Leelanau State Park, Michigan
I just got back from a trip up to the Traverse City, MI area. I managed to revisit Leelanau State Park and Interlochen State park. I was surprised to find a very small (less than 2 acre) stand of old growth northern white cedar, hemlock and beech in the state park right near the Grand Traverse lighthouse. This is separate from the large area of old growth I described below.  Ernie Ostuno, August 14, 2004
	Small stand of old growth northern white cedar, hemlock and beech near the Grand Traverse Lighthouse at Leelanau State Park.  Note the exposed roots on this tree.
	Northern white cedar with large low hanging branches.  This tree is located across a paved road from the small stand of old  growth. Interpretive sign gives an age of 175 to 200 years for this tree.
	Old Growth beech/maple forest at Leelanau State Park on  the trail to Cathead Bay from the parking lot on Densmore Road.
	Old moss-covered beech. Beech bark disease is decimating  the beech forest near Ludington State Park, about 70 miles south of  here, but hasn't arrived here yet.
	Closer to the beach, old hemlock trees can be found. This  one was about 2.5 feet dbh and about 80 feet tall.
	White pine become common right at the forest edge, where  there is a quick transition from forested dunes to open sandy dunes with  scattered cottonwoods, white pine, and black spruce.
	Opening in the forest canopy resulting from three large  beech being uprooted fairly recently (leaves were still green on the  downed trees).
	The long, limbless trunks of a stand of beech/maple with  some hemlock in the understory.
	In the center of the photo, at the top of a forested dune  can be seen the trunk of the largest white pine I saw here. Selective  cutting of white pine probably occurred here given the scattered old  stumps that were noted and the lack of large white pine.
	One of the old stumps.