The upper Midwest is known for its lakes. Minnesota is called the "Land of 10,000 lakes" and states like Michigan and Wisconsin have a comparable number. And it isn't limited to the upper reaches of those states, but extending to its southern borders and everywhere in between. In the eastern middle section of the Mitten state of Michigan is a state park that is named for lakes that inhabit the area - Seven Lakes State Park. It is over ,1400 acres with beaches, camping, hiking and more. It was recently in the news as the first state park in Michigan to be a "green" state park. More on that below.
But, first, about the park. "We have fishing, boat rentals, hunting, hiking, camping and a lot of other things," says Park Supervisor Andrew Cole. The park is about 15 miles south of Flint and the location is decidedly rural. There is a range of topography, such as hills, forests and lakes that make up the 1400 acres. There are two boat launches, a couple public beaches and 6.5 miles of trails for hiking and biking.
The park was originally purchased by developers in 1967. They built a dam on Swartz Creek to create Decoup Lake from seven smaller lakes. The developers failed in their scheme and ended up selling the land to the state in 1969. The park opened in 1977, with the campground coming in 1992.
All seasons are popular times to visit, but, in terms of camping, the best is mid-spring to mid-fall. "We have 71 sites in our modern campground," says Cole, "And what people really like is the campground has its own private beach."
RV sites at the state park [ Photo/Seven Lakes State Park]
One user reviews the campground, "This is a fabulous campground! There is a boat launch on one end of the campground and the amazing beach on the other. The water is clear and warm (perfect lake for swimming) and there are both sand and grassy areas on the fairly large beach. The beach also offers picnic tables and benches."
Next year, they are going to do an experiment where they winterize the water system, but keep the electricity on and camping available until at least the end of November. "We think it'll be popular with hunters as they can just camp on site and then step out their door and go hunting," says Cole.
This year, they have been getting a lot of visitors recently. "Because of how warm it has stayed, we get a lot of people that come to see the fall colors," says Cole.
Hiking is a popular activity and many folks come in all seasons to check out the park. One user writes, "I hike here a lot and I love this loop. You get a little bit of everything: Beach, lake, easy dirt trail, hills, harder trails with rocks, mud and roots. I wouldn’t call it hard or even moderate but fun. Just enough to get your nature peace on when you don’t have a lot of time."
An important note to remember when hiking is to wear bright colors, especially during hunting season. Folks mention how some of the trails get pretty close to the hunting area so it is important to find a way to be seen just in case.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced an initiative to create "green" public spaces. Whitmer said that the government should lead by example in reducing carbon pollution and promote clean energy. As a result, the government decided to invest in a "green" prison, state park and fish hatchery. The St. Louis Correctional Facility in the middle of the state, the Oden Fish Hatchery in the northern part of the lower peninsula, and Seven Lakes were the ones chosen to pilot the program.
Whitmer said in a statement, “These steps are a win-win for the environment and taxpayers. By improving our government’s environmental footprint while lowering energy costs, we’re able to prove that sustainable practices can and will work across our state from rural, forested locations downtown Detroit.”
Cole says that they had a variety of criteria in place to see which government-owned facilities got the pilot program. "The buildings on the land had to have a good amount of sun exposure for the solar panels and almost all of our buildings are out in the open," says Cole, "They also looked at how many people visit and the property had to be serviced by Consumers Energy."
The project is just in its beginning stages, with a hopeful completion date of December 2020. "We just met with contractors who are currently bidding on the project, but have a long way to go," explains Cole.
Still, it is a promising trend for Michigan. A state park is a perfect place to try and go completely carbon neutral, as it supports keeping protected nature areas wild, free and preserved for many generations to come.
Destinations, Environmental Issues, Michigan, Outdoors, State Parks