Palms Book State Park

Palms Book State Park is a publicly owned nature preserve encompassing 388 acres (157 ha) in Thompson Township, Schoolcraft County, in the eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The state park is noted for Kitch-iti-kipi, the "Big Spring" of the Upper Peninsula.[5]

Palms Book State Park
IUCN category III (natural monument or feature)[1]
Kitch-iti-kipi within Palms Book State Park
Location in Michigan
LocationUpper Peninsula, Schoolcraft County, Michigan, United States
Nearest cityManistique, Michigan
Coordinates46°00′30″N 86°22′10″W[2]
Area388 acres (157 ha)
Elevation614 feet (187 m) [2]
DesignationMichigan state park
Established1929[3]
Named forPalms and Book Land Company[4]
AdministratorMichigan Department of Natural Resources
WebsitePalms Book State Park

History

The Palms and Book Land Company sold the property to the state in 1926, insisting on the name and a ban on camping.[4] John I. Bellaire arranged for the sale of a 90-acre (36 ha) parcel to the state for $10. The arrangement called for the establishment of a park that would be named after the land company. During the 1930s, workers with the Civilian Conservation Corps assisted in making park improvements that included construction of an observation raft, dock, and ranger's quarters.[5]

The spring

Kitch-iti-kipi, the spring, is a pool of clear water 400 feet (120 m) across in its largest dimension, and up to 40 feet (12 m) deep. The spring water can be seen from above as it wells upward through the pond's bottom of bedrock limestone and sand, creating a continual pattern of random eddies and cross-currents in the depths of the pond. To the Anishinaabe people that were the original inhabitants of much of the Upper Peninsula, this site was a place of mystery and wonder. The water is 45 °F (7 °C) in both winter and summer.

Since the days of the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, the state has operated a manually propelled observation raft. The raft, which is fixed by cables, carries visitors onto the spring pond, allowing the depths of the pond to be seen from above. The pond is stocked with trout.

Indian Lake

More than 10,000 gallons (40,000 liters) of water per minute pass from the pond into nearby Indian Lake. Palms Book State Park protects approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) of lake frontage.

References
  1. "Palms Book State Park". IUCN. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  2. "Palms Book State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  3. "When were Michigan state parks and recreation areas established?" (PDF). Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  4. "Who's who behind Michigan's named state parks". Michigan History Magazine. Historical Society of Michigan. March 1, 2016.
  5. "Palms Book State Park". Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
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