Muir Park State Natural Area

This 150-acre natural area embedded within John Muir Memorial Park , owned and managed by Marquette County, was established in 1972.  The site supports a variety of wetland, aquatic and upland plant communities adjoining the 30-acre spring-fed kettle lake called Ennis Lake.  The 30-foot deep lake has a marl bottom and the water is alkaline. A small but high-quality calcareous fen near the lower parking area within the Park features a number of very rare plant species (bottle gentian, grass-of-Parnassus, nodding lady’s tresses orchids).

Fen wetlands are among the state’s most endangered plant communities as they occur primarily where there are saturated calcareous soils.  A “low prairie” at the site features prairie phlox, blazing star and big bluestem.  A boggy area on the SE side of the lake contains tamarack, pitcher plants and poison sumac.

The wetland plant communities surrounding Lake Ennis are very delicate; please be careful to not disturb these unique habitats and extremely rare plants.