Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve
Watkins Lake from Arnold Road
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Type	Michigan state park
Location	Jackson & Washtenaw counties, Michigan, United States
Nearest city	Manchester, Michigan
Area	1,122 acres (454 ha)
Elevation	974 feet (297 m)
Established	2016
Administered by	Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Commission
Website	Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve

Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve is a cool place in Michigan. It's a mix of a fun park and a special nature area. You can find it about five miles west of Manchester. This big area covers both Jackson and Washtenaw counties.

The park is huge, covering over 1,100 acres! The state of Michigan owns about 700 acres of it. Washtenaw County owns over 400 acres. The park officially opened in 2017. It is managed by two groups: the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Commission. A long, five-mile path, once a train track, goes through the park. It leads into beautiful grassy areas on the east side.

Park History: How It Started

This park is named after Royal and Sally Carpenter Watkins. They were the very first settlers to farm this land a long time ago. The Watkins family was known for helping people on the Underground Railroad. This was a secret network that helped enslaved people find freedom before the Civil War.

Becoming a Park

In 2016, the state of Michigan bought part of the land that used to belong to the Watkins family. They used $2.9 million from a special fund called the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund. Before that, in 2015, Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission bought over 400 acres from a person named Gary Trolz. Then, in 2016, Mr. Trolz sold another 700 acres next to it to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. All these land purchases together made it possible to create Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve for everyone to enjoy!