Halfaday soils have mottles above a depth of 40 inches. Kalkaska soils are medium sand throughout. Blue Lake soils have argillic horizons. East Lake, Rousseau, Rubicon, and Vilas soils have spodic horizons that are lower in organic carbon. Wallace soils have ortstein present in the spodic horizon in more than 50 percent of each pedon.
Liminga soils are on relict beach ridges, dunes, moraines, outwash plains, kames and lake plains.
Slope gradients range from 0 to 70 percent. The climate is continental, but is affected by Lake Superior, causing extra winter precipitation. Roscommon are wetter members of the drainage sequence with Liminga soils. Alcona and Munising soils are common associates on the moraines. Kalkaska soils are common associates on beach ridges and dunes.