Negwegon State Park is an undeveloped public recreation area on

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 ...

lying southeast of the unincorporated community of Ossineke in Alpena County and Alcona 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 ...

's occupy the southern tip of

Thunder Bay Thunder Bay is a city in and the seat of Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada. It is the most populous municipality in Northwestern Ontario and the second most populous (after Greater Sudbury) municipality in Northern Ontario; its population ...

, across the water from the city of Alpena. The park includes lowland areas with small ridges, mature pine forest, open meadows, and a long sand beach. It is administered by the

Michigan Department of Natural Resources The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) 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 a ...

with support from the volunteer "Friends of Negwegon."

History

First purchase of land for the park, then known as Alpena State Park, occurred in 1962. Its name was changed in 1970 at the behest of the local citizenry who thought it appropriate for the park to honor the

Ojibwe The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains. According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...

chieftain known to have hunted and camped in the area. In 2016, Negwegon State Park, Thompson's Harbor State Park, and Rockport State Park were designated as Michigan "

dark sky preserve A dark-sky preserve (DSP) is an area, usually surrounding a park or observatory, that restricts artificial light pollution. The purpose of the dark-sky movement is generally to promote astronomy. However, astronomy is certainly not the only obje ...

s." The Besser Planetarium (from Alpena) hosts celestial viewing events from time to time at the park.

Activities and amenities

The park offers of hiking trails, primitive camping sites, canoeing, and hunting. The sand road that cuts through the forest and leads to the entrance of the park may require a

4WD Four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, refers to a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer case ...

All-wheel drive An all-wheel drive vehicle (AWD vehicle) is one with a powertrain capable of providing power to all its wheels, whether full-time or on-demand. The most common forms of all-wheel drive are: ;1x1 : All unicycles Reflecting one axle with one w ...

vehicle. At the boundary between private/county land and state land, the thin sand two-track road, Sand Hill Wilds Road, becomes a very wide groomed gravel road, Negwegon Park Road. Negwegon trail

References

External links

Negwegon State Park
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Negwegon State Park Map
Michigan Department of Natural Resources {{authority control State parks of Michigan Protected areas of Alpena County, Michigan Protected areas of Alcona County, Michigan Protected areas established in 1962 1962 establishments in Michigan IUCN Category III