The Sturgeon River Sloughs is a state-protected wildlife management area that covers nearly 8,000 acres near where Baraga County and Houghton County meet. A wildlife viewing area with a platform can be found in the northern part of this area, and is conveniently located on the east side of U.S. 41 between Baraga and Chassell. This is a great spot for stopping to watch birds or other wildlife.

We first stopped here years ago after our curiosity about the “watchable wildlife” sign got the best of us. A brown sign on the side of U.S. 41 points the way to a small parking area by an observation platform. From here you can get a great view of the surrounding wetlands, and hopefully have some luck spotting wildlife. Bring a pair of binoculars or a camera with a good zoom lens for the best results, as the wildlife can often be off in the distance.

The sign here notes that “this wetland enhancement project is a cooperative effort between Ducks Unlimited, the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy, the Pittman-Robertson Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Project, the Michigan DNR – Wildlife Division and the Ottawa Sportsman’s Club.” If you’ve seen the Ducks Unlimited logo on specialty Michigan license plates, this is the type of project that extra funds from those plates goes to.

There is a hiking trail that goes around the outside perimeter of the refuge. A boat launch is available just a shirt distance north of here. Much of the rest of Sturgeon River Sloughs State Wildlife Management Area (near here and to the south in Baraga County) is open for hunting; be sure to check out the DNR website for more information on seasons and locations.

In our visits we’ve spotted smaller birds like sparrows, wrens, finches, red-winged blackbirds, and larger birds like bald eagles. On a few visits we’ve been able to see whitetail deer wandering in the tall grass, and on our most recent visit we were treated to observing a mother black bear with four cubs!

This is a great stop for a quick visit to see if there is any visible wildlife or a longer visit to sit and wait patiently for birds. We’ve made it a habit to always stop at the Sturgeon River Sloughs wildlife observation area any time we are headed up to Houghton and can’t wait to find out what we will see here next!