Lakeport State Park is a public recreation area on the shores of

Lake Huron Lake Huron ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrology, Hydrologically, it comprises the easterly portion of Lake Michigan–Huron, having the same surface elevation as Lake Michigan, to which it is connected by the , Strait ...

in St. Clair County,

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

. 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 ...

consists of two units on either side of the community of Lakeport within Burtchville Township. Two campgrounds, beachfront, and camp store are on the north side, and a picnic area and beachfront are on the south side.

History

Lakeport State Park was established in 1938 as Port Huron State Park within one mile of the existing Saint Clair (County) State Park (now Burtchville Township Park) north of Lakeport. Land acquisition continued into the 1940s and after a 1946 appropriation of $85,000 for initial improvements, the park (today's North Unit) was officially opened to users in 1947 as Lakeport State Park. (Saint Clair State Park was turned over to Saint Clair County in 1946 due to its proximity to the new state park less than a mile to the south and its small, 17-acre size.) The South Unit was formerly a

United Auto Workers The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers (UAW), is an American labor union that represents workers in the United States (including Puerto Rico ...

retreat, where in 1962, the

Port Huron Statement The Port Huron Statement is a 1962 political manifesto of the American student activist movement Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). It was written by SDS members, and completed on June 15, 1962, at a United Auto Workers (UAW) retreat outside ...

was completed and announced. Approval by the State Conservation Commission to acquire the 200-acre tract for $250,000 was approved on December 3, 1965 with a transfer date for the Michigan DNR to take control of the land the following June 15.

Activities and amenities

The park offers swimming, picnicking, playground, camp store, and campgrounds. The park's day-use area is closed Labor Day through Memorial Day.

References

External links

Lakeport State Park
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Lakeport State Park Map
Michigan Department of Natural Resources State parks of Michigan Protected areas of St. Clair County, Michigan Protected areas established in 1946 1946 establishments in Michigan IUCN Category III {{StClairCountyMI-geo-stub