lake Road) located on left. Go west to County Line Lake Road, where you will turn north. You will see McGinty Lane on the right; if you take McGinty Lane less than ¼ mile you will be on the parcel of the WFCF that overlooks the County Line Lake. To visit the waterfall segment of the forest, proceed north on County Line Lake Road 6/10s of a mile past McGinty Lane. As you reach a small hilltop, look for the trail sign on the left that marks the head of the waterfall trail segment. This trail is located south of Scott and Howe Creek. See maps for additional reference.

There is adequate roadside parking along County Line Lake Road and McGinty Lane. For more parking area or access to County Line Lake, there is a MDNR boat landing-public access area just south of McGinty on Merganser Lane. The MDNR boat landing border the newest addition to Wild Cat Falls Community Forest. As of June 2021 the community forest was increased by 40 acres dissected by County Line Lake Road and including much of the large pond shown on the map which lies west of the road.

Visitor highlights: The waterfall trail is well marked in yellow and traverses a very scenic ¾ mile, which will feel longer because of the topography and uneven ground conditions. Hikers will be among old growth cedar & hemlock, and will experience numerous rock outcrops and unique geology, visit a splendid waterfall, and view the panorama of the canyon overlooking the creek. At the SE corner of the waterfall parcel there is an artesian spring captured in an old barrel. We do not recommend drinking this without sanitation, based on directives from the health department. 

The segment near the lake is separated from the waterfall segment by ½ mile, but offers a worthy hike on its own. Situated on a drumlin hill, with steep slopes to the southeast and southwest corners where there are small wetlands. This 40 -acre parcel is heavily stocked with large diameter northern hardwoods with occasional hemlock and pine offering diversity. For wildflower lovers, the spring ephemerals in this part of the forest is a sight to behold. The borders of this portion are clearly marked as this was recently surveyed. 

Visitor guidelines: Please be respectful of neighboring property, as well as other visitors of the community forest. Other than the roads identified in directions, no motor vehicle use is approved. It is your responsibility to keep pets accompanying you from disturbing others or disrupting wildlife. Please practice leave no trace, and leave the natural features undisturbed, so that they may enhance future visits as well. You are most welcome to enjoy this community forest, and hunting and fishing are allowed in season with proper license.  You may sustainably and carefully harvest berries or edible fungi, but there are strict rules in the Wildcat Falls Community Forest Plan to prohibit removal of minerals, stone, plants or wood products. Fires are prohibited. Your cooperation will assure future generations the pleasure of a visit here.

In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the Community Forest is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, and reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible State or local Agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information is also available in languages other than English.

Project background and Community benefits

Originally part of the Ottawa National Forest, the Wildcat Falls Community Forest was part of a larger land trade initiated in 2007 and completed in 2016, which allowed the Forest Service to add 421 acres of land adjoining the Ottawa National Forest. While this was a beneficial trade for the larger scope of the FS program, the trade process brought intense opposition from a segment of the community as this highly scenic and diverse Ottawa parcel, herein referred to as ‘Wildcat Falls’, was considered a special place by generations of local residents and seasonal visitors.

While the land trade process introduced some conflict, there were two significant positive outcomes from this process. First and foremost, the outpouring of comments and actions in opposition to the land trade highlighted the value of this unique parcel to the community. Especially since 2010, there has been unified and diligent community engagement and support that eventually culminated in this Wildcat Falls Community Forest proposal. Second, during the land trade process an environmental assessment (EA) and other resource surveys were conducted to appraise the ecological and community values of the property. These assessments document the tremendous diversity of undisturbed habitats on the property, and have further inspired the community in their desire to protect this special place.

The Community Forest concept provides a working example of sustainable use of forest resources while providing permanent protection of the forest’s natural features and habitats. In this way, the WFCF provides a unique type of conserved land in this region and will complement the immense value of the Ottawa National Forest. The WFCF cultivates direct engagement and a sense of stewardship from the community and will provide an example of a conservation strategy for lands at risk of development. By engaging the local community in these efforts, the community forest concept fosters public awareness, appreciation, and respect for conserved lands, and additionally supports the primary economic drivers of the local economy: tourism and forestry.

The project management plan is available upon request. For a narrative on the development of the Forest Management plan, visit this story from the Partners in Forestry Newsletter: Developing the WFCF Forest Management Plan

Community Feedback

 The Wildcat Falls Community Forest is owned and managed by Northwoods Alliance, Incorporated and was made possible by the USFS Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program with widespread community support. Your support is greatly appreciated to maintain the quality of this special place. We welcome your comments as well.

We welcome your thoughts and feedback! Please submit here.

The creation of Wildcat Falls Community Forest was a tremendous community undertaking, funded at 50% by the USFS Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program and 50% by many of you. Individual contributions ranged from $10 up to $30,000, each one being important to the goal. We do also wish to thank the conservation groups and foundations which were vital to this success.

Friends of Sylvania

John C Bock Foundation

James D and Jane P Watermolen Foundation

Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition

James E Dutton Foundation

Community Foundation of the UP (Sustainable Forestry & Wildlife Fund)

Copper Country Chapter of Trout Unlimited

Johnson Foundation at Wingspread

Weyerhaeuser Community Fund

 We sincerely thank everyone who have contributed to this community effort.