Hat Island (Lake Michigan)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hat Island is a small island on the eastern edge of the Beaver Island archipelago in Lake Michigan. It is about 10 acres (0.04 km²) in size. It became part of the Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge in 1943.

Like other islands in the Michigan Islands NWR, Hat Island was formed during the Wisconsin glaciation when a melting glacier randomly dumped a large quantity of boulders and gravel in a spot that became part of the lakebed. The island was selected for inclusion in the Michigan Islands NMWR because of its standing as a potential breeding ground for herring gulls and other fish-eating birds.

Hat Island is roughly four-sided, with a SSE-pointing forepeak that is said to look like the upturned brim of a hat.