Port Crescent State Park

Port Crescent State Park
Map showing the location of Port Crescent State Park
Location in Michigan
Location Hume Township, Huron County, Michigan, USA
Nearest city Port Austin, Michigan
Coordinates 44°00′17″N 83°03′18″W / 44.00472°N 83.05500°W / 44.00472; -83.05500Coordinates: 44°00′17″N 83°03′18″W / 44.00472°N 83.05500°W / 44.00472; -83.05500 [1]
Area 640 acres (2.6 km2)
Elevation 587 feet (179 m) [1]
Designation Michigan State Park
Established 1959
Governing body Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Website Port Crescent State Park

Port Crescent State Park is a public recreation area on Lake Huron five miles (8.0 km) southwest of Port Austin in Huron County at the tip of The Thumb of Michigan.[2] The state park covers 640 acres (260 ha) along state route M-25 in Hume Township. The park occupies the site of Port Crescent, a ghost town which once stood at the mouth of the Pinnebog River.[3][4] The park was designated a Michigan "dark sky preserve" in 2012.[5]

History

The park's first 240 acres were purchased by the state in 1956, with official establishment of the park occurring in 1959. One of the last visible remnants of the vanished town of Port Crescent, the 120-foot-tall Pack & Woods Sawmill chimney, was razed in 1961, despite the objections of residents who felt the loss of the local landmark. The park was expanded with the purchase of an additional 455 acres in 1977.[3]

Activities and amenities

The state park offers swimming, picnicking, canoeing, fishing, 7 miles (11 km) of hiking trails, cross-country skiing, and a 142-site campground and cabin.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 "Port Crescent State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  2. 1 2 "Port Crescent State Park". Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  3. 1 2 "DRAFT General Management Plan – Port Crescent State Park - Appendix A – Supporting Analysis" (PDF). Birchler Arroyo Associates. 2011. p. A-7. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  4. ↑ Foster, Mary Jane. Port Crescent: A Ghost Town. Central Michigan University Term Paper, 1968.
  5. ↑ Hicks, Mark (April 8, 2016). "Michigan's dark sky sites take the spotlight". Detroit News. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
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