It’s 10 minutes from Marquette, framed by rock cliffs, private, beautiful… close to town. But there’s more, much more:

This wild, undeveloped lake is an unexpected cobalt jewel, framed in rock, in a hardwood forest. And it will soon be the private centerpiece for 12,000-acres, nearly 20 square miles of surrounding land that will be forever preserved and protected from development. 5,000 acres are in state ownership already, and 7,000 more will be permanently protected soon by a new, perpetual, Nature Conservancy conservation easement to be finalized this fall.

How large is that? How unusual is it in this area? Well, it’s 25 percent larger than Michigan Northwoods Club and 40 percent larger than either Craig Lake State Forest or Granot Loma. It’s very large. The Echo Lake property is a gem at the center of this conserved area and an added benefit is that the owner will pay taxes on only the 480 acres at the center. This is the best of the U.P. with unusual privacy and unmatched opportunity for outdoor recreation.

At the West end of the lake 60-foot granite cliffs plunge deep into the water. The echoes from these cliffs named the lake. But this mountain lake in the Midwest is unexpected in another way: I’ve measured 70-foot deep water with a rope.

The land has surprises too: wide, panoramic Lake Superior views. Looking North from ancient mountaintops right on the property, standing on granite lined with veins of white quartz polished by countless glaciers over the ages, you feel the raw power of the forces that have shaped this land. The horizon is dominated by Lake Superior, limitless in dimension.

The headwaters of two quality trout streams spring from the property. One of Michigan’s largest deeryards is adjacent on the Northeast. Miles of perfect sugar sand beaches are minutes away in state ownership. It’s all here for you to enjoy, and there’s more.

Echo Lake now has easy access (recorded, insured) with two miles of newly improved, high quality gravel road that winds through unbroken hardwood forest. The road is good enough, wide enough, the grades easy enough, that plowing it for year-round access will not be difficult and makes sense. In place of a home in town and a “camp” in the woods, this can be your year-round home site with all the best features in one package.

Even the birds at Echo Lake are my favorites: Scarlet Tannigers, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Pileated Woodpeckers, Great Blue Herons, Wood Ducks, Green-Winged Teal, a pair of Common Loons, (which probably enjoy the echo!), and Bald Eagles.

Long known as the best bluegill lake in the area with hard-fighting, pan-size bluegills that rise to a fly, Echo also has a thriving population of largemouth bass. The irregular shoreline with a granite point and multiple bays, some filled with water lilies, makes this lake feel much larger than 25 acres. The “Natural Values of the Echo Lake Tract” PDF document, which you can view by clicking here (new window – includes photos and maps worthy of study) supports the notion that trout would prosper here as well. Page all the way down through the photos and look at the tree cover type map and its legends. Interesting data.

In the Upper Peninsula we are virtually afloat between three of the Great lakes, which hold 80% of the fresh water (and 95% of the available fresh surface water) in the United States. This crystal clear, exceptionally pure water influences every aspect of our U.P. lifestyle and that will only become truer as water becomes the most valuable commodity, the basic raw material needed for the future global society. The near-shore island in the photo to the left is Little Presque Isle. I’ve included a photo below of the Little Presque Isle Beach, a spectacular State owned three miles of little-used Lake Superior beach. It is ten minutes to town, but just five minutes to this beach for hiking the shore and swimming.

Something wonderful has happened here. The buyer of Echo Lake has made a huge and lasting gift to preserving this region. He purchased this spectacular property solely to protect it, will never divide it, build on it, mine or timber the land, and will confirm all this in perpetuity by donating a total non-development conservation easement to The Nature Conservancy. The Seller played an important part too by very substantially discounting the price to make the sale possible to this buyer, for this purpose. Separately The Nature Conservancy will close this year on a conservation easement covering 7,000 acres surrounding this property. Five thousand additional acres are already in State ownership.

Did I mention that this property is only 10 minutes from Marquette?