This is a list of Michigan state parks and related protected areas under Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) jurisdiction. The DNR Parks and Recreation Division manages these lands. DNR administers over 100 state parks and also operates 16 state harbors on the Great Lakes. Michigan's state parks system was started in 1919 and now contains over 100 parks and recreation areas covering 285,000 acres (1,150 km²). There are 13,500 campsites in 142 campgrounds and 879 miles (1,400 km) of trails. The parks received 21.2 million visitors in 2008.
Two Michigan state parks pre-date the creation of the park system in 1919. Michigan's first state park, Mackinac Island State Park, was created in 1895. It had served as the nation's second national park from 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.
DNR operates 746 boat launches on 57,000 acres (230Â 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 (50Â km) apart along the Great Lakes shoreline to provide shelter from storms and often provide boat launches and supplies. There are 11 state underwater preserves covering 2,450 square miles (6,300Â km2) of Great Lakes bottomland and ten of them have a maritime museum or interpretive center in a nearby coastal community.
The D.N.R. 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 (1,400Â km2). DNR also oversees the trail systems in the state. This includes 880 miles (1,400Â km) of non-motorized trails, 1,145 miles (1,800Â km) of rail-trails, 3,193 miles (5,100Â km) of off-road vehicle (ORV) routes and 6,216 miles (10,000Â km) of snowmobile trails.
For a discussion of all protected areas in Michigan under all jurisdictions, see Protected areas of Michigan.
Map
Map showing many of Michigan's state parks but not state recreation areas or state forests.
State parks
- Algonac State Park
- Aloha State Park
- Baraga State Park
- Belle Isle State Park
- Bewabic State Park
- Brimley State Park
- Burt Lake State Park
- Cambridge Junction Historic State Park
- Cheboygan State Park
- Clear Lake State Park
- Coldwater Lake State Park
- Craig Lake State Park
- Dodge #4 State Park
- Duck Lake State Park
- Fayette Historic State Park
- Fisherman's Island State Park
- Fort Wilkins Historic State Park
- Grand Haven State Park
- Grand Mere State Park
- Harrisville State Park
- Hart-Montague Trail State Park (William Field Memorial Hart-Montague Trail State Park)
- Hartwick Pines State Park
- Hayes State Park (Walter J. Hayes State Park)
- Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park
- Hoeft State Park (P.H. Hoeft State Park)
- Hoffmaster State Park (P.J. Hoffmaster State Park)
- Holland State Park
- Indian Lake State Park
- Interlochen State Park
- Kal-Haven Trail Sesquicentennial State Park
- Lake Gogebic State Park
- Lakelands Trail State Park
- Lakeport State Park
- Leelanau State Park
- Ludington State Park
- Mackinac Island State Park and Fort Mackinac
- Maybury State Park
- McLain State Park (F.J. McLain State Park)
- Mears State Park (Charles Mears State Park)
- Meridian-Baseline State Park
- Colonial Michilimackinac (Fort Michilimackinac State Park) and Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse
- William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor
- Mitchell State Park (William Mitchell State Park)
- Muskallonge Lake State Park
- Muskegon State Park
- Negwegon State Park
- Newaygo State Park
- North Higgins Lake State Park
- Old Mission Point State Park
- Onaway State Park
- Orchard Beach State Park
- Otsego Lake State Park
- Palms Book State Park
- Petoskey State Park
- Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park
- Port Crescent State Park
- Rockport State Park
- Sanilac Petroglyphs Historic State Park
- Saugatuck Dunes State Park
- Seven Lakes State Park
- Silver Lake State Park
- Sleeper State Park (Albert E. Sleeper State Park)
- Sleepy Hollow State Park
- South Higgins Lake State Park
- Sterling State Park
- Straits State Park & Father Marquette National Memorial
- Tahquamenon Falls State Park
- Tawas Point State Park
- Thompson's Harbor State Park
- Traverse City State Park (Keith J. Charters Traverse City State Park)
- Twin Lakes State Park
- Van Buren State Park
- Van Buren Trail State Park
- Van Riper State Park
- Warren Dunes State Park
- Warren Woods State Park
- Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve
- Wells State Park (J.W. Wells State Park)
- White Pine Trail State Park (Fred Meijer White Pine Trail State Park)
- Wilderness State Park
- Wilson State Park
- Young State Park
Recreation areas
- Bald Mountain State Recreation Area
- Bass River State Recreation Area
- Bay City State Recreation Area
- Brighton State Recreation Area
- Fort Custer State Recreation Area
- Highland State Recreation Area
- Holly State Recreation Area
- Ionia State Recreation Area
- Island Lake State Recreation Area
- Lake Hudson State Recreation Area
- Lime Island State Recreation Area
- Menominee River State Recreation Area
- Metamora-Hadley State Recreation Area
- Ortonville State Recreation Area
- Pinckney State Recreation Area
- Pontiac Lake State Recreation Area
- Proud Lake State Recreation Area
- Rifle River State Recreation Area
- Waterloo State Recreation Area
- Wetzel State Recreation Area
- Yankee Springs State Recreation Area
State forests
- Au Sable State Forest
- Copper Country State Forest
- Escanaba River State Forest
- Lake Superior State Forest
- Mackinaw State Forest
- Pere Marquette State Forest
Other sites
- Agate Falls Scenic Site
- Bond Falls Scenic Site
- Father Marquette National Memorial - a National Memorial under state supervision
- Laughing Whitefish Falls Scenic Site
- Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center
- Sturgeon Point Scenic Site
- Wagner Falls Scenic Site
References
External links
- Michigan Department of Natural Resources
- Map of Michigan State Parks
