Eastern Region Viewing Area - Imp Lake Trail

USDA Forest Service Celebrating Wildflowers

[skip to page content] [skip to page navigation]

	Eastern Region Viewing Area LOCATION and PHOTOS Imp Lake trail: topographic map. Imp Lake trail aerial photograph. Imp Lake trailhead. Photo by Sue Trull. Imp Lake trail near start. Photo by Sue Trull. Imp Lake trail boardwalk across bog. Photo by Sue Trull. Imp Lake Trail Forest: Ottawa National Forest District: Watersmeet Ranger District Description: The Imp Lake Trail threads its way through hardwood-hemlock forest and a treed bog, making a loop to return near its starting point. The trail was designed to be accessible for the first 0.8 mile, with a graveled path and a boardwalk across the bog. After crossing the bog, a small picnicking platform marks the end of the wheelchair/stroller accessible portion. The remaining 0.7 mile is a footpath over terrain that is more difficult. It passes an overlook of Little Imp Lake and ends on a road south of the trailhead. The hardwood-hemlock forests surrounding the trail provide a variety of wildflowers to view starting in mid-May each year. Examples are baneberry, wood sorrel, bluebead, wild sarsaparilla, Canada mayflower, hairy Solomon’s seal, feathery false lily of the valley, nodding trillium, threeleaf goldthread, jewelweed, bunchberry dogwood, starflower, enchanter’s nightshade, jack in the pulpit, Clayton’s sweetroot, and bigleaf aster. Ferns are common, including intermediate woodfern, interrupted fern, cinnamon fern, sensitive fern, and lady fern. At the bog, one may see stunted tamarack and black spruce trees, Labrador tea, bog laurel, bog rosemary, leatherleaf, creeping snowberry, velvetleaf blueberry, pink ladyslipper, cranberry, cottongrass, sphagnum moss, and insectivorous pitcher plants. These passive-trap plants have funnel-like modified leaves, which fill with water. There are downward pointing hairs near the upper, dry portion of the leaves, so that an insect, attracted to the red lines on the leaves, cannot crawl out, but must enter the water to drown and be digested by the plant’s enzymes. Trapped insects provide nitrogen, phosphorous and other nutrients to the plants. The northern hardwoods - sugar maple, red maple, yellow birch, and basswood - around the trail provide a lovely color display in the fall. Imp Lake campground is across from the trailhead, featuring two lakeside loops and 22 sites. Water is available and there are pit toilets. Fees are charged for overnight camping. There is also a free day use/picnic area and boat ramp. Imp Lake is an established no-wake lake. Loons are often seen on the lake. A variety of other birds may be seen, including bald eagles. White-tailed deer may also be seen in the area. Safety First: Visitors should recognize that the trail may be crossed by fallen trees; it is not frequently maintained and no longer is fully accessible for wheelchairs or strollers. The wooden boardwalks can be slippery when wet. Sturdy footgear is recommended for hikers and insect repellent may be advisable in summer. Mosquitoes, biting flies, no-see-ums, and wood and deer ticks may be present. Part of the trail crosses a stand of trees marked for an upcoming selection harvest timber sale. The trail may be closed during the winter active logging period; please check with the Watersmeet Ranger District prior to winter use, such as cross-country skiing on an ungroomed trail. Directions: From the intersection of Highways 45 and 2, just south of Watersmeet, Michigan, head east on US Hwy 2 about 5.5 miles. Turn south on Forest Road 3978, heading toward Imp Lake Campground. Travel about 1.4 miles to the trailhead, which is on the east side of the road, across from the day use area at Imp Lake. Ownership and Management: U.S. Forest Service, Ottawa National Forest, Watersmeet Ranger District. Contact the Ottawa National Forest at (906) 932-1330 for more information. Contact the Ranger District at (906) 358-4551 for updates on use of the trail during winter timber harvest. Closest Towns: Watersmeet, Michigan; Land O’Lakes, Wisconsin. Additional Photos Canada mayflower (Maianthemum canadense). Photo by Sue Trull. Pitcher plant cluster of leaf traps (Sarracenia purpurea). Photo by Sue Trull. Pitcher plant flower (Sarracenia purpurea). Photo by Sue Trull. False solomon seal in fruit (Smilacina racemosa). Photo by Sue Trull.
