Beneath the towering pines and along the quiet, moss-covered paths, stories have taken root—strange stories. Hikers speak in hushed tones of sudden silences, inexplicable shadows and the uncanny feeling of being watched. Among these tales are whispers of the Dogman, a creature said to roam the forests with glowing eyes and a lupine gait, as well as murmurs of other lesser-known cryptids that have become folklore passed from one campfire to the next. The Upper Peninsula’s wild terrain offers more than scenic beauty; it provides fertile ground for the imagination, a stage where the natural and the supernatural often seem to blur.
NMU’s Organization for Outdoor Recreation Professionals (OORP) held a fun activity on Tuesday, April 15, from 7:30-8:30 p.m. Meeting at the Presque Isle Gazebo, participants were led along the trails by OORP members, stopping along the way to tell stories about the mythical creatures known in the U.P. woods.
Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is known not only for its rugged trails and sweeping natural beauty, but also for the eerie legends that seem to emerge from the very soil beneath hikers’ boots. One of the most enduring figures in Upper Peninsula folklore is the Michigan Dogman, a creature said to resemble a seven-foot-tall, bipedal wolf with piercing blue or amber eyes.
“It was really fun. I loved how they had different stops for the different stories and how they merged two of my favorite things: walking and spooky stories,” said student Brianna Lowery. “I would love to do that again.”
Another story was about Pressie, the nickname given to a lake monster said to inhabit the deep, icy waters of Lake Superior. Named in reference to Presque Isle, a prominent peninsula near Marquette, Pressie has been described as a long, serpentine creature with a horse-like head and undulating body, similar to Scotland’s famous Loch Ness Monster. Reports of a strange aquatic being date back to Indigenous Anishinaabe oral traditions and were later echoed by French fur traders and modern-day boaters and hikers along the lake’s shoreline.
“I learned a lot about Marquette cryptids. I haven’t gone on many hikes here, so it was cool to be given that opportunity,” said student Mena Wylykanowitz. “Plus, it was a dark night, so the stories were pretty spooky.”
Tales of the Michigan Dogman stalking the dense pines and Pressie surfacing in the foggy waves of Lake Superior all contribute to an atmosphere where mystery thrives. These legends endure not only because of their eerie intrigue but also because they reflect a long-standing human impulse to explain the unexplainable and to find meaning in nature’s darker corners.
So, next time you go hiking in the woods at night, make sure to bring your flashlight, because meeting these creatures would not be as fun as hearing their stories.