Hartwick Pines State Park
Encyclopedia
Hartwick Pines State Park is a 9,672 acre (39.2 km²) State Park
in the US state of Michigan
, located in Crawford County
near Grayling
and Interstate 75
. It is the third largest state park on Michigan's Lower Peninsula and the state's fifth-biggest park overall. The park contains an old growth forest of white pines
and red pine
s that resembles the appearance of all of Northern Michigan prior to the logging era.
The state accepted the gift and worked with the Civilian Conservation Corps
(CCC) to build the Hartwick Pines Logging Museum adjacent to the grove. The museum was erected in 1934–1935. It contains recreated exhibit rooms, photographs and artifacts of the lumber boom years of northern Michigan. The museum is located in two replica logging camp buildings and also contains outdoor exhibits of logging equipment and an enclosed steam-powered sawmill that is operated during summer special events. The Logging Museum is administered by the Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries
' Michigan Historical Museum.
The last remaining virgin maple and beech hardwood forest in the state is at Warren Woods State Park
.
On November 11, 1940, the Armistice Day Blizzard
badly damaged the Hartwick Pines old-growth pine grove. 36 acres (0.15 km²) of old trees were destroyed by windthrow
from this and other storms, leaving behind the 49 acres (198,296.1 m²) that remain alive as of 2007.
The Michigan Forest Visitor Center opened in 1995 and is a year-round facility. The building contains an exhibit hall on the history of the forests in Michigan, an auditorium, classroom space, a bookstore operated by the non-profit Friends of Hartwick Pines and restrooms.
A State Park Motor Vehicle Permit fee is charged to enter the park. Visitors are encouraged to park at the visitor center and walk an accessible trail
to the big trees. The Old Growth Forest Trail to the pine grove is a loop 1¼ miles (2 km) long. The Old Growth Forest is an even-aged stand of pines estimated to be between 350–375 years old. The tallest trees are between 150–160 feet tall, and have a girth of more than four feet DBH (Diameter at breast height). These Eastern White Pine are some of the largest trees in the eastern United States.
Hartwick Pines State Park also contains a campground, a day use area, and a network of four-season trails for summer hiking and winter cross-country skiing
. The park offers a number of programs and special events throughout the entire year.
There are two foot trails on the south side of M-93. The wooded Au Sable River foot trail is approximately three miles in length and takes hikers across the East Branch at two different locations. The Mertz Grade Trail winds through forest and field for approximately two miles and was named for the early logging railroad spur it shares for a portion of its distance. Sallin Hansen Lumber Company heavily logged much of the property within Hartwick Pines State Park during the 1880’s and 1890’s. The Civilian Conservation Corps planted many of the park's trees in the 1930's as part of a massive restoration effort. Hence, this forest is known as “second growth.” There are four small lakes located within the State Park. Two of the lakes were originally named Bright and Star Lake. However, there were too many Star Lakes so they settled on Bright and Glory Lake.
The Visitor Center has an auditorium that can seat 105 people and an extraordinary nine-projector multi-image slide show. The show is approximately 14 minutes long and shares the story of logging from past right up until today. The Auditorium is used for my presentations and programs.
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state 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 beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
in the US state of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, located in Crawford County
Crawford County, Michigan
See also: List of counties bordering eight counties-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 14,273 people, 5,625 households, and 4,038 families residing in the county. The population density was 26 people per square mile . There were 10,042 housing units at an average density of 18 per...
near Grayling
Grayling, Michigan
Grayling is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Crawford County. The population was 1,952 at the 2000 census. Grayling takes its name from the Grayling fish that was once prevalent in its lakes and streams....
and Interstate 75
Interstate 75
Interstate 75 is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. It travels from State Road 826 and State Road 924 in Hialeah, Florida to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, at the Ontario, Canada, border...
. It is the third largest state park on Michigan's Lower Peninsula and the state's fifth-biggest park overall. The park contains an old growth forest of white pines
Eastern White Pine
Pinus strobus, commonly known as the eastern white pine, is a large pine native to eastern North America, occurring from Newfoundland west to Minnesota and southeastern Manitoba, and south along the Appalachian Mountains to the northern edge of Georgia.It is occasionally known as simply white pine,...
and red pine
Red Pine
Pinus resinosa, commonly known as the red pine or Norway pine, is pine native to North America. The Red Pine occurs from Newfoundland west to Manitoba, and south to Pennsylvania, with several smaller, disjunct populations occurring in the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia and West Virginia, as well...
s that resembles the appearance of all of Northern Michigan prior to the logging era.
