Rifle River State Recreation Area

Rifle River State Recreation Area
Rifle River State Recreation Area
	View from the observation tower on Ridge Road
	Location within the state of Michigan Rifle River State Recreation Area (the United States)
Location	Lower Peninsula, Ogemaw County, Michigan USA
Nearest city	Rose City, Michigan
Coordinates	44°23′28″N 84°01′31″W / 44.39111°N 84.02527°W
Area	4,449 acres (1,800 ha)
Established	1963
Governing body	Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Website	Official website

Rifle River State Recreation Area is a state park located on the upper reaches of the Rifle River within the Au Sable State Forest in Ogemaw County, in the U.S. state of Michigan. Covering 4,449 acres (1,800 ha), the area provides a variety of recreational opportunities, including boating, canoeing, hiking, hunting, fishing, cross-country skiing, biking, and swimming.

This area was formerly a private hunting and fishing retreat owned by Harry Mulford Jewett, president of the Paige-Detroit Motor Car Company, for whom the Jewett automobile was named. In 1945 the tract, then called Grousehaven, was purchased by the Michigan Department of Conservation from Mrs. Jewett after her husband's death. The Department of Conservation renamed it the Rifle River Area and used it as a field laboratory for fish and game research. In 1963, the Parks Division acquired the area and it is now known as the Rifle River State Recreation Area.

Camping

Rifle River State Recreation Area offers 75 modern sites at Grousehaven Modern Campground with electricity, an accessible toilet and shower building, and a designated swim beach. Rifle River State Recreation Area also has three rustic campgrounds with a total of 99 rustic campsites with vault toilets, as well as five rustic cabins and a group use campground that accommodates groups up to 100.

The camping area includes a public beach, a playground, and a boat launch.

Fishing

All lakes and waterways within Rifle River State Recreation Area are closed to boats with motors. Devoe Lake, Grousehaven Lake, Grebe Lake, and Lodge Lake are open to fishing. Jewett Lake is restricted to catch and release fishing with no live bait. Ice fishing is possible in the multiple lakes and streams.

Fisheries research has been conducted on thirteen-acre Jewett Lake, starting in 1945,^[1] and continuing to the present day.

Bluegills, bass, northern pike, yellow perch and trout can be found in Devoe, Grousehaven, Lodge, and Grebe lakes. Brook, brown and rainbow trout are present throughout the many miles of streams in the recreation area.

Trails

The area's 14 miles of trails allow for hiking, snowshoeing, and cross country skiing.

References

^ Schneider, James (30 October 1997). "Synopsis of 50 Years of Warmwater Fish Community Experiments at Jewett Lake" (PDF). Michigan Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Research Report (2021, 1997). Retrieved 26 February 2017.

External links

Rifle River Recreation Area, Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Rifle River Natural River Plan, May 1980, revised March 12, 2002, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Division
Rifle River Recreation Area Protected Planet (World Database on Protected Areas)
Rifle River Recreation Area
Rifle River Recreation Area Facebook account

[1] Schneider, James (30 October 1997). "Synopsis of 50 Years of Warmwater Fish Community Experiments at Jewett Lake" (PDF). Michigan Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Research Report (2021, 1997). Retrieved 26 February 2017.

[1]