Lake Border Moraine facts for kids
The Lake Border Moraine is a series of hills and ridges made of rock and dirt. These features were left behind by giant glaciers long ago. Think of it like a giant bulldozer pushing earth! This moraine system runs along the southern end of Lake Michigan.
It stretches north along the eastern side of Lake Michigan. It also goes across the high lands between northern Lake Michigan and Saginaw Bay. The moraine then wraps around the Saginaw Bay area, even into the "thumb" of Michigan. It continues south through southeastern Michigan.
Near Lake Michigan, the moraine is very close to the shore, especially north of Holland. Further north, from Holland to Oceana County, it moves a bit inland. Here, it is about 15 to 25 miles (24 to 40 km) east of the shore. In Oceana County, it forms tall "clay banks" right along the Lake Michigan shoreline.
From Hart, the moraine moves inland again. This is because newer moraines have formed closer to Lake Michigan. The Lake Border Moraine runs north of a large moraine that sits between the Lake Michigan and Saginaw parts of the Laurentian ice sheet. This was a huge sheet of ice that covered much of North America.
North of Cadillac, the moraine turns east. A short distance from Cadillac, it splits into two ridges. The southern ridge goes towards the Saginaw Bay area. The northern ridge heads towards Lake Huron, but it turns south before reaching the lake. In Newaygo and Lake counties, it sits on top of an even older moraine. It also splits in Wexford and Missaukee counties, continuing south along the west side of the Saginaw Bay.
How High Are These Hills?
The outer parts of the Lake Border Moraine system are tallest north and west of Cadillac. Here, they reach about 1,500 feet (457 meters) above sea level. For about 20 miles (32 km) west of the border between Missaukee and Wexford counties, the outermost ridge is over 1,400 feet (427 meters) high.
As you go south from here, the ridge gets lower. However, much of it is still above 1,100 feet (335 meters). South of Big Rapids, there are a few spots over 1,300 feet (396 meters) high. These high spots continue south to Baldwin.
The ridges south of the Muskegon River are just under 800 feet (244 meters) high. The steep slopes become more gentle as you move south near South Haven. Here, the ridges near the lake are less than 700 feet (213 meters) above sea level.
The ridge also runs west across Oceana County, almost reaching Lake Michigan. It has high points of 1,000 feet (305 meters) above sea level. Some areas are over 800 feet (244 meters) high. This means they are more than 200 feet (61 meters) higher than Lake Michigan itself.
The inner ridge is highest in the north, near Gaylord. Here, it is almost 1,400 feet (427 meters) high. It slowly gets lower as it goes southwest. But it stays above 1,300 feet (396 meters) through Antrim and Kalkaska counties. It remains above 1,200 feet (366 meters) through Kalkaska. Then it drops to 1,100 feet (335 meters) as it passes through Grand Traverse County. To the south, it stays around 1,000 feet (305 meters) through Grand Traverse County and on to Manistee County. South of the Manistee River, the ridges on the inner border fall below 800 feet (244 meters). The general land surface here is below 700 feet (213 meters).
How Much Do They Rise?
Near Cadillac, the ridges rise about 50 to 100 feet (15 to 30 meters) or more above the flat plains in Wexford County. The inner border rises 300 to 400 feet (91 to 122 meters) in Wexford County. It rises about 300 feet (91 meters) in Lake and Newaygo counties.
West from Newaygo County and across Oceana County, the moraine rises 150 to 300 feet (46 to 91 meters) or more above the plains. A thin moraine south from the Muskegon River is less than 100 feet (30 meters) high. It becomes barely 50 feet (15 meters) above the lake at its southern end.
