Rifle River Recreation Area
Encyclopedia
Rifle River Recreation Area is a wilderness
located on the upper reaches of the Rifle River
within the Au Sable State Forest
in Ogemaw County
in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. Covering 4449 acres (1,800.4 ha), the area provides a variety of recreational opportunities, including boating, canoeing, hiking, hunting, fishing, cross-country skiing, biking, and swimming.
This area was formerly a private hunting and fishing retreat owned by Harry Mulford Jewett, president of the Paige-Detroit Motor Car Company, for whom the Jewett
automobile was named. In 1945 the tract, then called Grousehaven, was purchased by the Michigan Department of Conservation from Mrs. Jewett after her husband's death. The Department of Conservation renamed it the Rifle River Area and used it as a field laboratory for fish and game research. In 1963, the Parks Division acquired the area and it is now known as the Rifle River Recreation Area.
Wilderness
Wilderness or wildland is a natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by human activity. It may also be defined as: "The most intact, undisturbed wild natural areas left on our planet—those last truly wild places that humans do not control and have not developed with...
located on the upper reaches of the Rifle River
Rifle River
Rifle River is a river in the U.S. state of Michigan. It rises in northeastern Ogemaw County and flows through Arenac County to enter Saginaw Bay of Lake Huron. Once a logging river during the Michigan forestry boom at the turn of the 20th century, the river is now primarily used for recreation,...
within the Au Sable State Forest
Au Sable State Forest
The Au Sable State Forest is a state forest in the north-central Lower Peninsula of Michigan. It is operated by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources....
in Ogemaw County
Ogemaw County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 21,645 people, 8,842 households, and 6,189 families residing in the county. The population density was 38 people per square mile . There were 15,404 housing units at an average density of 27 per square mile...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
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"....
. Covering 4449 acres (1,800.4 ha), the area provides a variety of recreational opportunities, including boating, canoeing, hiking, hunting, fishing, cross-country skiing, biking, and swimming.
This area was formerly a private hunting and fishing retreat owned by Harry Mulford Jewett, president of the Paige-Detroit Motor Car Company, for whom the Jewett
Jewett (automobile)
The Jewett was an automobile built in Detroit, Michigan by the Paige-Detroit Motor Car Company from March 1922 through December 1926. The Jewett was named after H.M. Jewett, president of Paige-Detroit. After the first 17 months of production approx. 40,000 vehicles were sold. The car was...
automobile was named. In 1945 the tract, then called Grousehaven, was purchased by the Michigan Department of Conservation from Mrs. Jewett after her husband's death. The Department of Conservation renamed it the Rifle River Area and used it as a field laboratory for fish and game research. In 1963, the Parks Division acquired the area and it is now known as the Rifle River Recreation Area.
External links
- Rifle River Recreation Area, Michigan Department of Natural ResourcesMichigan Department of Natural ResourcesThe Michigan Department of Natural Resources 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 and accepted by the Natural Resources Commission...
- Rifle River Natural River Plan, May 1980, revised March 12, 2002, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Division
- Rifle River Recreation Area Protected Planet (World Database on Protected Areas)