Metamora-Hadley State Recreation Area is a state-managed protected area

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...

 located in Hadley Township

Hadley Township, Michigan

Hadley Township is a civil township of Lapeer County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,655 at the 2000 census.- Communities :...

 in Lapeer County

Lapeer County, Michigan

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 87,904 people, 30,729 households, and 23,876 families residing in the county. The population density was 134 people per square mile . There were 32,732 housing units at an average density of 50 per square mile...

, northwest of Detroit

Detroit, Michigan

Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...

. It is located eight miles south of the city of Lapeer

Lapeer, Michigan

Lapeer is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is the county seat of Lapeer County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,841. Most of the city was incorporated from land that was formerly in Lapeer Township, though portions were also annexed from Mayfield Township and Elba...

. The closest urban community is the village of Metamora, Michigan

Metamora, Michigan

Metamora is a village in Lapeer County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 507 at the 2000 census. The village is located within Metamora Township.-Geography:...

, which lies to its east and is its postal address

Address (geography)

An address is a collection of information, presented in a mostly fixed format, used for describing the location of a building, apartment, or other structure or a plot of land, generally using political boundaries and street names as references, along with other identifiers such as house or...

.

The park is 723 acres (2.9 km²) in area and has 214 camping sites which are composed of a "north" and "south" campground, and one cabin. The north campground has larger lots, which can accommodate larger trailers than the south campground. There is a six mile (10 km) nature trail

Trail

A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...

, as well as picnic areas, beach with boat rentals, and a camp store. The recreation area lies around Lake Minnewanna, an 80 acres (323,748.8 m²) man-made lake

Water reservoir

A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...

.

History

In its first stages, Metamora was laid out differently than it is today. The original beach was where the current north campground is, and the present-day beach was forest. The drive behind the campground host spot was the original location of the dumping station. Lake Minnewanna was made by damming the creek that flows through the area.

External links

• Metamora-Hadley Recreation Area Michigan Department of Natural Resources
  Michigan Department of Natural Resources
  The 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...
  
  
• Map of Metamora-Hadley Recreation Area Michigan DNR