Shoe Island (Lake Michigan) facts for kids
 Shoe Island
Location in Michigan
|
|
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Lake Michigan |
| Coordinates | 45°48′25″N 85°17′52″W / 45.80694°N 85.29778°W |
| Area | 3 acres (1.2 ha) |
| Highest elevation | 581 ft (177.1 m) |
| Administration | |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Charlevoix County |
| Township | St. James Township |
| Demographics | |
| Population | Uninhabited |
Shoe Island is a tiny island, also called an islet, located in Lake Michigan. It's part of a group of islands known as the Beaver Island archipelago. An archipelago is just a fancy word for a cluster of islands.
This small island is about 3 acres in size, which is roughly the size of three football fields. It's found in the eastern part of St. James Township in Charlevoix County, Michigan.
Shoe Island is a special place because it's protected. In 1943, it became part of the Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge. This refuge helps protect wild animals and their homes. Later, in 1970, it was also named part of the Michigan Islands Wilderness Area. A wilderness area is a place kept wild and untouched by humans, so nature can thrive.
How Shoe Island Was Made
Shoe Island was formed a very long time ago, during something called the Wisconsin glaciation. This was a time when huge sheets of ice, called glaciers, covered much of North America.
Imagine a giant bulldozer pushing dirt and rocks. That's kind of what glaciers did! As the glaciers slowly moved, they picked up huge amounts of boulders and gravel. When the climate warmed up and the glaciers melted and retreated, they left behind these piles of rocks and dirt. Shoe Island is basically one of these piles, a heap of boulders and gravel left by a melting glacier.
Home for Birds
Islands like Shoe Island are very important for nature. They make great nesting places for freshwater seabirds. These birds can lay their eggs and raise their young safely on the island, away from predators that might live on the mainland.
