Parks around Detroit

If you are interested in automotive history, then MotorCities National Heritage Area is the place to be. Tour the factory where Henry Ford created and built the Model T. Learn the stories behind the creation of General Motors and DamilerChrysler. Come with us and learn about the long and sometimes tenuous relationship between Labor and Industry while experiencing southeast Michigan.

On December 21, 2001, President Bush signed legislation establishing the first International Wildlife Refuge in North America. The refuge, which includes islands, coastal wetlands, marshes, shoals, and riverfront lands along 18 miles of the Lower Detroit River, will protect and restore habitat for 29 species of waterfowl, 65 kinds of fish, and 300 species of migratory birds along the river in Mic...

River Raisin is the site of the devastating January 1813 Battles of Frenchtown that occurred during the War of 1812. The battles typified the conflicting interest central to the war but, in the end, the killing and ransom of unprotected American prisoners galvanized America. The resulting polemical rally cry "Remember the Raisin" spurred America's successful re-taking of the Northwest Territories.

West Sister Island National Wildlife Refuge is located in the western basin of Lake Erie. It is jointly owned by the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Staff at the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge manage the island as a wilderness area, as provided under the Federal Wilderness Act. West Sister Island is Ohio's only Wilderness Area. In 1937, President Franklin D. Ro...

Cedar Point National Wildlife Refuge was donated to the Fish and Wildlife Service in 1964 by the owners of the Cedar Point Shooting Club. Currently, the refuge consists of 2,445 acres of marsh, divided into three pools. The largest pool, almost 2,000 acres, is the largest contiguous marsh in Ohio's Lake Erie marshes. Most of the refuge is closed to the public, however, a fishing...

Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial was established to honor those who fought in the Battle of Lake Erie, during the War of 1812, and to celebrate the long-lasting peace between Britain, Canada and the U.S. The Memorial, a Doric column, rising 352 feet over Lake Erie is situated 5 miles from the longest undefended border in the world.

The Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1961 to preserve habitat for migrating birds. Staff at the refuge also manage Cedar Point and West Sister Island refuges. The three refuges together now protect approximately 9,000 acres of habitat and some of the last remnants of the "Great Black Swamp" in the heart of the Lake Erie marshes. The Lake Erie Marsh Region has historic...

The Battle of Fallen Timbers was the culminating event that demonstrated the tenacity of the American people in their quest for western expansion and the struggle for dominance in the Old Northwest Territory. The events resulted in the dispossession of American Indian tribes and a loss of colonial territory for the British military and settlers.

The national NERR program, a national network of protected estuaries where integrated research and education leads to coastal stewardship, works at each estuary with a local partner(s). Old Woman Creek Research Reserve, located in Ohio, is one of the 28 protected estuaries within the NERR system. In Ohio, the local partner is the ODNR Division of Wildlife. It is one of two research reserves loc...

The Michigan Wetland Management District consists of a 14-county area and includes two waterfowl production areas (WPAs): the 160-acre Schlee WPA in Jackson County and the 77-acre Kinney WPA in Van Buren County. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Division, oversees day-to-day management of these two areas through a partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Mi...

Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge is located in central lower Michigan, approximately 25 miles south of Saginaw Bay. It was established in 1953 to provide habitat for migratory waterfowl. Known locally as the "Shiawassee Flats," the refuge lies in the Saginaw Bay watershed, historically one of the largest and most productive wetland ecosystems in Michigan. Four rivers converge on the ...

A front porch can serve many purposes. For some, a place to enjoy the breeze on a warm summer night. For others, a perch from which to keep eyes on what's happening in their neighborhood. In 1880, James Garfield used his front porch as a platform to greet thousands of well-wishers during his presidential campaign. Today, the porch serves as a gateway to the story of the Garfield family.

This site honors the memory of David Berger, an American citizen who was one of 11 Israeli athletes killed at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany. David had no expectations of winning a medal but joined the Israeli weightlifting team to realize his dream - a dream which ended tragically. The Memorial is dedicated to his memory and the memory of the ten other athletes.

Though a short distance from the urban areas of Cleveland and Akron, Cuyahoga Valley National Park seems worlds away. The park is a refuge for native plants and wildlife, and provides routes of discovery for visitors. The winding Cuyahoga River gives way to deep forests, rolling hills, and open farmlands. Walk or ride the Towpath Trail to follow the historic route of the Ohio & Erie Canal.

At the Corps' Charles Mill Lake, extensive recreation facilities are operated by the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District. Visit their website at www.mwcdlakes.com. In Mansfield, see the Kingwood Center formal gardens bloom April through October. Johnny Appleseed Heritage Center will be opening Summer 2004 near the dam. A 1600 seat amphitheater will be open presenting an outdoor drama about Jo...

The lake has no permanent pool.

From New York to North Dakota, you're never far from a great outdoor adventure. When completed the trail will be the longest continuous hiking trail in the United States. The trail links scenic, natural, historic, and cultural areas across seven states allowing visitors to experience a variety of northern landscapes. Come and experience your America, at a walking pace.

At the Corps Pleasant Hill Lake, extensive recreation facilities are operated by the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District. Visit their website at: www.mwcdlakes,com. Golden Age and Golden Access and other Federal recreation passports are not honored by MWCD. Louis Bromfield's home, Malabar Farm, is maintained by the State Historical Society at upper end of reservoir. Mohican State Park is down...

The North Branch of Kokosing Lake has lake front camping. A small, quiet (154 acre) fishing lake has a 10-hp limit. Located 1.5 miles from Fredericktown, off OH 13.

The reservoir and surrounding land are leased to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources as West Branch State Park. Fishing at Michael J. Kirwan can be a very rewarding activity. The numerous deep feeder channels and shallow shoreline provide habitat for a variety of fish species. The reservoir has yielded many trophy size walleye, muskie, and striped bass.

Nothing could be more romantic than meandering through the countryside on Covered Bridge Scenic Byway. Forested hills alternating with open pastures create an aura of the 19th Century that will seem real when you pass underneath one of the four covered bridges along the byway. During the horse and buggy times of the 1800s when these covered bridges were novel and pristine, the defiant youth referr...

Experience 12,000 years of history along Lake Erie. Visit the Lake Erie Islands, coastal marshes, prairies, rivers, and waterfalls. Follow tales of early shipping and sailing at maritime museums, restored freighters, and lighthouses. Learn about the Western Reserve, the Underground Railroad, and the War of 1812 at historic sites and museums.

The Ohio & Erie Canalway is a place to actively explore and experience the stories of our past, present, and future on trails, trains, and scenic byways, in canal towns and ethnic neighborhoods, along working rivers and great lakes, within industrial landscapes and vibrant natural areas.

Delaware Lake offers Corps, State Park and State Wildlife Area recreational opportunities.

Two properties, the home of First Lady Ida Saxton McKinley and the seven story 1895 City Bank Building, are preserved at this site, which honors the lives and accomplishment of our nation's First Ladies. The site is managed by the National Park Service and operated by the National First Ladies Library.