City of Marquette
Presque Isle Park is Marquette's most popular park and the "crown jewel" of a region widely recognized for its natural beauty.
The park is located on a 323-acre forested oval-shaped peninsula which juts into Lake Superior. "The island", as it is referred to by locals, has a story as colorful as its natural surroundings. Designed with guidance from Frederick Law Olmstead, the park was home to the last chief of the local band of Ojibwe people, and it has been a favorite destination since the settlement period of Marquette. Today, Presque Isle Park is Marquette's most beloved attraction, offering residents year-round outdoor recreation and serene settings for casual gatherings, nature observation, education, and cultural experiences.
The park's jagged shoreline is more than two miles long and contains some of the oldest exposed rock formations in the world. Most of the park is undeveloped woodland including white birch and maple stands, accented with areas of virgin white pine and huge hemlock trees. After renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead visited Presque Isle in September 1891, he wrote:
"A park on this site can have certain natural advantages possessed by no other that I have seen."
Early residents of Marquette traveled by boat to Presque Isle, since there was a large bog north of the City, and the Dead River to cross just south of Presque Isle. Originally designated as a federal lighthouse reservation, through the efforts of Marquette founder Peter White, the Island was deeded to the City of Marquette by the U.S. Congress on July 12, 1886. White then led the construction of a road to the park that same summer. Five years later a streetcar line was extended to the park. Presque Isle Park is now connected to downtown Marquette by a bike path which is heavily used in warmer months.
Most of the park's man-made facilities are concentrated near the park's entrance (a narrow area of land connecting the park to the mainland). Major facilities at the island include two picnic areas, concession facilities (the Island Store), hiking trails, a playground, a historic wood band shell for concerts, two sets of restrooms (serving each picnic area), an open air park shelter, a custom designed timber gazebo, and the Moosewood Nature Center. Presque Isle is also the site of the City-owned 97 slip Presque Isle Marina, as well as the Upper Harbor lighthouse. Despite the number of facilities described above, only 15 acres (cumulative) of the park have been developed.
The park supports over 100 species of native plants and diverse landscapes including pebble beaches, rocky coves, high cliffs, bogs, and old-growth forest. Fishing opportunities are available at several spots in the park. Fishermen concentrate on spring and fall catches of native lake whitefish, lake trout and brook trout. Presque Isle is also the site of several events including the "Art on the Rocks" arts and craft show in late July; the "Glacier Glide" Art Show in February; the Scandinavian Festival in June; and performances by the City band.
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