Harrisville State Park
| Harrisville State Park | |
|---|---|
 Park beach on Lake Huron | |
  Location in Michigan | |
| Location | Harrisville, Michigan Alcona County, Michigan |
| Coordinates | 44°38′58″N 83°17′35″W / 44.64944°N 83.29306°W [1] |
| Area | 107 acres (43 ha) |
| Elevation | 587 feet (179 m) [1] |
| Established | 1921 |
| Visitors | 151,273 (in 1996 [2]) |
| Governing body | Michigan Department of Natural Resources |
| Website | Harrisville State Park |
Harrisville State Park is a public recreation area covering 107 acres (43 ha) on the shore of Lake Huron off U.S. Route 23 in Harrisville, Alcona County, Michigan.[3] The state park was established at six acres (2.4 ha) in 1921 and was among the first 25 parks created following the inception of the Michigan State Parks Commission in 1919.[4][5]
Wildlife
As with most places along the shores of Lake Huron, Harrisville State Park offers outstanding birding opportunities in May. It is not unusual to find over a dozen warbler species on a good day. Other species of birds may include nuthatches, woodpeckers, wrens, thrushes, vireos, and sparrows.[6]
Activities and amenities
Harrisville State Park features 195 campground sites, one modern bathhouse, and two mini-cabins with electricity, a fire ring, and an outdoor grill.[7] Each cabin is furnished with two sets of bunk beds and a table. The mini-cabins are designed to sleep four comfortably. Camping facilities are open from April 15 to November 1.[7]
The Cedar Run Nature Trail is a 2-mile (3.2 km) trail that was cut through the forested areas of the park as early as 1945[7] and takes about 1 hour to walk.[3] Other features include a swimming beach, beach house, picnic area, softball diamond, horseshoe pits, volleyball court, basketball court, children's playground, and group shelter.[7]
The park does not offer any facilities for boating or fishing, with the exception of a carry-down beach access launch for kayaks and canoes. However, there is a boat ramp in Harrisville that allows direct access to Lake Huron.[7]
heavily wooded This is considered to be an important location for birders, especially as large and varied migratory populations move in and through it.[6]
A section of beach north of the campers area is pet friendly.[3]
The park hosts periodic community events, such as hunter education courses.[8]
The Harrisville State Park offers bike rentals, in coordination with the opening of the Alcona Heritage Route Multi-use Trail. The trail is a three-quarter mile paved, multi-use trail out of the park that connects to the trail to Harrisville.[3][9]
Gallery
References
- ^ a b "Harrisville State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ "Alcona County Tourism Profile" (PDF). Travel, Resource, and Recreation Center of Michigan State University. 1998. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 30, 2003. Retrieved June 23, 2007.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|authors=ignored (help) - ^ a b c d "Harrisville State Park". Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
- ^ "Connections: Strategic Plan 2017–2022" (PDF). Michigan Department of Natural Resources. p. 28. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
- ^ "Annual Report". American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society. 1921. p. 145. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
- ^ a b "Alcona County Birding Locations". Birds-n-Such. Archived from the original on July 25, 2008. Retrieved June 23, 2007.
- ^ a b c d e "Profile for Harrisville State Park". The Weather Channel. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved June 23, 2007.
- ^ "Harrisville State Park - Hunter Education Weekend". Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
- ^ Alcona Review, June 28, 2010.
External links
- Harrisville State Park Michigan Department of Natural Resources
- Harrisville State Park Map Michigan Department of Natural Resources
