State Parks & Recreation Areas FOR endless! adventures are nearly forthe opportunities exciting thousands ofmilestrails, forest campgrounds and At 101 state parks, 134state State Parks! to Michigan Welcome in your phone’s appstore. Code reader? Search QRreader learn more. Don’thave aQR to them withasmartphone this oneinsideyour map, scan When you seeQRcodes like Partners Give Back Brought to you by parks, pleasevisitwww.parkvisitor.com. more information aboutthe20%For Parks program andyour you”to say “thank for theircontribution to your state parks. For Recreation Areas. ourpartnersisalsoagreat Supporting way donated backto directly benefitMichigan State Parks & here inthismap. Inaddition,20%ofthenetproceeds are Funding isgenerously provided by ourpartners,highlighted is created atnocost to thestate ofMichigan ortaxpayers. The Michigan State Parks &Recreation Areas Welcome Map visit www.parkvisitor.com for more information. governmental agency. To become apartner, call(626) 229-9991 or endorsement ofproducts, services, oractivitiesofpartners by any Nothinginthismapshouldbetaken to imply Areas. Recreation & 2013-2014

www.michigan.gov/stateparks. programs. It’s allwaiting for you at: outside withournew Fresh AirFit ortakestarted, your workout FREE how-to events to get you Rec 101 offers more than500 hold the fun and adventure you’re after. pastime, Michigan’s woods andwaters Whatever your favorite outdoor everyone! We’ve got something for Let how much usknow Learning tokayakisjustoneofthe you love at ourparks partnership with Michigan State Parks created by GoodSolutionsGroup in The Park Visitor Welcome Mapis ParkVisitor.com Rate apark! many Rec101opportunities. A MemberOf

Porcupine Mountains Wilderness and focus onthetaskathand. educational entitieswithanenvironmental focus to get away from moderndistractions inspiring settingfor nonprofit clubs,organizations, governmental or Ralph A.MacMullanConference Center offers anatural, tranquil and Ralph A.MacMullanConference Center kayak. that enablesindividualsinwheelchairs to launchtheirown canoeor Area hasanaccessible beach,trail, fishingpierandanEZDocklaunch Most parks offer universally accessible facilities. Brighton Recreation Universal Accessibility goodness ofs’mores, thensettleinandwatch theshow. in parks andrecreation areas across thestate. Enjoy thegooey the Perseids meteor shower. Joinparkstaffandlocalastronomers Mid-August offers peakviewing for nature’s biggest lightshow, Meteors &S’mores Lake beach. Board rentals are available atPinckney Recreation Area’s Silver and kayak rentals. Try thenewest craze, Stand-UpPaddleboarding. The water’s great! Gofor apaddle.Many ofourparks offer canoe Canoe, Kayak andPaddleboard early. The parks fillup fast for thislasthurrah oftheseason. weekend andyou have Harvest Festivals inMichigan’s state parks. Make reservations Combine acelebration offall, afarewell to summer, andHalloween into onegreat Harvest Festivals Where toGo wonder why you didn’tdothisalotsooner. Time CamperProgram show you theropes. You’ll building acampfire? Let apark ranger andour First Don’t know thefirst thingaboutsettingupa tent or First Time CamperProgram but notbicycles. non-morotized trail isopento equestirans andhikers, on andOscoda onLake Huron. This that runsalongtheLower Peninsula between Empire Michigan RidingandHikingTrail, isa220-mile trail The Michigan Shore-to-Shore Trail, alsoknown asthe Shore-to-Shore Trail McLain orFort Wilkins State Parks. Copper HarborandLake Superior. Includeastay at fromthe ridenorth Brockway Mountainfor views of Keewenaw Peninsula intheUpperPeninsula. Try Mountain bikers canhave afield day ridingthe Peninsula Mountain bike theKeewenaw communities around thestate. motorized andwater trails withevents inparks and to ourvast andvaried network ofmotorized, non- Each September Michigan Trails Week pays tribute Michigan Trails Week Expert Tips What toDo • • • • • • Take inthesescenic sites • • • • • ORVing inMichigan State Parks

