Four miles east of Ellison Bay on the Lake Michigan shore lies the gateway to the Mink River estuary. The Nature Conservancy shoreline of pristine wilderness is the home of many rare plants, birds and animal life. There are evergreen and hardwood forests, wetlands, and upland meadows. It’s a great place to fish or just let your canoe gently drift down the Mink River.

Newport State Park, a 2400-acre wilderness area that extends north along Lake Michigan from Rowley’s Bay to past Europe Lake, is a haven for hikers, bicyclists, skiers, snowshoers and backpack campers. Rowleys Bay, which abuts the park, is a pristine area with a resort and campground nestled into the woods along its shore. The park has an interpretive center and naturalist program. Newport offers 38.3 miles of trails, all of them open for hiking. Of these, 16.8 miles also are open to off-road bicycles. In the winter, 26.3 miles of trails are available for cross-country skiing, including, 12.5 miles groomed and tracked for classical skiing and 2 miles groomed for skate skiing, and 4.5 miles are open for snowshoeing. Newport has 16 backpack campsites, 13 of which can be reserved. The park also offers winter backpack camping.

The Rowleys Bay area has the kind of unspoiled, rugged beauty that seems timeless. This wilderness area is a year-round haven for outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers. It features a great sandy beach and miles of trails for hikers, bikers, skiers, snowshoers and backpack campers. Within minutes lie golf courses, attractions, and picturesque coastal villages offering shopping, dining, and entertainment.