Brief History of the mountains
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The Porcupine Mountains State Park consist of a series of irregular ranges whose slopes are covered with virgin forest of maple, birch, basswood and hemlock. Held within these ridges are the beautiful Lake of Clouds and the crystal clear Mirror Lake. Through a series of rapids and falls the Big and Little Carp rivers rush through deep gorges to Lake Superior. These rivers originate from the two mystical lakes held in the high slopes.

The mountains received their name from the native Ojibwa people. The chain of mountains towering above the waters of Lake Superior reminded them of "kag", the woodland porcupine. The mountains they called "Kag wadjiw", the Porcupine Mountains.

The story of Michigan's natural areas began with concern over the fate of the Porcupine Mountains. In 1925, P. J. Hoffmaster, then chief of  State Parks, recommended the acquisition of the Porcupine Mountains to prevent further tree cutting. Twenty years later, the State acquired the area and the State Park was established in 1946. However, the Porcupine Mountains continued to be threatened: copper mining in 1958, a proposed scenic road to the heart of the park in 1965, and later a proposal for fish ladders that would require dynamiting the falls in the Presque Isle River. These plans were dropped but it was clear that "State Park" designation alone could not protect the area's virgin forests, waterfalls, scenic shorelines, geological and ecological resources.