This is a list of Michigan state parks and related protected areas under the jurisdiction or owned by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Parks and Recreation Division. A total of 104 state parks, state recreation areas and trail state parks currently exist along with eight other sites as well as 16 state harbors on the Great Lakes. While the Parks and Recreation Division directly manages the large majority of the parks in the system, a few are either jointly-managed with other agencies or are leased to other governmental entities, either temporarily or on an ongoing basis. Michigan's 103 state parks and recreation areas cover 306,000 acres (124,000 ha) with 14,100 campsites in 142 campgrounds and over 900 miles (1,400 km) of trails.[1] The state parks and recreation areas statewide collectively saw more than 26 million visits in 2016.[2]
History
editMichigan's state parks system was started in 1919. Three Michigan state parks pre-date the creation of the park system in 1919: Mackinac Island State Park (1895), Michilimackinac State Park (1909) and Interlochen State Park (1917).
Mackinac Island State Park was created in 1895. It had served as the nation's second national park for two decades beginning in 1875. In 1909, Michilimackinac State Park was created in nearby Mackinaw City. Both of these parks, along with Historic Mill Creek State Park are under the jurisdiction of the Mackinac Island State Park Commission.
Interlochen State Park was purchased by the Michigan Legislature in 1917 and was the first public park to be transferred to the Michigan State Park Commission in 1920. Because Mackinac Island State Park was a federal gift with its own commission and jurisdiction, for those reasons some choose to not consider it the first state park even though it predates Interlochen State Park by nearly 25 years.[3]
Since 1919, 33 additional state park units have been decommissioned for varied reasons. The majority of these former state park units, 16, were transferred to counties or cities and are still local parks today. Four of the former units were incorporated into Michigan's two National Lakeshores when were created in the 1960s and 70s, while five others were removed and reverted into surrounding state lands (state game areas, state forests, state fish hatcheries, etc.). Four of the units were incorporated into larger state recreation areas in the 1940s in the Greater Detroit area, although one of those recreation areas is now a local park. Two of the former state park units are now state forest campgrounds and another two units existed on state lands which were sold to private interests and closed. (The Former state park units section lists each of these former units.)
Additional DNR facilities
editDNR operates 746 boat launches on 57,000 acres (230 km2) of designated public water access sites. It also operates 16 "harbors of refuge" as well as providing support for the other 61 harbors in the system. The harbors of refuge are approximately 30 miles (50 km) apart along the Great Lakes shoreline to provide shelter from storms and often provide boat launches and supplies. There are 13 state underwater preserves covering 2,450 square miles (6,300 km2) of Great Lakes bottomland and ten of them have a maritime museum or interpretive center in a nearby coastal community.[4]
The DNR Parks and Recreation Division also manages 138 state forest campgrounds (including a dozen equestrian campgrounds). The Michigan state game and wildlife areas encompass more than 340,000 acres (1,400 km2). DNR also oversees the trail systems in the state. This includes 880 miles (1,400 km) of non-motorized trails, 1,145 miles (1,800 km) of rail-trails, 3,193 miles (5,100 km) of off-road vehicle (ORV) routes and 6,216 miles (10,000 km) of snowmobile trails.[5]
Michigan state parks
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- ^ Established in 1845 as a Detroit City Park, established as a Michigan State Park in 2014 under a 30-year lease.
- ^ Established in 1923 as an Iron County Park, purchased by the State of Michigan in 1966.
- ^ The park was originally deeded to the State in 1932, however.
- ^ Established in 1875 as Mackinac Island National Park, deeded to the State of Michigan in 1875.
- ^ The park was originally deeded to the State in 1932, however.
