Meridian-Baseline State Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Meridian-Baseline State Park |
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IUCN Category III (Natural Monument)
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The West meridian baseline marker
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 Meridian-Baseline State Park
Location in Michigan
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| Location | Ingham and Jackson counties, Michigan |
| Nearest city | Leslie, Michigan |
| Area | 108 acres (44 ha) |
| Elevation | 924 feet (282 m) |
| Designation | Michigan state park |
| Established | 1967 |
| Administrator | Michigan Department of Natural Resources |
| Website | Meridian-Baseline State Park |
Meridian-Baseline State Park is a special place in Michigan. It covers about 108 acres in Ingham and Jackson counties. This park is important because it marks where two imaginary lines cross. These lines are called the Michigan meridian and the baseline.
These lines were used long ago to help map out the land in Michigan. The park has two monuments. These monuments show where the lines meet. They are called the North Initial Point and South Initial Point.
Park History: How it Began
Efforts to create this park started in the 1960s. Both the state government and private groups worked together. They wanted to buy the land and set up a special museum there. This museum would have been about surveying. Surveying is the job of measuring and mapping land.
Museum Plans Change
People worked hard in the 1960s and 1970s. They bought land and raised money for the museum. But in 1981, the Michigan Society of Professional Surveyors opened a museum in Lansing, Michigan. Because of this, the plans for a museum at the park site were stopped.
Opening to the Public
For many years, it was hard to get to the park. There was no easy public access. But in 2014, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources bought more land. This new land allowed people to finally reach the park from Meridian Road. This road is near the county line between Jackson and Ingham.
Workers then made many improvements. They cleared trails for walking. They also built a parking lot for 10 cars. New road signs and trail markers were added. A bridge was built over a creek.
On October 12, 2015, the park officially opened to the public. This was a joint effort by the State of Michigan and the two counties. In 2016, a new boardwalk was finished. This boardwalk helps visitors walk through wet areas near the markers.
Images for kids
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The East Baseline-Meridian marker, situated in a swamp at the end of a boardwalk. It is the northern of the two markers.
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The West Baseline-Meridian marker at Michigan Meridian-Baseline State Park
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The East Baseline-Meridian marker at Michigan Meridian-Baseline State Park
