Yankee Springs Recreation Area
| Yankee Springs Recreation Area | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Location | Yankee Springs Township, Barry County, Michigan, USA |
| Nearest city | Middleville, Michigan |
| Coordinates | 42°36′46″N 85°29′28″W / 42.61278°N 85.49111°WCoordinates: 42°36′46″N 85°29′28″W / 42.61278°N 85.49111°W[1] |
| Area | 5,200 acres (2,100 ha) |
| Established | 1943 |
| Governing body | Michigan Department of Natural Resources |
| Official website | |
Yankee Springs Recreation Area is a state-managed protected area located in Yankee Springs Township in Barry County, Michigan.
The park is 5,200 acres (21 km2) in area. It has 120 rustic, 200 modern and 25 equestrian camping sites, plus two cabins. There are 30 miles (48 km) of cross-county ski/hiking trails, 12 miles (19 km) of mountain biking trails and 9 miles (14 km) of equestrian trails. 6 miles (9.7 km) of the North Country Trail pass through the park. Nine lakes, Gun Lake being the largest, provide fishing, boating and swimming.
Points of interest in the park include the Devil's Soupbowl, a glacially carved kettle formation, Graves Hill Scenic Overlook, The Pines and Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) era buildings.[2][3]
The park is the host of the annual Barry-Roubaix cycling race.
[edit] History
In the 1830s, the Yankee Springs area was opened up for homesteading. By the 1930s the land was eroded and depleted from farming. The federal government acquired the land and the CCC began reforesting the area. In 1943 the land was turned over to the State of Michigan and became a park in the state park system.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ "Yankee Springs Recreation Area". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:1616870. Retrieved July 21, 2008.
- ^ Yankee Springs Recreation Area Michigan Department of Natural Resources
- ^ a b "History, camping at Long Lake". Penasee Globe (Advance Newspapers). May 28, 2010. http://www.mlive.com/penaseeglobe/index.ssf/2010/05/history_camping_at_long_lake.html. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
[edit] External links
- Yankee Springs Recreation Area and Barry State Game Area Michigan Department of Natural Resources
- Yankee Springs Camping Reservations Michigan DNR
- Yankee Springs Recreation Area PackYourGear.com
