Historic Fort

Fort Wilkins State Park

An exciting living museum with a fully reconstructed fort, several walking trails,  picnic, and playground area, gift shop, and camping. The mixed woods and lake make it a great spot for bird watching too. You can feel the history as you walk by Michigan’s early mine sites at the fort and lighthouse with their interpretive guides.

History
In an effort to protect its interests of the new found copper boom, the U.S. government established Fort Wilkins in 1844 to oversee Copper Harbor’s Mineral Land Agency (the “Government House” that issued exploration permits and land leases) and to maintain law and order. The military outpost was a typical stockade frontier fort that only operated until 1846 until the U.S. war with Mexico required the garrison be replaced and shipped to the warfront. Following the Civil War in 1867, the post was re-occupied by US soldiers to serve out their enlistments until it was permanently abandoned by the government in 1870. Fort Wilkins became a State Park in 1923 and is today open to visitors as an interpretive look into its historic past.

Website |  906-289-4215  |   About 1 mile east of Copper Harbor proper

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