Port Crescent State Park
Encyclopedia
Port Crescent State Park is a 600 acres (2.4 km²) state park
in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. The park is located in Huron County
at the tip of The Thumb
of Michigan. The park is within Hume Township
and the nearest community is Port Austin
, approximately three miles northeast of the park on M-25
.
The ghost town
of Port Crescent is at the mouth of the Pinnebog River
on Lake Huron
and is part of the park.
Recreational equipment can be rented.
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...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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"....
. The park is located in Huron County
Huron County, Michigan
-Highways:* M-19* M-25* M-53* M-142-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 36,079 people, 14,597 households, and 10,144 families residing in the county. The population density was 43 people per square mile . There were 20,430 housing units at an average density of 24 per square mile...
at the tip of The Thumb
The Thumb
The Thumb is a region and a peninsula of Michigan, so named because the Lower Peninsula is shaped like a mitten; thus the Thumb is the area that looks like the thumb of the mitten. The Thumb is generally considered to be in the Mid-Michigan area of the state, located east of Flint/Tri-Cities...
of Michigan. The park is within Hume Township
Hume Township, Michigan
Hume Township is a civil township of Huron County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 801. The township is named after the first white settler in the area, Walter Hume, who arrived and built the first house in the 1850s...
and the nearest community is Port Austin
Port Austin, Michigan
Port Austin is a village in Huron County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 737 at the 2000 census. The village is within Port Austin Township.-Geography:...
, approximately three miles northeast of the park on M-25
M-25 (Michigan highway)
M-25 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan. The route follows an arc-like shape closely along the Lake Huron shore of the Thumb in the eastern Lower Peninsula between Port Huron and Bay City. It serves the lakeshore resorts along Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay and generally lies...
.
The ghost town
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
of Port Crescent is at the mouth of the Pinnebog River
Pinnebog River
The Pinnebog River is a river in the Thumb region of the U.S. state of Michigan. The river flows into Lake Huron on the west side of the "tip" of the "thumb"....
on 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...
and is part of the park.
Facilities and activities
- Swimming: There is swimming available in Saginaw Bay at the mouth of the Pinnebog River.
- PlaygroundPlaygroundA playground or play area is a place with a specific design for children be able to play there. It may be indoors but is typically outdoors...
- HikingHikingHiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
: An array of hiking trails total seven miles, and a walk along the beaches is also possible. - FishingFishingFishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
. A day-use fishing deck on the Pinnebog River offers universal accessibility. - Picnicking
- Picnic Area
- Picnic Shelter
- CampingCampingCamping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
: There are 137 campsites and a mini cabin available for use throughout the spring and summer into the fall. - BoatingBoatingBoating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or water skiing...
: Canoes can be rented from a nearby livery. - HuntingHuntingHunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
- Cross-country skiingCross-country skiingCross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
Recreational equipment can be rented.
External links
- Port Crescent State Park 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...
- Port Crescent State Park: Wildlife Viewing Guide Michigan DNR
- Port Crescent State Park Protected Planet (World Database on Protected Areas)
- Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University, Bibliography on Huron County