Fall Into Fun at Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park

Sept. 30, 2016

With more than 600 acres of forest preserve, interpretive hiking trails, and a vintage water mill that once was used to cut timber for buildings on Mackinac Island, Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park is the perfect destination, whether you’re interested in the great outdoors, Michigan’s great history, or both.

Kelsey Schnell, public relations and marketing officer for Mackinac State Historic Parks, called Mill Creek “a great dichotomy” because it has such a broad appeal in two completely diverse park categories.

“You’re five minutes away from modern civilization, but when you go back into the park, there you are as it was 150 to 200 years ago,” Schnell said. “Plus you have all of the forest trails readily accessible and easy for anyone to walk.”

WORKING WATER WONDERS

The focus of the park starts with the mill itself. “Mill Creek is special, because it was the first real industrial production site in the Great Lakes,” Schnell said. When milling was done by human hand alone, she said, it would take two men to saw boards in a sawpit, with one down in the pit itself and one up top.

“It would take 14 hours to cut 10 to 12 boards on a good day,” Schnell said. For all that work, the men would be paid one cent per board.

“Once they harnessed the creek to cut the timber, everything changed,” Schnell explained. “The powered saw blade would stay in place, and the water would push the log through, cutting it into boards. With this new method, they could cut 120 boards per day.”

The logs were then lashed together into temporary rafts, and pulled along the waterway and out by horses. It was a revolution in how construction in the region was done, and you can see how it all worked via live sawmill and sawpit demonstrations.

NATURE QUEST PERSPECTIVE

Another section of the park features the Adventure Tour, a special guided nature quest unlike anything else you’ll find Up North.

“The Adventure Tour has three components, starting with the Forest Canopy high-ropes bridge course, which is 50 feet above the dammed water area that’s used for the logs,” Schnell said.

Once you’re fitted with a harness and helmet, you get to explore the canopy above, giving you the perspective of a squirrel.

The Eagle’s Flight Zip Line is the second part of the adventure.

“This is 425 feet long and also travels over the creek, mimicking the flight of an eagle,” Schnell explained. “We tell people to spread their arms and see how many fish you can spot, as an eagle’s eyesight is ten times better than a human’s!” The zip line is more of a Zen experience than a thrill ride. While it’s definitely exhilarating, it’s intended to be more of a visual experience, and Schnell said all ages enjoy it.

“Kids can go, as well as adults, and we even have a 98-year-old man who comes back every year just to ride the zip line,” he said.

VIEW FROM THE TOP

A major highlight of the park is the third adventure component, the five-story Treetop Discovery Tower Climbing Wall, an easy climb for most that offers information about the animals living in the different levels of the forest as you ascend.

If you’re not up for climbing the wall itself, you can use the interior tower stairs to reach the top; either way, the effort’s worth it.

“At the top, you’re 180 feet above the Straits of Mackinac, and you can see all of downtown Mackinaw City, Mackinac Island, and the Mackinac Bridge,” Schnell said. “On a clear day, you can even see 11 to 12 miles right across the Straits!” Once you’ve learned about your surroundings and the history behind them, you can then explore on your own with Mill Creek’s own set of hiking trails that offer even more detailed information about trees, plant life, and animals as you trek around the property.

“Participating in these activities can change your perspective of how the outdoors is perceived here,” Schnell said. “You’ll get a better idea of the wonderful diversity that’s found in nature right in northern Michigan.”

Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park is located 3.5 miles east of Mackinaw City on US-23. Admission is $9/adult, $6/youth; Adventure Tour is an additional $8 per person. For more information, visit mackinacparks.com or call 231-436-4100.