Hidden island on Lake Superior has 114-acre property for sale
David Graff can recall vivid childhood memories of frequent trips to his uncle's property on Whitefish Bay just off the coast of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where he would swim, fish, hike and enjoy life outdoors.
Now it's time for others to make new memories. The property on 2250-acre Parisian Island is owned by Graff’s uncle, Carl Cohen, a retired professor from the University of Michigan. Cohen recently listed the 114-acre parcel on the island for $700,000.
More: Michigan state park campground reservations have become very competitive
According to Private Islands Inc, the island is in waters between American and Canadian shores in the eastern part of Lake Superior. It is located about 10 miles southeast of Whitefish Point, Michigan, and about 6 miles west of Canada.
Graff said they typically hired a boat on the Canadian side near Gross Cap and Goulais to take them to the island. However, he has also traveled there through charter companies and by helicopter.
The property is marked with a variety of landscapes including sandy beaches, thick forests, and open meadows.
Most of the island is owned by the Canadian Crown and known as the Ile Parisienne Conservation Reserve. The Reserve is protected from industrial activities including mining, commercial forestry and hydroelectric development.
More: Michigan stocks Huron River, Spring Pond with trout, but warns against eating some of them
Cohen purchased part of the land on the southeast part of the island in 1965 and accumulated more acreage over the years. There are currently no buildings on the island besides an automated lighthouse on the southwestern tip of the island, which is Canadian-owned.
Graff said there are no rules prohibiting building on the private property and they often dreamed of doing so themselves. A water lot is also included in the parcel, where a dock or other items can be built.
Graff said Cohen plans to sell because the property isn’t often used by the family and because it’s someone else’s opportunity to appreciate the island.
“As things wind down, I think he’d like to convert it to money for his estate and his legacy rather than have the land,” Graff said. “It’s somebody else’s turn. Somebody we hope appreciates the natural beauty of this place.”
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Property on Lake Superior's Parisian Island for sale for $700K
