Harrisville State Park
Encyclopedia
Harrisville State Park is a heavily wooded state park
on the shore of Lake Huron
. It is located on U.S. Route 23 in Harrisville
, Alcona County
, Michigan
. Established on a mere 6 acre (0.02428116 km²) in 1921, it is one of the oldest parks in the Michigan State Park system, today encompassing some 107 acre (0.43301402 km²). There were an estimated 151,273 visits to the park in 1996.
The Cedar Run Nature Trail is a 2 miles (3.2 km) trail that was cut through the forested areas of the park as early as 1945 and takes about 1 hour to walk. Other features include a swimming beach, beach house, picnic area, softball diamond, horseshoe pits, volleyball court, basketball court, children's playground, and group shelter.
The park does not offer any facilities for boating or fishing. However, there is a boat ramp in Harrisville that allows direct access to Lake Huron.
This is considered to be an important location for birders, especially as large and varied migratory populations move in and through it.
It is "dog friendly."
On the last Saturday in July, the park hosts an annual sand sculpture contest.
The park also hosts periodic community events, such as hunter education courses.
The Harrisville State Park offers bike rentals. The new program coincides with the opening of the new "Alcona Heritage Route Multi-use Trail." The trail is a three-quarter mile paved, multi-use trail heading out of the park and connects to the remainder of the trail leading into Harrisville.
species on a good day. Other species of birds may include nuthatch
es, woodpecker
s, wren
s, thrush
es, vireo
s, and sparrow
s.
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
on the shore of Lake Huron
Lake Huron
Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...
. It is located on U.S. Route 23 in Harrisville
Harrisville, Michigan
Harrisville is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Alcona County. The population was 493 at the 2010 census. The city is surrounded by Harrisville Township, but is administratively autonomous...
, Alcona County
Alcona County, Michigan
Alcona County is a county of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the population is 11,719. Its county seat is Harrisville. Alphabetically it is the first county in Michigan, as its flag states "First of the 83".-History:...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. Established on a mere 6 acre (0.02428116 km²) in 1921, it is one of the oldest parks in the Michigan State Park system, today encompassing some 107 acre (0.43301402 km²). There were an estimated 151,273 visits to the park in 1996.
Camping and features
Harrisville State Park features 229 campground sites, two modern bathhouses, and two mini-cabins with electricity, a fire ring, and an outdoor grill. 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.The Cedar Run Nature Trail is a 2 miles (3.2 km) trail that was cut through the forested areas of the park as early as 1945 and takes about 1 hour to walk. Other features include a swimming beach, beach house, picnic area, softball diamond, horseshoe pits, volleyball court, basketball court, children's playground, and group shelter.
The park does not offer any facilities for boating or fishing. However, there is a boat ramp in Harrisville that allows direct access to Lake Huron.
This is considered to be an important location for birders, especially as large and varied migratory populations move in and through it.
It is "dog friendly."
On the last Saturday in July, the park hosts an annual sand sculpture contest.
The park also hosts periodic community events, such as hunter education courses.
The Harrisville State Park offers bike rentals. The new program coincides with the opening of the new "Alcona Heritage Route Multi-use Trail." The trail is a three-quarter mile paved, multi-use trail heading out of the park and connects to the remainder of the trail leading into Harrisville.
Birds and other 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 warblerNew World warbler
The New World warblers or wood-warblers are a group of small, often colorful, passerine birds restricted to the New World. They are not related to the Old World warblers or the Australian warblers....
species on a good day. Other species of birds may include nuthatch
Nuthatch
The nuthatches are a genus, Sitta, of small passerine birds belonging to the family Sittidae. Characterised by large heads, short tails, and powerful bills and feet, nuthatches advertise their territory using loud, simple songs...
es, woodpecker
Woodpecker
Woodpeckers are near passerine birds of the order Piciformes. They are one subfamily in the family Picidae, which also includes the piculets and wrynecks. They are found worldwide and include about 180 species....
s, wren
Wren
The wrens are passerine birds in the mainly New World family Troglodytidae. There are approximately 80 species of true wrens in approximately 20 genera....
s, thrush
Thrush (bird)
The thrushes, family Turdidae, are a group of passerine birds that occur worldwide.-Characteristics:Thrushes are plump, soft-plumaged, small to medium-sized birds, inhabiting wooded areas, and often feed on the ground or eat small fruit. The smallest thrush may be the Forest Rock-thrush, at and...
es, vireo
Vireo
The vireos are a group of small to medium-sized passerine birds restricted to the New World. They are typically dull-plumaged and greenish in color, the smaller species resembling wood warblers apart from their heavier bills...
s, and sparrow
Sparrow
The sparrows are a family of small passerine birds, Passeridae. They are also known as true sparrows, or Old World sparrows, names also used for a genus of the family, Passer...
s.
External links
- Map of Harrisville State Park from Michigan Department of Natural ResourcesMichigan Department of Natural ResourcesThe Michigan Department of Natural Resources is the agency of the state of Michigan charged with maintaining natural resources such as state parks, state forests, and recreation areas. It is governed by a director appointed by the Governor and accepted by the Natural Resources Commission...
- Michigan Hiking Trails, list and links.
- Harrisville State Park, StateParks.com