Address: Highland Recreation Area 5200 Highland Rd White Lake, MI 48383
Countie(s) trail is located in: Oakland
Trail Type(s): Camping <> Cross Country Skiing <> Fishing <> Hiking <> Horseback/Equestrian <> Leashed Dogs Allowed <> Mountain Biking <> Snowmobile <> Swimming <> Canoe/Kayak
Trail Measurement: Trails: 11 Miles & Area: 5,903 Acres
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Recreation Passport Required: Yes
Approximate Size: 5903 (Acres)
Description
Highland Recreation Area offers 5,900 acres of forest, marshes and lakes in the rolling hills of Southern Michigan. With trails to accommodate equestrian riders, mountain bikers, hikers and skiers, there’s an activity for every season in this park.
Highland Recreation Area offers 5,900 acres of forest, marshes and lakes in the rolling hills of Southern Michigan. With trails to accommodate equestrian riders, mountain bikers, hikers and skiers, there’s an activity for every season in this park. Three different day-use areas provide ample space for picnics, swimming, horseshoes or volleyball. Access sites are located on four lakes within the park for fishing and recreational boating.
Trail Distance:
Over 26 miles long.
Directions:
Take U.S.- 23 to M-59, drive East 12 miles or I-75 to M-59 driving West 14 miles. Main Park Entrance is on the South side of M-59, between Bogie Lake Road and Ormand Rd.
Campgrounds
Highland-Bass Lake Modern Lodge
1 site(s)
Cabins & Lodges, Electrical Service, Modern Restrooms
Highland-Group Use Area
0 site(s)
Group Use Area, Hiking, Rustic Site, Vault Toilet
Highland-Rustic and Equestrian
25 site(s)
Equestrian, Equestrian Camping, Rustic Site, Vault Toilet
Trails
Highland-Equestrian Trails
Trail Length in Miles: 12.00 (Miles)
Equestrian
Highland-Foot Trails
Trail Length in Miles: 17.00 (Miles)
Cross Country Skiing, Hiking
Highland-Mountain Bike Trails
Trail Length in Miles: 16.00 (Miles)
Mountain Biking
Highland Recreation Area is a 5,900-acre (2,400 ha) state recreation area in the southeast part of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in north Oakland County, 14 miles (23 km) west of Pontiac.
Haven Hill Natural Area, within the Highland Recreation Area, was designated in 1976 as a National Natural Landmark.
Recreation Area
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), which owns and operates Highland, describes the recreation area as a parcel of forest, wetland, and kettle lakes primarily operated for light camping and drive-in/drive-out recreational day use. 45 miles (72 km) of trails in the recreation area are designated for hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian sports.
West of Duck Lake Road in Highland Recreation Area, a group of small moraines are locally called “mountains” — the highest elevation in the park, Mount Kanzer, is 1,150 feet (350 m) above sea level. The highland for which this recreation area is named is this group of moraines.
National Natural Landmark
South of Highland Road ( M‑59) and east of Duck Lake Road lies the 721-acre (292 ha) Haven Hill Natural Area and National Natural Landmark, a component unit of the Highland Natural Area. MDNR describes Haven Hill as an area that contains “all of southern Michigan’s principal forest types within one small area, including swamp forest of tamarack, cedar, beech-maple forest, oak-hickory forest, and mixed hardwood forest. The area has remained largely undisturbed for the past 75 years.” Haven Hill was preserved as a natural area first by auto magnate Edsel Ford, whose estate it was, and then by MDNR after Ford’s death in 1943.
References and More Info
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