Hartwick Pines Logging Museum
The Hartwick Pines are a 49 acre (0.2 km²) old-growth remnant of a pine grove that was withdrawn from logging by a local timbering firm in 1927. At that time, very little old-growth pine remained in northern Michigan. One of the heirs of the firm's original owners, Karen Michelson Hartwick, donated the grove, which was then 85 acres (0.35 km²) in size, and 8,000 surrounding acres (32.4 km²) of cutover land to the state of Michigan as a memorial to the logging industry.The state accepted the gift and worked with the Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
(CCC) to build the Hartwick Pines Logging Museum adjacent to the grove. The museum was erected in 1934–1935. It contains recreated exhibit rooms, photographs and artifacts of the lumber boom years of northern Michigan. The museum is located in two replica logging camp buildings and also contains outdoor exhibits of logging equipment and an enclosed steam-powered sawmill that is operated during summer special events. The Logging Museum is administered by the Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries
Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries
The Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries was an agency of the U.S. state of Michigan. Its official name was Michigan History, Arts and Libraries and its acronym was MHAL...
' Michigan Historical Museum.
The last remaining virgin maple and beech hardwood forest in the state is at Warren Woods State Park
Warren Woods State Park
Warren Woods is a 311 acre state park in Berrien County, Michigan, near the town of Three Oaks. It is leased by private owners to the state of Michigan....
.
The park today
DNR pamphlet titled Hartwick Pines State Park AuSable River and Mertz Grade Foot Trail 5/2000On November 11, 1940, the Armistice Day Blizzard
Armistice Day Blizzard
The Armistice Day Blizzard took place in the Midwest region of the United States on 11 November and 12 November 1940...
badly damaged the Hartwick Pines old-growth pine grove. 36 acres (0.15 km²) of old trees were destroyed by windthrow
Windthrow
In forestry, windthrow refers to trees uprooted or broken by wind. Breakage of the tree bole instead of uprooting is sometimes called windsnap.- Causes :...
from this and other storms, leaving behind the 49 acres (198,296.1 m²) that remain alive as of 2007.
The Michigan Forest Visitor Center opened in 1995 and is a year-round facility. The building contains an exhibit hall on the history of the forests in Michigan, an auditorium, classroom space, a bookstore operated by the non-profit Friends of Hartwick Pines and restrooms.
A State Park Motor Vehicle Permit fee is charged to enter the park. Visitors are encouraged to park at the visitor center and walk an accessible trail
Trail
A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...
to the big trees. The Old Growth Forest Trail to the pine grove is a loop 1¼ miles (2 km) long. The Old Growth Forest is an even-aged stand of pines estimated to be between 350–375 years old. The tallest trees are between 150–160 feet tall, and have a girth of more than four feet DBH (Diameter at breast height). These Eastern White Pine are some of the largest trees in the eastern United States.
Hartwick Pines State Park also contains a campground, a day use area, and a network of four-season trails for summer hiking and winter cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
. The park offers a number of programs and special events throughout the entire year.
There are two foot trails on the south side of M-93. The wooded Au Sable River foot trail is approximately three miles in length and takes hikers across the East Branch at two different locations. The Mertz Grade Trail winds through forest and field for approximately two miles and was named for the early logging railroad spur it shares for a portion of its distance. Sallin Hansen Lumber Company heavily logged much of the property within Hartwick Pines State Park during the 1880’s and 1890’s. The Civilian Conservation Corps planted many of the park's trees in the 1930's as part of a massive restoration effort. Hence, this forest is known as “second growth.” There are four small lakes located within the State Park. Two of the lakes were originally named Bright and Star Lake. However, there were too many Star Lakes so they settled on Bright and Glory Lake.
The Visitor Center has an auditorium that can seat 105 people and an extraordinary nine-projector multi-image slide show. The show is approximately 14 minutes long and shares the story of logging from past right up until today. The Auditorium is used for my presentations and programs.
External links
- Hartwick Pines State Park
- Hartwick Pines Logging Museum
- Protected Planet (World Database on Protected Areas) – Hartwick Pines State Park
- http://www.stateparks.com/hartwick_pines.html