52 Cheboygan State Park 
wildlife viewing
| directions and facility information
Photo: Wolf, MI DNR
Located on
the Straits of Mackinac and Duncan
Bay in upper Lake Huron, this
gem of a state park has seven miles of Great Lakes
frontage. Its rich mixture of habitats is one of its strong points.
Habitats close to the lake range from Great Lakes
marshes, to cobblestone and lake sand beaches, to open sand dunes, to
inter-dunal wetlands. Inland habitats are
forested, ranging from dry maple, beach, and oak forests, to moist
northern white cedar and lowland conifer swamps. The park offers modern
camping facilities, rustic cabins, marked hiking and skiing trails, and a
rich diversity of plants and animals. The seven miles of marked hiking
trails pass through diverse habitats and offer hikers great wildlife
viewing opportunities. Some of the best wildlife watching in the park
awaits those who are willing to take a map and compass and set off on
their own into the wildness that this special site has to offer.
 Wildlife
Viewing
The pitcher thistle grows
along the lakeshore.
Do not disturb these rare
and unique Michigan
plants.
Photo: R.Garlitz
Several species of orchids are
common at Cheboygan,
including the pink,
yellow, and showy
lady’s slippers.
Photo: U.S. Forest Service
This park offers superb bird watching
opportunities due to its rich and diverse habitats. The swamps and
wetlands in the low, wet areas along Lake Huron
are good places to see ducks, geese, egrets, herons, and even the elusive
American bittern. Several species of gulls, the rare black tern and
common tern, plus the Caspian tern, can be seen working these wetlands
and extensive shorelines for food. The park’s coastal habitats have a number
of threatened and endangered plants such as Houghton’s goldenrod,
Pitcher’s thistle, and dwarf lake iris. Many orchid species including the
Calypso and ram’s head orchids are found in the moist white cedar
habitats. Carnivorous (insect-eating) pitcher plants are common here, but
you’ll have to get off the trails to find them. Look for their tall and
beautiful, deep red flowers in mid to late summer in wetland habitats in
the park. Colorful speckled brook trout may be seen in Little Billy
Elliot’s Creek during late summer, and concentrations of black bass are
often found in the weed beds of Duncan Bay
near the campground. Bobcats are common in the interior of the park.
Although these shy and reclusive predators are rarely seen, campers
sometimes hear them screaming at night. The scream is a normal call for
the bobcat, but it can definitely catch your attention if you’ve never
heard it before.
Portions of this
area are open to public hunting.
Contact the Michigan Department of Natural Resources for affected seasons
and locations.
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