Tawas Point State Park
Encyclopedia
Tawas Point State Park is a Michigan
state park
located in Northern
Michigan
near the city of East Tawas. It is just over an hour drive from the Saginaw and Bay City
area and a little over three hours from the Detroit area. The park contains 183 acre (0.74057538 km²) situated on the end of a sand spit that forms Tawas Bay
. It has been referred to as the "Cape Cod
of the Midwest." The campground is located on Tawas Bay where the water is shallow and warm for swimming. Located within the park is the Tawas Point Light
. Although it has been remodeled several times, the station serves as the sole representative of a true Victorian
-era style station built on the Great Lakes. The Lighthouse is now open for tours and climbing with a small gift shop on site; it is also possible to stay in the keeper
's quarters.
This is considered to be an especially good locale for birding. It is said to be the most important "migrant trap" in the Saginaw Bay
area, and 297 species have been seen in and around the park. A fairly complete list of migratory birds that frequent the area is available. Described as a "bird watchers' paradise," it has also been officially recognized as an important bird area
by the National Audubon Society
because it "[s]upports an incredible diversity and abundance of passerine
migrants each spring and fall."
Tawas Point Celebration Days is a family-oriented celebration of American
heritage
held the second weekend in June. There are many activities, including historical and educational displays, lighthouse tours, demonstrations of traditional crafts (e.g., blacksmithing, children's activities, fishing
derby, guided hikes, muzzle loader demonstrations, period encampments with reenactors in period dress, spinning
, traditional music
, weaving
, and wood carving
. The weekend is sponsored by the Friends of Tawas Point State Park.
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"....
state park
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 Northern
Northern Michigan
Northern Michigan, also known as Northern Lower Michigan , is a region of the U.S. state of Michigan...
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"....
near the city of East Tawas. It is just over an hour drive from the Saginaw and Bay City
Bay City
-Places:Australia* Westfield Bay City, a shopping centre in Geelong, VictoriaPhilippines* Bay City , the reclamation area of Metro Manila in the PhilippinesUnited States* Bay City, Pope County, Illinois* Bay City, Michigan...
area and a little over three hours from the Detroit area. The park contains 183 acre (0.74057538 km²) situated on the end of a sand spit that forms Tawas Bay
Bay
A bay is an area of water mostly surrounded by land. Bays generally have calmer waters than the surrounding sea, due to the surrounding land blocking some waves and often reducing winds. Bays also exist as an inlet in a lake or pond. A large bay may be called a gulf, a sea, a sound, or a bight...
. It has been referred to as the "Cape Cod
Cape Cod
Cape Cod, often referred to locally as simply the Cape, is a cape in the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts, in the Northeastern United States...
of the Midwest." The campground is located on Tawas Bay where the water is shallow and warm for swimming. Located within the park is the Tawas Point Light
Tawas Point Light
Tawas Point Light is located in the Tawas Point State Park off Tawas Bay in Lake Huron in Baldwin Township in Northern Michigan.-History:In 1850, Congress appropriated $5,000 for the construction of a lighthouse. In 1852, construction started, and the lighthouse was commissioned in 1853. After the...
. Although it has been remodeled several times, the station serves as the sole representative of a true Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
-era style station built on the Great Lakes. The Lighthouse is now open for tours and climbing with a small gift shop on site; it is also possible to stay in the keeper
Lighthouse keeper
A lighthouse keeper is the person responsible for tending and caring for a lighthouse, particularly the light and lens in the days when oil lamps and clockwork mechanisms were used. Keepers were needed to trim the wicks, replenish fuel, wind clockworks and perform maintenance tasks such as cleaning...
's quarters.
This is considered to be an especially good locale for birding. It is said to be the most important "migrant trap" in the Saginaw Bay
Saginaw Bay
Saginaw Bay is a bay within Lake Huron located on the eastern side of the U.S. state of Michigan. It forms the space between Michigan's Thumb region and the rest of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. Saginaw Bay is in area...
area, and 297 species have been seen in and around the park. A fairly complete list of migratory birds that frequent the area is available. Described as a "bird watchers' paradise," it has also been officially recognized as an important bird area
Important Bird Area
An Important Bird Area is an area recognized as being globally important habitat for the conservation of bird populations. Currently there are about 10,000 IBAs worldwide. The program was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife International...
by the National Audubon Society
National Audubon Society
The National Audubon Society is an American non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation. Incorporated in 1905, Audubon is one of the oldest of such organizations in the world and uses science, education and grassroots advocacy to advance its conservation mission...
because it "[s]upports an incredible diversity and abundance of passerine
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
migrants each spring and fall."
Tawas Point Celebration Days is a family-oriented celebration of American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
heritage
Cultural heritage
Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations...
held the second weekend in June. There are many activities, including historical and educational displays, lighthouse tours, demonstrations of traditional crafts (e.g., blacksmithing, children's activities, fishing
Fishing
Fishing 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....
derby, guided hikes, muzzle loader demonstrations, period encampments with reenactors in period dress, spinning
Spinning (textiles)
Spinning is a major industry. It is part of the textile manufacturing process where three types of fibre are converted into yarn, then fabric, then textiles. The textiles are then fabricated into clothes or other artifacts. There are three industrial processes available to spin yarn, and a...
, traditional music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, weaving
Weaving
Weaving is a method of fabric production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. The other methods are knitting, lace making and felting. The longitudinal threads are called the warp and the lateral threads are the weft or filling...
, and wood carving
Wood carving
Wood carving is a form of working wood by means of a cutting tool in one hand or a chisel by two hands or with one hand on a chisel and one hand on a mallet, resulting in a wooden figure or figurine, or in the sculptural ornamentation of a wooden object...
. The weekend is sponsored by the Friends of Tawas Point State Park.
External links
- Tawas Point 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...
- Tawas Birdwatching Nordic Sports
- Tawas Point State Park Wildernet
- Tawas Point State Park Protected Planet (World Database on Protected Areas)