Skanee, MIBaraga County

A rare opportunity in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula! 520 acres of well-managed, high quality, northern hardwoods forestland along with more than a mile of the legendary Big Huron River. The property is located 20 miles north of the village of L’Anse near the outpost of Skanee. The Big Huron River is top quality and well-known steelhead and trout fishery that draws anglers from all over the Midwest.

The forestlands consist of primarily northern hardwood types, which are sugar maple, red maple, hemlock, and yellow birch. There are more than 200 acres of excellent quality forests that have not been harvested in many years. Towering, majestic hemlock groves border the river in several places giving one the feeling of stepping back in time. Other forest types are young aspen stands, bottom-land hardwoods along the river corridor, and even an open beaver meadow. The forest management of this property can be traced as far back as 1954.

This variety of forest types creates a very diverse wildlife ecosystem. The Skanee area is known to be an excellent white-tailed deer hunting area and combining that with the natural diversity, an excellent road network, and contiguous nature of the of the acreage, this parcel would offer an excellent opportunity for a very private hunting and fishing estate. A pair of Bald Eagles and Osprey were both witnessed fishing along the river during the property inspection! Other wildlife species include ruffed grouse, black bears, wild turkeys, snowshoe hares, beavers, otters, countless songbird species, woodpeckers, squirrels, amphibians, and reptiles.

The property history is as diverse and interesting as the timber and wildlife! The original abstract of title (see related documents) shows the property was once owned by several military men who served in the War of 1812 and the Civil War: Willey Galloway, Private, Tennesee Militia, War of 1812; Lewis Pate, Private 43rd Regiment, Michigan Militia; and William Curry, Private, Maryland Militia. Eventually in 1924 the property was acquired by Frank Kuhn, the brother-in-law of the then Michigan Governor Osborn. In the 1920s, Mr. Kuhn built the unique log cabin that remains on the property. The cabin was built from black spruce logs cut off the land and assembled in the location where it still stands today. Although it has been neglected for some time, it is not too late! The cabin can still be salvaged if a buyer were to have that vision and desire. The walls and roof are in remarkably good condition, but the foundations are severely degraded.

If you are a fisherman, you will love this property! The fishing for steelhead during the spring is phenomenal and the late spring brings good brook trout fishing with huge browns stacking up in the deeper pools in the summer. In the fall it’s time for Coho salmon and a secondary steelhead run. The river stream is a series of riffles, runs and deep pools with a gravel bottom and great cold water flow year round. (See related documents for owners pictures and descriptions)

Additional information about the surrounding area:

Thousands of acres of Commercial Forest lands (CFA) that are open to hunting and fishing offering even more recreational opportunities.

The nearby community of Skanee, has an excellent marina, boat launch and campground with large boat access to Lake Superior and Huron Bay.