Michigan state recreation areas
edit| Name[6] | County | Size | Estab- lished[7] |
Lake / river | Image | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| acres | ha | ||||||
| Bald Mountain State Recreation Area | Oakland | 4,637 acres | 1,877 ha | 1944 | Lower Trout Lake, others | Water Warrior Island waterpark | |
| Bass River State Recreation Area | Ottawa | 1,665 acres | 674 ha | 1994 | Grand River | ||
| Brighton State Recreation Area | Livingston | 4,947 acres | 2,002 ha | 1944 | Bishop Lake, others | ||
| Fort Custer State Recreation Area | Kalamazoo | 3,033 acres | 1,227 ha | 1971 | Eagle, Jackson and Whitford-Lawler Lakes | ||
| Highland State Recreation Area | Oakland | 5,900 acres | 2,400 ha | 1944 | Haven Hill, Temple, Moore Lakes and others | ||
| Holly State Recreation Area | Oakland | 7,817 acres | 3,163 ha | 1944 | Heron, Valley, and McGinnis Lakes | ||
| Ionia State Recreation Area | Ionia | 4,500 acres | 1,800 ha | 1965 | Grand River | ||
| Island Lake State Recreation Area | Livingston | 4,000 acres | 1,600 ha | 1944 | Huron River, Island Lake | Hot-air balloon launch area | |
| Lake Hudson State Recreation Area | Lenawee | 2,796 acres | 1,132 ha | 1979 | Lake Hudson | First-ever Dark-Sky Preserve designated, 1993 | |
| Lime Island State Recreation Area | Chippewa | 980 acres | 400 ha | 2011 | St. Marys River | Visitors provide own transportation to remote island; six rental cabins; Victorian House/Museum | |
| Menominee River State Recreation Area | Dickinson, Menominee | 2,879 acres | 1,165 ha | 2012 | Menominee River | Co-managed with Wisconsin's Menominee River State Park and Recreation Area | |
| Metamora-Hadley State Recreation Area | Lapeer | 723 acres | 293 ha | 1944 | Minnewanna Lake | ||
| Ortonville State Recreation Area | Lapeer, Oakland | 5,400 acres | 2,200 ha | 1944 | Big Fish and Davison Lakes | ||
| Pinckney State Recreation Area | Livingston, Washtenaw | 11,000 acres | 4,500 ha | 1944 | Numerous inland lakes | ||
| Pontiac Lake State Recreation Area | Oakland | 3,745 acres | 1,516 ha | 1944 | Huron River, Pontiac Lake | ||
| Proud Lake State Recreation Area | Oakland | 3,030 acres | 1,230 ha | 1944 | Huron River, Proud Lake | ||
| Rifle River State Recreation Area | Ogemaw | 4,449 acres | 1,800 ha | 1963 | Rifle River | ||
| Rockport State Recreation Area | Alpena, Presque Isle | 4,237 acres | 1,715 ha | 2012 | Lake Huron | Contains old limestone quarry and Besser Natural Area | |
| Tippy Dam State Recreation Area | Manistee | 117 acres | 47 ha | 2007 | Manistee River | Managed under a lease agreement with Consumers Energy. | |
| Waterloo State Recreation Area | Jackson, Washtenaw | 20,125 acres | 8,144 ha | 1943 | Numerous inland lakes | ||
| W.C. Wetzel State Recreation Area | Macomb | 913 acres | 369 ha | 1969 | Coon Creek | ||
| Yankee Springs State Recreation Area | Barry | 5,200 acres | 2,100 ha | 1943 | Gun Lake | ||
Michigan trail state parks
editThe following state trails are units of the State Park System. Several other state trails fall under Department of Natural Resources jurisdiction and/or maintenance, but are not state park units and are not included here.
| Name | Official name | Counties | Length | Estab- lished | Image | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mi | km | ||||||
| Hart-Montague Trail State Park | William Field Memorial Hart-Montague Trail State Park | Muskegon, Oceana | 22 | 35 | 1988 | Converted rail-trail | |
| Kal-Haven Trail | Kal-Haven Bicycle Trail Sesquicentennial State Park | Kalamazoo, Van Buren | 34.5 | 55.5 | 1988 |  |
Converted rail-trail |
| Lakelands Trail State Park | Mike Levine Lakelands Trail State Park | Ingham, Livingston, Washtenaw | 26 | 42 | 1991 | .jpg) |
Converted rail-trail |
| Van Buren Trail State Park | Van Buren | 14 | 23 | 1994 | Converted rail-trail | ||
| White Pine Trail State Park | Fred Meijer White Pine Trail State Park | Kent, Mecosta, Montcalm, Osceola, Wexford | 92 | 148 | 1996 |  |
