Craig Lake State Park is a remote public recreation area covering 8,459 acres (3,423 ha) in Baraga County in the Upper Peninsula of the state of Michigan. The state park has several lakes that are accessible only by foot or paddling.[4]

Craig Lake State Park
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)[1]
Map showing the location of Craig Lake State Park
Map showing the location of Craig Lake State Park
Location in Michigan
Map showing the location of Craig Lake State Park
Map showing the location of Craig Lake State Park
Craig Lake State Park (the United States)
LocationSpurr Township,
Baraga County, Michigan
Nearest townNestoria, Michigan
Coordinates46°36′00″N 88°11′15″W / 46.60000°N 88.18750°W / 46.60000; -88.18750[2]
Area8,459 acres (3,423 ha)
Elevation1,716 feet (523 m) [2]
DesignationMichigan State Park
Established1967 [3]
AdministratorMichigan Department of Natural Resources
WebsiteOfficial website

History edit

The property was once the private preserve of Fred Miller, president of the Miller Brewing Company. Miller built cabins that are still in use and named three of the area's lakes after his children Teddy, Craig, and Claire. After Miller's death in 1954, the state, which already owned land in the vicinity, was able to purchase more than two thousand additional acres from his estate in 1956.[5][6][7]

Activities and amenities edit

The park's rugged hiking trails include an eight-mile (13 km) loop around Craig Lake and a seven-mile (11 km) stretch of the North Country National Scenic Trail. The park also offers rustic camping, fishing for muskellunge and northern pike, hunting, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling.[4]

Nearby protected areas include McCormick Wilderness and two areas owned by The Nature Conservancy: Wilderness Lakes Reserve and Slate River Timberlands.[8]

References edit

  1. ^ "Craig Lake State Park". Protected Planet. IUCN. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Craig Lake State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  3. ^ "When were Michigan state parks and recreation areas established?" (PDF). Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Craig Lake State Park". Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved September 26, 2011.
  5. ^ Lowe, Ken (June 5, 1970). "Craig Lake State Park to be wilderness area". The Evening News. Sault Ste. Maria, Mich. Archived from the original on February 17, 2018. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  6. ^ Pepin, John (December 1, 2017). "Outdoors provides break from holiday madness". The Mining Journal. Marquette, Mich. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  7. ^ Bingham, Emily (September 19, 2019). "Tragedy gave Michigan its most remote state park on lake named after Miller beer heir". MLive. Advance Local Media. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
  8. ^ "The Nature Conservancy acquires over 10,000 acres in U.P." uppermichiganssource.com. Retrieved December 7, 2021.

External links edit