Negwegon State Park is over 4000 acres of wilderness located along Lake Huron between Alpena and Harrisville. Named for the the Ojibwe chieftain that hunted in the region it is a popular park with hikers and birders. My favorite feature of the park is a natural spring that is located between the parking lot and
Along the shoreline of Lake Huron is the Sacred Rock and it is huge. It’s about 20 feet long and 8 feet wide and 4 feet tall out of the sand. The Native American tribes used the rock as a boundary marker to separate two tribes hunting grounds. Legend has it that the two tribes
The Porcupine Mountains in the western Upper Peninsula is the largest state park in Michigan. It is known for its hiking trails, waterfalls, and the Lake Of The Clouds. But few people know that hidden among the trees are the ruins of an old mining town. It also has an old stone lined shaft that
If you have ever visited Silver Lake State Park you have probably driven through the small town of Mears. You may have seen the life size bronze statue of a man wearing a bowler hat which is usually adorned with a red necktie. It is a statue of Swift Lathers, a newspaper publisher known for
Maybury State Park sits west of Northville in the Metro Detroit area. The land was originally developed in 1919 as the Detroit Municipal Tuberculosis Sanitarium, the facility was later named for William H. Maybury who spearheaded its development and actually oversaw its construction. The sanitarium had around forty buildings and could generate power and grow
Nestled among the trees and over a small creek is an old iron truss bridge. The sign hanging from the top beams reads: MICHIGAN BRIDGE AND PIPE CO. LANSING MICHIGAN. You can see the old bridge from M-25 near Port Austin and it was part of the old sawmill town of Port Crescent. The town
If you visit the Lake of the Clouds in Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park you need to drive down M-107 to the lake. It is about a ten mile stretch of road the travels along the shoreline of Lake Superior. You will probably notice a sign and a couple of boulders dedicating the road as
Near the shores of Lake Huron in Hoeft State Park is a pleasant little house that is available for visitors to rent. This is no ordinary house since it is a historic Sears mail-order kit house. Built by park rangers and the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1929, it was erected on the road the leads
Onaway State Park sits on the southern shoreline of Black Lake. At the western edge of the park a trail leads from the boat launch along the lake to a stone shelter that over looks the lake. It is a nice little hike through the trees for a nice view overlooking the water. While I
The remnants of the old Halliwell mine can be found in the Porcupine Mountains. South of the visitor’s center on S. Boundry Road is where the mine once stood after it was constructed in 1895. The mine sunk two vertical shafts but it never made a profit and closed in 1908. After the mine closed