| Craig Lake State Park | |
|---|---|
  Location in Michigan Show map of Michigan Craig Lake State Park (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Location | Spurr Township,Baraga County, Michigan, United States |
| Nearest city | Marquette, Michigan |
| Coordinates | 46°36′22″N88°11′11″W / 46.60611°N 88.18639°W /46.60611; -88.18639[1] |
| Area | 9,732 acres (3,938 ha) |
| Elevation | 1,706 feet (520 m)[1] |
| Established | 1967[2] |
| Administered by | Michigan Department of Natural Resources |
| Designation | Michigan State Park |
| Website | Official website |
Craig Lake State Park is a remote public recreation area covering 9,732 acres (3,938 ha) inBaraga County in theUpper Peninsula of the state ofMichigan. Thestate park has several lakes that are accessible only by foot or paddling.[3]
The property was once the private preserve ofFrederick Miller, president of theMiller Brewing Company. Miller built cabins that are still in use and named three of the area's lakes after his children Teddy, Craig, and Claire. After Miller's death in 1954, the state, which already owned land in the vicinity, was able to purchase more than two thousand additional acres from his estate in 1956.[4][5][6]
The park grew by nearly 1,300 acres (530 ha) in 2022 when the U.P. Land Conservancy gifted three parcels of pristine highlands wilderness formally known as the Peshekee Headwaters Nature Preserve to the park.[7]
The park's rugged hiking trails include an eight-mile (13 km) loop around Craig Lake and a seven-mile (11 km) stretch of theNorth Country National Scenic Trail. The park also offers rustic camping, fishing formuskellunge andnorthern pike, hunting, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling.[3]
Nearby protected areas include McCormick Wilderness and two areas owned byThe Nature Conservancy: Wilderness Lakes Reserve and Slate River Timberlands.[8]