reef extending amilepastvisibleland.Visit thehistoric lighthouse. Sturgeon Point jutsinto where waves hidealong,shallow dividing itinto many smallcascades. inPaulding tumblesover a thickbeltoffractured rock, the summermusicconcerts atInterlochen Center for theArts. Launchyour boatfrom Green Lake, thenlisten to Michigan. Foot trails, apicnicarea andobservation decks are nearby. Laughing Whitefish Falls nearSundelisthetallestwaterfall in trees. Ahalf-mile trail from aparkingarea leadsto anobservation deck. Wagner Falls inMunisingisnestledamongvirginpineandhemlock located onthemiddlebranch oftheOntonagon River nearTrout Creek. One ofupperMichigan’s mostpicturesque waterfalls, Agate Falls is riding inMichigan. About450acres are available for ORVing. Silver Lake ORV area inSilver Lake State Park offers theonlydune cycle/ATV trail connecting to theTwo-Hearted Trail. Muskellonge Lake State Park’s Pine Ridge Trail isa49-mile stretch of campsite to Copper Harbororalltheway to theWisconsin state line. Ride theBillNicholsmulti-usetrail from your Twin Lakes State Park to recently openedanew 35-mileORV route connecting ride from theircampsite to atrail headandback.Notowing! Clear Lake State Park isoneofthefew state parks where ORV users can Twin Lakes State Park.

hundreds of miles of pathways offer bikers bikers offer pathways of miles of hundreds

wheelchair-bound individuals to launch their own ’s EZ ramp allows

freshwater , Michigan

With 11,000 inland lakes and the

Five linear state parks and and parks state linear Five a variety of vistas. of variety a

is a boating paradise.

canoe or kayak. favorite beachesfrom around theUnited States inasurvey shoreline atPetoskey State Park recently ranked amongsix offer someofthebestbeachesfound anywhere. The Michigan state parks, withtheirmany milesofshoreline, Greatest Beaches! compliments thelarge playground situated next to it. safely enjoy water funonhotsummerdays. The water park Michigan’s state parksystem, isagreat way for families to Bay City Recreation Area, hometo thefirst spray parkin Spray Park atBay City Rec Area Rustic CampingintheState Forests • • Disc Golf • • • • • • • •

campground. offers great Reservations canoeingopportunities. accepted atthis Lake Margrethe Campground neartheManistee andAu SableRivers and technical shots.The backnine’s fairways have alinks-style layout. Fort Custer Recreation Area’s front ninemixes openholeswithelevation Shore-to-Shore Trail. Riding/Hiking Elk HillEquestrian Campground isconveniently located next to the a rusticarea ofAlpenaCounty. Negwegon BackCountry Campsites offer four hike-in onlycampsites in Big BearLake nearGaylord. Big BearLake Campground offers 30sites onthesandy, shore north of getaways amongthepicturesque woodlands. The sixLittlePresque IslecabinsnearMarquette offer rusticlogcabin Elevation andwater alsoare factors. featuring technical, wooded andopenfairways. offers agood mixofholes challenge. quality course. The tightfairways make itagrueling offers 18holesonthepark’s pro- option to play 18or24 holes meadows, butismostlyawooded course. There’s an hasafew holesinopen holes. accessible thanks to thestone pathway between the edge ofthelake. This course isnow wheelchair- Memory,” plays through wooded terrain thatskirts Clear Lake State Park’s new nine-holecourse, “The

