Craig Lake State Park

History

The property was once the private preserve of Frederick 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.

The park grew by nearly 1300 acre in 2022 when the U.P. Land Conservancy gifted three parcels of pristine highlands wilderness formally known as the Peshekee Headwaters Nature Preserve to the park.

Activities and amenities

The park's rugged hiking trails include an 8 mi loop around Craig Lake and a 7 mi 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.

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

References

References

1. {{cite gnis. 623951. Craig Lake
2. "Craig Lake State Park". Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
3. "When were Michigan state parks and recreation areas established?". Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
4. Lowe, Ken. (June 5, 1970). "Craig Lake State Park to be wilderness area". The Evening News.
5. Pepin, John. (December 1, 2017). "Outdoors provides break from holiday madness". The Mining Journal.
6. Bingham, Emily. (September 19, 2019). "Tragedy gave Michigan its most remote state park on lake named after Miller beer heir". Advance Local Media.
7. (December 6, 2021). "The Nature Conservancy acquires over 10,000 acres in U.P.". Gray Local Media.
8. "Craig Lake State Park". UP Land Conservancy.