Michigan Islands Wilderness Area, a relatively small wilderness area of 12.5 acres (0.05 sq. km.), consists of Pismire Island

Pismire Island

Pismire Island is a small island in Lake Michigan of approximately in size. It is part of the Beaver Island archipelago, the Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge, and the Michigan Islands Wilderness Area. It is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a satellite of the Seney...

, Scarecrow Island

Scarecrow Island

Scarecrow Island is a small, 7-acre island in Lake Huron. It forms the southern limit of Thunder Bay and helps define the harbor of Alpena, Michigan...

, and Shoe Island

Shoe Island (Lake Michigan)

Shoe Island is a small island or islet in the Beaver Island archipelago in Lake Michigan. It is about in size and located in eastern St. James Township, Charlevoix County, Michigan...

 within the Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge

Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge

The Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge is a designation for eight Michigan islands in the North American Great Lakes. Owned by the United States federal government, they were set aside for ecosystem protection purposes by President Franklin D. Roosevelt 1943.Charity, Little Charity,...

. These three islands, which constitute part of the group of islands that make up the larger refuge, were elevated to the rank of a United States wilderness area in 1970. All three islands are noted for their infrequent human visitation and their roles as breeding grounds for freshwater wading birds, such as the great blue heron

Great Blue Heron

The Great Blue Heron is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North and Central America as well as the West Indies and the Galápagos Islands. It is a rare vagrant to Europe, with records from Spain, the Azores and England...

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The three islands that make up this Wilderness Area are widely separated from each other. Scarecrow Island is in Lake Huron

Lake Huron

Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...

, and Pismire Island and Shoe Island are in Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...

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Lake Huron

Scarecrow Island is located in Thunder Bay

Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve is a U.S. National Marine Sanctuary on Thunder Bay, part of Lake Huron, within the U.S. state of Michigan. The sanctuary and underwater preserve protects an estimated 116 historically significant shipwrecks ranging from nineteenth...

, a U.S. National Marine Sanctuary in northwestern Lake Huron

Lake Huron

Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...

. The island is situated approximately 2 miles (3 km) off shore of Michigan's Negwegon State Park

Negwegon State Park

Negwegon State Park is an undeveloped state park in Alpena County and Alcona County, Michigan, just southeast of the unincorporated community of Ossineke. It covers with a long sand beach on Lake Huron. The sand road that cuts through the forest and leads to the entrance of the park may require a...

 south of Alpena

Alpena, Michigan

Alpena is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Alpena County. It is considered to be part of Northern Michigan. The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary is located in the city. The population was 10,483 at the 2010 census...

 in Sanborn Township

Sanborn Township, Michigan

Sanborn Township is a civil township of Alpena County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,152 at the 2000 census.- Communities :* Ossineke is an unincorporated community in the township on Lake Huron at the mouth of the Devils River...

, Alpena County

Alpena County, Michigan

Alpena County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 29,598. The county seat is Alpena. It is considered to be part of Northern Michigan.It was founded originally in 1840 as Anomickee County...

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Lake Michigan

Pismire Island and Shoe Island are located in the Beaver Island archipelago in far northern Lake Michigan. Pismire Island is located approximately 3.5 miles (5.5 km) northeast of St. James

St. James Township, Michigan

St. James Township is a civil township of Charlevoix County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 307.-History:...

, a harbor on the northern end of Beaver Island

Beaver Island (Lake Michigan)

Beaver Island is the largest island in Lake Michigan and part of the Beaver Island archipelago. Once home to a unique American monarchy, the island is now a popular tourist and vacation destination....

, while the secluded Shoe Island is located approximately 14 miles (22.5 km) west of Waugoshance Point

Waugoshance Point

Waugoshance Point is a headland that juts into Lake Michigan from the northwest coast of the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It lies entirely within Wilderness State Park in Emmet County. The nearest major town is Mackinaw City...

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