1999 Map of Nighthawk Creek

About this map

Lake Superior dominates this northern Michigan landscape, its vast blue expanse meeting a narrow strip of coastal woodland near the turn of the millennium. The shoreline is characterized by the Ottawa National Forest, where the terrain rises sharply from the water's edge into a series of ridges and valleys. Drainage across this forested belt is provided by Nighthawk Creek, which cuts through the southern portion of the map. Access to this quiet stretch of the Upper Peninsula is limited to the Bessemer Ranger District Road, a administrative forest route that traces the contour of the land. This survey captures the area just as the Forest Service was refining its management boundaries, providing a clear record of the interface between the Great Lakes and federal timberlands.