Huron Mountains
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| Huron Mountains | |
|---|---|
 Hogback Mountain (1,220 ft) in the Presque Isle Tract, a park within the Huron Mountain Range | |
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Mount Arvon |
| Elevation | 1,979 ft (603 m) |
| Coordinates | 46°45′20″N 88°09′21″W / 46.75556°N 88.15583°W |
| Geography | |
 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| Counties | |
The Huron Mountains are located in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan, mostly in Marquette County, and extending into Baraga County, overlooking Lake Superior. Their highest peak is Mount Arvon, which is the highest point in Michigan at 1,979 feet (603 m) above sea level. Nearby Mount Curwood, Michigan's second highest mountain at 1,978 feet (603 m), is also a part of the Huron Mountains.
The mountains are the remnants of much higher peaks, composed of Precambrian rocks which have gone through successive periods of uplift and erosion. The outcroppings of granite and siliceous metamorphic rocks bear the evidence of more recent glacial action. Geologically, the area is part of the Canadian Shield.
Pleistocene glaciation deposited sandy loam or loamy sand glacial till on most of the terrain, and the soils, podzolized in well drained areas, are largely mapped as Munising or Keweenaw series. Loamy or silty mantles atop the till are mapped as Michigamme series, while sandy outwash often is classified as Kalkaska series.[1]
The region is subject to heavy lake-effect snow from Lake Superior. No official weather records are maintained in the mountains, but annual snowfall averages easily exceed 200 inches (510 cm) across the entire range. Some higher elevations probably average over 250 inches (640 cm). The community of Herman receives an unofficial average of 236 inches (600 cm) per season.
Ecology
The region is characterized by its boreal vegetation and unusually diverse and pristine habitats. It includes one of the largest remnants of substantially undisturbed old-growth forest in the upper Great Lakes region. Forests on the uplands are dominated by hemlock and northern hardwoods. Forests on the steep slopes and mountain ridges are dominated by pine-oak stands.
Fauna in the area includes wolves, moose, coyotes, cougar, fisher, marten, mink, white-tailed deer, gray and red foxes, porcupines, black bears, river otters and beavers.
