Charles Mears State Park is a public recreation area in the village of
Pentwater,
Oceana County,
Michigan. The
state park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national 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 ...
encompasses on the north side of the channel that connects
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that o ...
and
Pentwater Lake
Pentwater Lake is a water body adjacent to the village of Pentwater, Michigan. Its primary inlet is the Pentwater River; its outlet is a man-made channel flowing into Lake Michigan.
Pentwater Lake has a surface area of 431 acres, a maximum dept ...
.
[
]
History
Mears State Park was among 13 parks established in 1920 following the creation of the Michigan State Parks Commission a year earlier.[ The park land, which was once owned by lumber baron ]Charles Mears
Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was "f ...
, was donated to the state by his daughter Carrie Mears.[ The park originally comprised only 16 acres "strictly made up of lake sand."][ In 1921, the vegetation that held the sand in place was disturbed during a grading process, resulting in a loss of sand to the winds, much to the annoyance of neighboring dwellers. To cure the man-made problem, five tons of marsh hay were "evenly distributed and disked in." A toilet and fireplaces were also constructed.][
]
Activities and amenities
In addition to fishing, swimming, camping, and picnicking, the park offers a one-mile (1.6 km) hiking trail that ascends the Old Baldy sand dune.[
]
References
External links
Mears State Park
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Mears State Park Map
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
{{authority control
State parks of Michigan
Protected areas of Oceana County, Michigan
Protected areas established in 1920
1920 establishments in Michigan
IUCN Category III
Beaches of Michigan