Your next adventure iswaiting for you at www.michigan.gov/stateparks Channel. Channel. conducted by The Weather Agate hunting at Rock hunters come from allover theworld to search thewaters of Muskallonge Lake State Park annual Rock OnAgate Weekend eachSeptember. Lake State Park onLake Superiorsalutes theagate withtheir Lake Superiorfor thebeautifulagates found there. Muskallonge Stargaze thenightsky are considered darksky preserves and Lake HudsonRecreation Area , , and astronomers year round. combination ofdarkskiesandclearhorizons attract amateur offer pristine,undiluted night-sky viewing Their opportunities. Half-off boatingsliprentalsHalf-off and anarchery range alsoare available. A 10-stationHandTrap Range (shotguns/clay targets) loaders, handgunsandshotguns (with slugsonly). Michigan, offers 35stationssuitablefor rifles,muzzle The DNR-staffed Rose Lake shootingrange nearBath, indoor bathroom. level withtwo bedrooms, kitchen, livingarea and Area are taking“camping” to awholenew comfort Two new family-friendly cabinsatHollyRecreation Recreation Area Deluxe CabinsatHolly Crescent, Tawas harbors. Available atCheboygan, Fort Wilkins, Port 50% offboatslipfees whenyou campanddockatnearby Your next bigfishingtripjust got better. Slip&Site saves their way orsouth. north many species thatstop to rest there before working enthusiasts flockthere mid-May to Mid-June to spotthe one ofthehottest birding spotsintheMidwest. Birding During theannualmigrations, is Birding atTawas Point State Park

Rose Lake ShootingRange Scan here for more Expert Expert Tips! ParkVisitor.com/where-to-go Want more? for destination ideas! , Wells andWilderness State Parks. Visit Visit

Stay cool all summer at Michigan’s Michigan’s at summer all cool Stay

Don’t miss Kitch-iti-kipi at Palms Book

State Park. Truly amazing!

great beaches. great

The winter days may be short, but getting getting but short, be may days winter The out on the trails makes them long on fun. on long them makes trails the on out • • • • • • • • • • 10 Essentials ofHiking distance from theoneslisted below. Wildlife aboundsinMichigan. Somelook furryandcuddly, butothers are dangerous. Keep your Rattlesnake Eastern Massasagua woods throughout theLower variety ofwetlands andupland is arare sight.They inhabit a Michigan’s onlyvenomous snake www.LNT.org To learnmore, visit • BeConsiderate ofOtherVisitors • Respect Wildlife • Minimize Campfire Impacts • Leave WhatYou Find • DisposeofWaste Properly • Travel andCamponDurable Surfaces • PlanAheadandPrepare The Leave NoTrace Seven Principles are: park, includinganimalsthatcallithome. area. Itiseasy to doandallows others to enjoy the when visitingyour parkorany outdoor trail or We encourage you to practice Leave NoTrace Leave NoTrace Peninsula. Daypack/backpack Sunscreen andsunglasses Knife ormulti-purposetool First-aid kit a lightandwhistle Safety items: matches oralighter, Rain gear andextra clothing Extra food Extra water andaway to purify it Map andcompass/GPS Appropriate footwear habitat? How fascinating!

Animals intheirnatural

Calendar Event www.michigan.gov/dnrcalendar Scan code orvisitusonlineat trail camera photos. sightings intheU.P. by useof 2012 theDNRconfirmed cougar disappeared inthe1900s.In Once native to Michigan, cougars Cougar everywhere. Grab hunting! theGPSandstart Michigan’s state parks. Cachesare hidden Geocaching isavery popularactivity in Did youknow? Lake Huron. found inabundance atRockport State Park along The Petoskey Stone--the officialstate stone--can be • for 125years. The boat,called theJ.W. Wescott ll,hasbeenoperating Michiganhastheonlyfloatingpostoffice intheworld. • orstate trail system. State Park, state forest campground, recreation area never• You’re more thanahalfhourfrom aMichigan thefive Great Lakes. istheonlystate thattouches four of • Michigan • Fun StateFacts CENTER FOROUTDOORET carvings madebetween 300and1,000 years ago. Sanilac Petroglyphs Historic Site ishometo rock

Exploring Michigan woods and waters on foot makes you feel at home with nature. HICS

Get off the grid when you stay at the

solar-powered cabin at viewing intheeastern U.P. Park hasgreat moose U.P. Tahquamenon Falls State of moosecountry inthewestern Van RiperState Park isthecenter Moose

Recreation Area.