Burt Lake State Park was established in 1921 and is among the oldest state parks in Michigan. Currently 406 acrews, it has 306 campsites. I parked myself on a nice pull through site and enjoyed a nice view of the adjoining area.
The campground is laid out wih nice open grassy sites and also nice wooded sites.
There's 2,000 feet of swimming beach and a park concession at the beach.
A picnic/day use area with a shelter, which can also be rented for group activities. There is also a horseshoe pit and playground equiipment nearby.
This is the the park's interretive building.It was built in 1936 by the Civilian Conservation Corps and is the only remaining such building in the park. It originally service as a bath house and shelter and was once the park store. It is built of fieldstone, logs and rough lumber.
One of the 4 toilet/shower buildings in the park
The parks mini cabin. A number of Michigan State Parks have mini cabins. A good way for those without an RV to enjoy a camping experience. They are equipped with electric, bunk beds and a table with benches.
There are a couple of nice walking trails in the park. This one although not a long trail is a nice walk through the woods.
This one wanders through the woods and alongside the Sturgeon river which runs alongside the park boundary
This is the Sturgeon River. Don't let is calm placid surfacr fool you. It' has the fastest current of any river in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. It's a great river for canoeing, kayaking or tubing on ihe upper reaches of the river. It starts here in Gaylord and flows the enitre 40 miles north to where it empties into Burt Lake. The one neat thing about this spot is that there is an Outfitter across the highway from the park that rents canoes, kayaks and tubes and will transport you to a starting point up river. You can then float your way back and get out at the dock in the park and just walk back to your campsite. No vehcile is even needed. If you have your own kayak, canoe or whatever and can have somebody spot you up river, you can do your own thing. The river has a lot of turns and deadfall along the route, so makes for a challenging but enjoyable paddle with it's swift current. Anybody can do it but be prepared for an ocassional dunk.
The dock
For those of us who have our furry companions along. This park has a dog beach. Tessa was not about to pass up a nice wade in the water.
Followed by a roll in the nice green grass
This is Burt Lake after which the park is named. The park is on the Southeast corner of the lake and although it may not look like it in the picture, the lake is approx. 10 miels long and 5 miles wide, 73 feet at it's deepest point and 17,120 acres in size. It is also part of the Michigan Inland Water system of connecting rivers and lakes across the northern part of Michigan. It's extremely popular with boaters and the parks boat launching area is very busy on a summer's day.
And another nice place for sunsets
Hope you enjoyed the tour of this park. I know I enjoyed camping there and will be returning again next year.