Converted rail-trail |
Other sites
edit| Name[6] | County | Size | Estab- lished[7] |
Hydrologic Feature(s) | Image | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| acres | ha | ||||||
| Agate Falls Scenic Site | Ontonagon | 213 acres | 86 ha | 1992 | Agate Falls | Adjacent to Agate Falls MDOT State Roadside Park. | |
| Bond Falls Scenic Site | Ontonagon | 90 acres | 36 ha | 1992 | Bond Falls | DNR-managed facility on Upper Peninsula Power Company (UPPCO)-owned land. | |
| DNR Pocket Park | Delta | 1 acre | 0.40 ha | 1998 | none | Within the Upper Peninsula State Fairgrounds in Escanaba featuring a fishing pond, archery and pellet gun ranges, a fire tower, a waterfall and a dozen specialty gardens. Open seasonally May through September. | |
| Douglass Houghton Falls Scenic Site | Houghton | 115 acres | 47 ha | 2018 | Douglass Houghton Falls | Future State Scenic Site under development.[10] | |
| Father Marquette National Memorial | Mackinac | 58 acres | 23 ha | 1973 | Straits of Mackinac (views) | Within the western portion of Straits State Park. | |
| New Flint State Park | Genesee | 230 acres | 93 ha | 2026 | Flint River | Under development, jointly with Genesee County Parks. | |
| Holly Oaks ORV Park | Oakland | 235 acres | 95 ha | 2021 | none | Jointly-managed with Oakland County Parks. | |
| Outdoor Adventure Center | Wayne | 0.94 acres | 0.38 ha | 2015 | Detroit River | In historic Globe Building, adjacent to William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor. | |
| Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center | Crawford | 32 acres | 13 ha | 1941 | Higgins Lake | Within North Higgins Lake State Park | |
| Saginaw River Headwaters Recreation Area | Saginaw | 334 acres | 135 ha | 2023 | Saginaw River | DNR-owned park, managed by Saginaw County Parks.[11] | |
| Wagner Falls Scenic Site | Alger | 23 acres | 9.3 ha | 1956 | Wagner Falls | ||
Former state park units
edit- Benzie State Park – (1929–1975) donated to the National Park Service in 1975 and is now the Platte River Campground of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore[12]
- Bloomer State Park No. 1 – (1922–late 1960s) 36 acres, absorbed into Proud Lake State Recreation Area; now Bloomer Park in West Bloomfield Township
- Bloomer State Park No. 2 – (1922–1945) 50 acres, originally Dodge Brothers State Park No. 7; incorporated into Rochester-Utica State Recreation Area, now Bloomer Park in Rochester Hills
- Bloomer State Park No. 3 – (1922–1944) 100 acres, later incorporated into Ortonville State Recreation Area, northeast of Ortonville
- Bloomer State Park No. 4 – (1922–1947), 28 acres, now Bloomer Park in White Lake Township, undeveloped site sold as it was "not of state park calibre" with funds used to purchased additional lands for the new Rochester-Utica State Recreation Area[13]
- Cheboygan State Park – (c.1921–1945) 15 acres, original state park located on the site of the current Cheboygan County Fairground, originally known as O'Brien's Grove (not to be confused with present-day Cheboygan State Park)
- D.H. Day State Park – (1920–1975) later consolidated with nearby Sleeping Bear-Glen Lake State Park (1959); donated to the National Park Service in 1975 and is now the D.H. Day Campground of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore[12]
- Detour State Park – (1958– ) 403 acres, now Detour State Forest Campground in Lake Superior State Forest, west of De Tour Village
- Dodge Brothers State Park No. 1 – (1922–1944) 22 acres, name later changes to Island Lake Dodge Brothers No.1 State Park; incorporated into Island Lake State Recreation Area in 1944
- Dodge Brothers State Park No. 2 – (1922–1947) 26 acres, now Lakeshore Park in Novi
- Dodge Brothers State Park No. 3 – (1922– ) 13 acres, on Crescent Lake west of Pontiac, now Optimist Park, in Waterford.