Forest Service Home Celebrating Wildflowers Home About Us News & Events Awards News Archives Wildflower Viewing Areas Wildflower Ethics Collection Permits Forest Service Regions Alaska Eastern Intermountain Northern Pacific Northwest Pacific Southwest Rocky Mountain Southern Southwestern Just For Kids Activities Coloring Pages Color Wildflowers Color of Flowers Coloring Books Noxious Weeds Vocabulary Word Search Teacher Resources Pollinators What is Pollination? Birds and Bees Syndromes Animal Pollination Ants Bats Bees Beetles Birds Butterflies Flies Moths Unusual Wasps Fact Sheets Plant Strategies Visual Cues Scent Food Mimicry Entrapment Why is Pollination Important? Pollinator Friendly Practices Gardening for Pollinators Pollinator of the Month The Monarch Butterfly Biology Migration & Overwintering Habitat Needs FAQs Citizen Science Conservation Things You Can Do Teacher and Student Monarch Resources Native Gardening Hardiness Zones Basic Instructions Native Alternatives Genetic Considerations Landscape for Wildlife No-No Plants! Native Plant Materials What Are? Why Use? Policy and Authorities Care About Genetics? Right Plant Materials Gene Conservation Monitoring & Research Species Selection Collecting Seed Process & Test Seed Seed & Nursery Stock Using Native Plants NPM Reports Citizen Scientists Invasive Plants Rare Plants What is a Rare Plant? Why Are Some Rare? Are All Endangered? How Many? Conservation Laws & Regulations Success Stories How Can I Help? Rare Plant Profiles Resources Beauty of It All Columbines Natural History Birds and Bees Columbine Flower Blue Columbines Yellow Columbines Red Columbines Native Irises The Iris Flower Blue Flag Dwarf Woodland Louisiana Pacific Coast Slipper Orchids Interesting Plants Lichens What Are Lichens? What Lichens Are Not Importance Biology Structure Growth Forms Reproduction Habitat Identification Did You Know? Photo Gallery Crustose Lichens Foliose Lichens Fruticose Lichens Viewing Areas Glossary Links & Resources Mycotrophic Plants What are they? Whence They Came Allotropa virgata Hemitomes congestum Monotropa hypopitys Monotropa uniflora Monotropsis odorata Pityopus californica Pleuricospora fimbriolata Pterospora andromedea Sarcodes sanguinea Unique Communities Fading Gold How Aspens Grow Aspen Ecology Aspen Decline Managing Aspen Fall Colors Flowers in the Groves Basque Carvings More Information Serpentines Geology Adaptations Center of Diversity, Endemism, & Rarity Endemics Photo Gallery Rare Plants Plant Communities Darlingtonia Wetlands Foxtail Pine Subalpine Woodland Jeffrey Pine Savanna Jeffrey Pine Shrubland Montane Mixed Conifer Forest Port-Orford-Cedar Rock Outcrops Serpentine Alpine Serpentine Barrens Serpentine Meadows Western White Pine Subalpine Woodland Conservation More Information Ethnobotany Food Dyes Fibers Gums Latex Oils Resins Soaps Tannins Waxes Medicinal Botany Plants of Mind & Spirit Wild Crop Progenitors Special Features Books We Use Alaska California Great Plains Intermountain West Midwest Northeast Pacific Northwest Rocky Mountains South Southwest General Interpretive Panels Plant of the Week Posters Wallpapers Wildflower Links Contact Us U.S. Forest Service Rangeland Management Botany Program 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Mailstop Code: 1103 Washington DC 20250-1103
	NOTE: PDF format links require the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view.
top	Disclaimers \| FOIA \| Privacy Policy \| Quality of Information \| Photo Credits & Use

Location: http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/regions/eastern/ImpLakeTrail/index.shtml
Last modified: Wednesday, 12-Oct-2011 15:50:35 EDT