Pointe Aux Peaux State Game Area

One of the recent additions to Monroe's natural areas is this little state game area off of Pointe Aux Peaux Road. If you're curious, the pronunciation is "Point-ah-poe." Someone with better French skills would have to interpret for you.

This place is just one or two hundred acres of marshland. When the DNR purchased the place, I decided to hike it a few times. There is a small parking area just off of Pointe Aux Peaux Rd (see map link below). It's gravel and marked with a DNR sign.

I started my hike by heading diagonally across the open field adjacent to the parking lot. The goal was to hit the SW corner of the field. From there, I would hike due west in the forest to skirt a marshy area and then due south to hit the dike shown on the DNR map. At that point, I would hike due east on the dike until I passed over the marsh and onto the opposite bank.

I last hiked this place a few years ago when water levels were low. At that time, I was able to follow the east bank of the marsh out to the Lake Erie shore. And from there, I was able to hike out onto the rock crib shown jutting out into the lake. It was pretty cool, with nice views back towards Monroe and Sterling State Park.

I am not at all sure about the current status of this game area. Since I last hiked it, there has been a pretty significant wildfire in the area and I know that the emergency vehicles cut roads into the marsh to fight the fire. These "roads" might still exist. I am also unsure if water levels now preclude access to the rock crib.

This place, however, does have some intriguing possibilities. First, since it allows potential access to the Lake Erie shore, it "might" be possible to legally access shorefront along some of the adjacent resort communities. Remember that all shoreline up the ordinary high water mark is publicly owned and accessible. So, there might be a legal route to this via Pointe Aux Peaux.

It is also legally possible to camp during the fall, winter and spring on state land that is not a state park or recreation area with a free DNR permit. In the past, I have seen people camp in the field at Pointe Aux Peaux. It is, of course, an open question as to whether someone "should" camp or access the shore in this area. I guess it's one of those case-by-case situations.

Anyway, this is an interesting natural area and worth at least an occasional visit for Monroe nature lovers.

http://www.michigandnr.com/publications/pdfs/huntingwildlifehabitat/sga/ptauxpeaux.pdf