- Dodge Brothers State Park No. 5 – (1922– ) 80 acres, now Dodge Park V in Commerce Township
- Dodge Brothers State Park No. 6 – (1922– ) 35 acres, now Beverly Park in Beverly Hills
- Dodge Brothers State Park No. 7 – (1922–1947) originally designated Dodge Brothers State Park No. 11, renamed to No. 7 when the original No. 7 became Bloomer State Park No. 2; 240 acres, now Horseshoe Lake State Game Area near Oxford
- Dodge Brothers State Park No. 8 – (1922–1973) 41.2 acres, now Dodge Park in Sterling Heights
- Dodge Brothers State Park No. 9 – (1922–1960) 30 acres, now Dodge Park in South Rockwood
- Dodge Brothers State Park No.10 – (1922–1944) 78 acres, incorporated into Highland State Recreation Area near Highland in 1944
- East Tawas State Park - (1921–1965) now East Tawas City Park in East Tawas
- Frank W. Fletcher State Park – (1920–c.1947) 160 acres, now Sunken Lake County Park northwest of Alpena
- Gladwin State Park – (1921–1982) 302 acres, now Gladwin City Park in Gladwin
- Grand Marais State Park - (1931–1966) incorporated into the easternmost portion of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (Grand Sable Dunes Area)
- Hansen Military Reserve – (c.1921– ) southwest of Grayling, managed as a state park for recreation purposes
- Lake City State Park ( –c.1947) – at Lake City, now the Missaukee County Park
- Magnus State Park ( –1949) – 16 acres, now Magnus City Park in Petoskey
- Marquette State Park ( –1947) – now a subdivision of homes west of Marquette
- Munuskong State Park – a Dodge Brothers state park on Munuscong Bay northeast of Pickford, now part of the Munuscong State Wildlife Management Area
- Paw Paw State Park – (c.1921–c.1927) in Paw Paw on Maple Lake
- Pere Marquette River State Park – (1927–c.1940s) four sites—33, 12, 77 and 189 acres, respectively, along the Pere Marquette River in Mason County
- Pictured Rocks State Park (1953–1966) - incorporated into the westernmost portion of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
- Rochester-Utica State Recreation Area (originally Bloomer State Park No.2) – (1945–1992) a portion was also part of Spring Hill Farm, the country estate of boxer Joe Louis, (1939–1944); now Bloomer City Park (Rochester Hills) and River Bends Park (Shelby Township)
- Saint Clair (County) State Park – (1926–1949) 17 acres, former St. Clair County Park (1919–1926) gifted to the state; abandoned as a state park in 1949 due to the proximity of nearby Port Huron (Lakeport) State Park and given its small size; deeded to township and is now Burtchville Township Park.[14]
- Sidnaw State Park – (1931– ) 1,500 acres, formed from the Sidnaw Fish Hatchery lands near Sidnaw
- Sleeping Bear-Glen Lake State Park – (1946–1959) 2,044 acres (5,800 acres in proposed park boundary), centered on state lands received from the federal government in the Sleeping Bear Dunes area, later consolidated with D.H. Day State Park (1959); donated to the National Park Service in 1975 and is now part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore[12]
- Van Etten Lake State Park – (1928– ) now Van Etten Lake State Forest Campground near Oscoda
- White Cloud State Park – (c.1921–c.1980) now White Cloud County Park in White Cloud
Michigan state forests
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Michigan's state forest system is administered by the Forest Resources Division (FRD) within the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, not the Parks and Recreation Division (PRD) which manages the state park system, however the Parks and Recreation Division took over the recreation responsibilities of the Forest Resources Division (e.g. the state forest campgrounds and the trails and pathways within the state forests) in January 2012.
References
edit- ^ "Michigan Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan 2018–2022: Public Comment Draft" (PDF). Michigan Department of Natural Resources. August 31, 2017. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
- ^ "A snapshot of 2016 accomplishments" (PDF). Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
- ^ "MICHIGAN'S FIRST STATE PARK?". Michigan Department of Natural Resources. April 8, 2019. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
- ^ "Michigan's Public Land Base and Outdoor Recreation" (PDF). 2008–2012 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan. Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved February 19, 2010.
- ^ "Executive Summary" (PDF). 2008–12 Michigan State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan. Michigan Department of Natural Resources. October 1, 2007. p. 2. Retrieved February 19, 2010.
- ^ a b c As listed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources, 2018, except where noted. "Recreation Search". Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
- ^ a b c "When were Michigan state parks and recreation areas established?" (PDF). Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
- ^ Michigan Department of Natural Resources. "Gete Mino Mshkiigan Draft General Management Plan" (PDF). Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Department of Natural Resources: FY 2021 Capital Outlay Five-Year Plan" (PDF). Michigan Department of Natural Resources. October 31, 2019. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
- ^ Champion, Brandon (November 30, 2023). "DNR to share design plans for scenic site around Michigan's tallest waterfall". Mlive.com. Mlive.com. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
- ^ Engel, Justin (April 30, 2023). "A new, 334-acre park opened in Saginaw. Here's what it looks like". Saginaw News. Mlive.com. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
- ^ a b c Karamanski, Theodore (1996). A Nationalized Lakeshore: The Creation and Administration of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Omaha, Nebraska: National Park Service. ISBN 979-8645156039.
- ^ "Fund Diversion for Forest Fire Fighting Opposed". The News-Palladium. Vol. 63, no. 263. Associated Press. November 6, 1947. p. 22.
- ^ "Former State Park Turned Over To County". Port Huron Times-Herald. Vol. XL, no. 76. March 17, 1949. p. 1.
External links
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