Photo Gallery Friday: Fayette Historic State Park
Photo Gallery Friday is a regular feature on Travel the Mitten that will help showcase photos from places where one post just isn’t enough to show off everything.
In addition to its location on a beautiful peninsula on Big Bay de Noc on Lake Michigan, Fayette Historic State Park also draws thousands of visitors each year because of its historic, restored “ghost town” – a former iron-producing community that appears as it did in the late 19th century. Visitors can tour the old machine shop, hotel, store, blast furnace and other buildings.
From the Michigan DNR: “The 711-acre Fayette Historic State Park blends nature and history. The park features a historic townsite, a modern campground, harbor slips, a boat launch, a beach and 5 miles of hiking and cross-country skiing trails with impressive views from the limestone cliffs that surround the harbor. The historic townsite, a once bustling iron smelting industrial community, features more than 20 historic buildings. A visitor center provides opportunities to learn about life in a 19th century industrial town through interpretation provided by the Michigan Historical Center. Visitors can take guided tours or self-guided walks. On the second Saturday of August, the park is transformed back to its glory days with period displays, food and music during the annual Heritage Day event. The event celebrates the “hey-day” of Fayette as a bustling iron smelting company town. Snail Shell Harbor is located within the park and the protected waters are deep enough for larger pleasure crafts. It features 15 transient slips ranging up to 60 feet with 30/50AMP electrical pedestals. Showers, a boat launch, grills, picnic tables, a visitor center and gift shop are located within walking distance. Scuba diving is permitted in the harbor during certain times of the day. A fee and use permit is required. All submerged artifacts are to remain in place and nothing is to be removed from the harbor bottom.
We featured Fayette in a recent post, but wanted an opportunity to share a few more of our photos. Enjoy!
