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Mitchell State Park

Park in Michigan, USA

Summary

Park in Michigan, USA

Field	Value
name	William Mitchell State Park
photo	Mitchell State Park (May 2017).jpg
photo_caption	Clam Lake Canal with campground on the right
photo_width	280
map	USA Michigan#USA
map_caption	Location in Michigan
map_width	280
relief	1
location	Cadillac, Wexford County, Michigan, United States
coordinates
elevation	1289 ft
area	660 acre
designation	Michigan state park
established	1920
free_label	Named for
free_data	William W. Mitchell
visitation_num	155,633
visitation_year	1996
administrator	Michigan Department of Natural Resources
website

William Mitchell State Park is a public recreation area covering 660 acre on the southwest side of Cadillac in northern lower Michigan. The state park is located between Lake Mitchell and Lake Cadillac. The historic Clam Lake Canal, approximately one-third of a mile in length, connects the two lakes and runs directly through the park. Dug in 1873 at the direction of city father George A. Mitchell, the canal allowed felled trees to be floated from Lake Mitchell to lumber mills on Lake Cadillac.

History

The park bears the name of William W. Mitchell, who during the 1890s operated sawmills in the area as co-owner of the Cobbs and Mitchell Mill No. 1, and who was a nephew of city founder George Mitchell. Under the name Cadillac State Park, it was among 13 parks established in 1920 following the creation of the Michigan State Parks Commission a year earlier. The park's "prime real estate" was donated by Mitchell's widow, Ellen, who requested the park be named in her late husband's honor.

Features

The park is home to Carl T. Johnson Hunting and Fishing Center which documents the history of hunting and fishing, offers seminars, workshops and audio-visual presentations, and includes an exhibit hall which displays local wildlife species.

Activities and amenities

The park offers a campground with 221 sites, cabins, two boat launches, playground, beach, picnicking facilities, and fishing for perch, walleye, panfish, and bass. The 2.5 mi Heritage Nature Trail runs through a woodland and marsh environment. The trail, mostly a woodchip path with a series of bridges and boardwalks, provides a study area supporting a variety of plants and wildlife. Winter activities include snowmobiling, ice fishing, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing.

Images

File:Carl T Johnson Hunting and Fishing Center.jpg| File:Mitchell State Park signage (July 2022).jpg| File:Mitchell State Park canal (July 2022).jpg| File:Mitchell State Park beachfront (Michigan).jpg|

References

"Mitchell State Park". Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
"Michigan DNR celebrates 100 years of state parks". Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
"When were Michigan state parks and recreation areas established?". Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
"Carl T. Johnson Hunting and Fishing Center". Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
"Lake Mitchell Facts & History". Lake Mitchell Improvement Board.
"Biennial Report of the Department of Conservation of the State of Michigan 1921–1922".
Walter Romig. (1986). "Michigan Place Names". Wayne State University Press.
(March 1, 2016). "Who's who behind Michigan's named state parks.". Historical Society of Michigan.

Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

state-parks-of-michigan protected-areas-of-wexford-county,-michigan protected-areas-established-in-1920 1920-establishments-in-michigan

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