Thompson's Harbor State Park is a remote and largely 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 ...
covering in
Presque Isle County
Presque Isle County ( ') is a county in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 12,982. The county seat is Rogers City. The county was authorized by state legislative action on April 1, 1840 ...
,
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 of pristine shoreline encompass a varying terrain of second growth forest, limestone cobble beaches, and deep sand dunes.[ The park's flora and fauna include a large population of ]dwarf lake iris
''Iris lacustris'', the dwarf lake iris, is a plant species in the genus ''Iris'', subgenus '' Limniris'' and in the section ''Lophiris'' (crested irises). It is a rhizomatous, beardless perennial plant, native to the Great Lakes region of easte ...
as well as more than one hundred bird species, coyotes, deer
Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the reindeer ...
, and possibly black bear.[ The park offers of trails for hikers and cross-country skiers, rustic cabins, and opportunities for sea kayaking.][ The park was designated a 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 ...
" in 2016.[
]
Gallery
File:Thompson's Harbor State Park 11.jpg, Lake Huron Shoreline in the park
File:Thompson's Harbor State Park 10.jpg, The main walking trail
File:Thompson's Harbor State Park 9.jpg, Swampy inlet
File:Thompson's Harbor State Park 8.jpg, Cedar flat
File:Thompson's Harbor State Park 5.jpg, Lake Huron seen from park shore
File:Thompson's Harbor State Park 6.jpg, Cedar marsh
File:Thompson's Harbor State Park 3.jpg
File:Thompson's Harbor State Park 4.jpg, View of the park's conifer forest cover
File:Thompson's Harbor State Park 2.jpg, Under the canopy of the cedar forest
References
External links
Thompson's Harbor State Park
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Thompson's Harbor State Park Map
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
{{authority control
State parks of Michigan
Protected areas of Presque Isle County, Michigan
Protected areas established in 1988
1988 establishments in Michigan
IUCN Category III
Lake Huron